This is my mother’s Granfather and Grandmother photographed in their house in Cleve Hill in Blackrock in Cork sometime around the turn of the last century. I always had a notion that some of them fought in the Great War and so, given the week that is in it, went looking for some information about this family.

The photo shows my Great Grandfather and his wife surrounded by their eleven children, ten sons and one daughter.
My brother David was able to send me some notes which my Mother had given him and the rest is just bits and pieces from my unreliable memory.
The picture always hung in the family home and I would frequently ask my Mother about the people in it.None, as it turned out actually died in the Great war but neither did they all come out unscathed.

First man on the left, holding a bicycle is my Grandfather Frank Daly,my mother’s Dad, who died shortly before I was born and had spent his life working in his father’s firm; M.D. Daly- Tea Importers in Cork.
Next one on in the sailor suit is Harry, Harry was (like his brother Gussie) captured by the Japanese in Singapore. He was apparently a great humourist and famous for keeping the morale high in the camp, where he lost 7 stone before his rescue.
Next sitting, is Mossie, the eldest I imagine as he carries the Father’s name, Maurice, and presumably continued to run the family firm after his demise.
Next along, also in a sailor suit is Gussie , who was also captured by the Japenese when working in a bank in Signapore during WW2 and died in the campof malnutrition.
Next one is Jim, complete with ringlets, the youngest who was dressed as a girl as was the custom of the day (my mother used to tell me it was to stop him being abducted by fairies) Now Jim did go and fight in WW1 but obviously survived, married a lady called Jennie Twohig became an excellent tennis player and was just maybe a little flighty- the only cryptic note about him from my mother was that he “had several jobs” !
Next along, sitting in a light jacket is Louis, who when on his honymoon during WW1, was in a ship torpedoed by a German submarine. While in the water, my mother told me, he was able to open his gold watch, a present from his older brother Mossie for his 21st, and use the reflect rays of the sun to show a life boat his position. he went on to become a General in the British army and died in his bed.
Next sitting is my Great Grandmother and behind her Michael who must have been the second born.With her arm around her mother is the second youngest Mary, the only girl, who was a great disappointment to all as she meant the boys could not form a cricket team, having only 10 boys instead of 11.( She is the only one I remember and must have visited us when I was a child)
Behind her is Neil who did go and fight and die but in the Boer war where he died in 1903, it must have been very shortly after this picture was taken.
In front of him is Maurice the patrician Pater Familias and after him another two of her uncles Joe and Jack about whom my mother could remember nothing.
The house, which looks very grand in the picture was afterwards demolished and Cleve Hill in Cork is now a housing estate.
So as I said, no great WW1 martyrs but a great history of brave men , two at least of whom died for their cause and 5 of whom fought for it in different ways.

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