User:Captain Thomas O'Doherty/sandbox

Captain Thomas O&#39;Doherty (talk) 11:10, 24 June 2022 (UTC)

No. 1 Army Band founded by Captain Thomas Joseph O'Doherty in February 1923.

In February 1922, Thomas Joseph O’Doherty (1890-1964) attested to the Dublin Guards, Óglaigh na hÉireann in Beggars Bush Barracks. At that time, alongside Tom Kearns and Ginger Healy, he sounded the first Irish army bugle call around the square of that Barracks.

O’Doherty’s first commission was Sergeant–Major in charge of the buglers. O’Doherty was the first Irish bandmaster to hold a commissioned rank in the Defence Forces. He formed the first Army School of Music, training the first buglers. He was the first Officer Commanding bands in the National Army. On 1 February 1922, he formed the first band in the army – the Dublin Guards pipe band. He also established the first fife and drum band. One year later, in February 1923, he formed the first brass and reed band engaging musicians from St. Peter’s Brass and Reed Band, Belfast. The sequence in which bands were set up places O’Doherty as the founder of the No. 1. Army band. As declared by Colonel J. Brennock, a previous director of the Army School of Music:

“A point which … has been misunderstood within and without the Army School of Music for a long time. The reference is to the categorising of bands as No. 1, 2,             3 and 4. The numbering had nothing whatsoever to do with the standards of efficiency of bands but referred only to the order of establishment”.

Notably, O’Doherty’s military qualifications also included gymnastic instructor.

Throughout 1922, when military barracks vacated by the British were taken over by troops of the Free State Army, As a member of Countess Markieviez’s band Na Fianna and together with his own band, O’Doherty participated in the new State’s take-over celebrations. On 7 February 1962, an Irish national newspaper published an image of him leading one such band, titled “History in the Making”. This article is captioned:

“Lieut. Thomas O’Doherty leading an Army Fife and Drum Band at the head of a parade from Wellington Barracks (now Griffith Barracks) in 1922”.

During his time as Captain, O’Doherty ensured that soldiers who succumbed were given full military honours. In this endeavour, from 1922 up to 1924 he travelled, with his bands, across Ireland. Newspaper articles of the era provide accounts of his tributes to his fallen comrades. Getty Images published an image of him at the renowned Custom House commemoration in 1923 and captioned:

“Members of an Irish National Army (AKA the Irish Free State Army) band kneeling in prayer at a special Requiem Mass at the Pro Cathedral, Dublin, on the first anniversary of the Burning of the Custom House, in which five IRA volunteers were killed, 25 May 1922. In the foreground is Officer Commanding Bands, Captain Thomas O’Doherty (1890–1964)”.

A prominent member of Óglaigh na hÉireann and a notable figure in the Irish Civil War, O'Doherty quickly rose to the rank of Captain. In June 1923, as the Irish Civil War came to an end, O’Doherty was commissioned Captain, Army School of Music, Dublin Command. As Captain and Officer Commanding the Army School of Music. However, within two years and due to evolving circumstances in the Army School of Music, O’Doherty resigned his commission in 1924.

Captain Thomas O’Doherty never received any recognition for his efforts. In fact, a German military musician, Colonel Anton Fritz Brase, is mistakenly accredited with being the founder of the Irish No.1 Army band.