Mahony, Thomas George (Thomas)
Second Lieutenant
19th Battalion, Lancashire Fusiliers,
formerly 15th Battalion The King’s (Liverpool Regiment)
Killed in action on Thursday 13 July 1916 (aged 21)
No known grave
Commemorated:
Commonwealth War Graves Commission
Thiepval Memorial, France (Pier and Face 3 C and 3 D)
Holywood and District War Memorial
Queen’s University Belfast (QUB) War Memorial
Queen’s University Belfast (QUB) Book of Remembrance
BIOGRAPHY
Thomas George Mahony was born on 26 March 1895 at 245 Mount Pottinger Road, Belfast and he was a son of Owen and Frances Charlotte Mahony (nee Gordon) who were married on 2 June 1891 in Belfast Registrar’s Office. Owen Mahony, and RIC officer stationed at Mount Pottinger, was a son of Thomas Mahony, a farmer. Charlotte Gordon from Mount Pottinger Road, Belfast was a daughter of William Gordon, a hotel keeper.
In 1901 Owen Mahony was a District Inspector in the Royal Irish Constabulary and the Mahony family lived in New Street, Killaloe, Co Clare. Owen’s widowed mother-in-law, Jeanie Frances Gordon (born in Switzerland) lived with them.
Owen and Frances Charlotte Mahony had six children:
Catherine Frances (born 1 August 1892 at 100 Castlereagh Street, Belfast)
William Gordon (born 11 October 1893 at 100 Castlereagh Street, Belfast)
Thomas George (born 26 March 1895 at 245 Mount Pottinger Road, Belfast)
Owen Lloyd (born 18 October 1898 in Tulla, County Clare)
Mary Maud (born 20 September 1901 in Windsor Avenue, Lurgan, County Armagh)
Charlotte Patricia Josephine Ivy (born 15 March 1905 in Church Place, Lurgan, County Armagh)
By 1911 Owen Mahony had retired and the Mahony family lived at 16 Shore Street, Holywood.
In 1911 Thomas George Mahony (aged 16) was a pupil teacher in the Model School Belfast and on 24 April 1915 he entered the Queen’s University Belfast (QUB) Officers’ Training Corps (OTC). His address was Jubilee Terrace, Holywood.
[In 1915 the Queen’s University authorities, in response to initiatives by the War Office to find officers, had allowed the OTC to provide a short period of intensive officer training to young men who had already joined the Army before they were commissioned into one of the newly formed battalions.]
Thomas George Mahony obtained his commission and served with the 19th Battalion, Lancashire Fusiliers, formerly the 15th Battalion The King’s (Liverpool Regiment). The 19th Battalion, Lancashire Fusiliers were known as the 3rd Salford Pals.
Second Lieutenant Thomas George Mahony was 21 when he was killed in action during an advance on 13 July 1916 during the Battle of the Somme and in a letter to Thomas’s father his commanding officer commented on Thomas’s bravery and devotion to duty. The village upon which they were advancing was taken but the Battalion suffered very heavy casualties. Second Lieutenant Thomas George Mahony has no known grave and he is commemorated on the Thiepval Memorial in France; on Holywood and District War Memorial; on the Queen’s University Belfast (QUB) War Memorial and in the Queen’s University Belfast (QUB) Book of Remembrance.