A Military Archives photo gives this as him, but the age looks wrong for a man with 8 children b1878
1878 Apr 27. Born Wooden Bridge, Avoca, Wicklow (RIC records give Wicklow and this year). No Robert Redmond recorded in 1878 or even close in Wicklow. Death registration gives birth as 1881)
1898 Aug 15, Married Anne Shiels at Fairview, Dublin. The marriage in in Irish GRO
1901 census gives him as a visitor (without his wife) at the house of Christopher Maloney at Kings Avenue, Mountjoy,
1911 census living at Upper Gloucester St, Mountjoy, Dublin (this street has now been renamed to Upper Sean MacDermott Street)
He appears from his service record to have enlisted in at least 4 regiments, Dublin Fusiliers, Connaught Rangers, Irish Rifles and Irish Regiment. He never served abroad, so was never entitled to medals.
1914 Sep 28 Enlisted in 8th Royal Dublin Fusiliers. With service no 14845
1914 Dec 20. Discharged from Dublin Fusiliers. Discharged as unsuitable. Para 392 (iii). "Not being likely to become an efficient soldier "
1915 Jan 30. Enlisted in 6th Connaught Rangers. Service no 6/3742. Illiterate and could not sign, just used a mark.
1915 Feb 1. Was sent to 6th battalion Connaught Rangers by Dublin Recruiting Office.
1915 Mar 31 admitted to hospital in Fermoy with "Strain". In hospital for 13 days
1915 Jun 18. Admitted to hospital in Fermoy. In hospital for 6 days.
1915 Aug 17. Transferred to 8th Royal Irish Fusiliers. Service no 2109
1915 Aug 14. Deserted from 8th Royal Irish Fusiliers (presumably never arrived)
1915 Oct 19 enlisted in 3rd Royal Irish Rifles , service no 3/8841, with service later reckoned from 30 June 1916 because of fraudulent enlistment
1916 Jan 20 Absent without leave
1916 Feb 2. Returns to regiment
1916 Mar 17 Deserted from Royal Irish Rifles
1916 Apr 15. Arrested and in guard room while awaiting trial
1916 May 4. Escaped Royal Irish Rifles while awaiting trial
1916 May 14. Enlists in Royal Irish Regt. with service no 10094 and posted to 3rd battalion.
1916 Jun 6 Placed under arrest. At this point the army seem to have realised that he was a deserter from R I Rifles.
1916 Jun 13 Tried by Field General Court martial and found guilty of absenting himself and fraudulent enlistment. . Sentenced to one years detention.
1916 Sep 13 admitted to hospital.
1916 Nov 7 Discharged from hospital
1916 Nov. Goes back to hospital. He had been transferred from the Detention Barracks at Arbour Hill.
1916 Nov 16. Deserts Royal Irish Regt. Found to be absent from the hospital about 3pm. And is recorded as deserted. He sort of slipped through a hole in the Army system here, and they never realised that he was missing, never looked for him, and that was the last they saw of him.
1917 His first wife, Anne Sheils died. Robert Redmond re-married in 9 months later (27 Jul 1918), to Mary Anne Moore. She was, apparently, with him when he was shot. They had one son.
1918 Feb 23 Court Martial. The army have not been able to trace him, and he has been missing since "breaking out of hospital". The army are upset as nobody appears to have reported the desertion and Redmond's family continued to get his separation allowance.
1920 May 26. The son from the 2nd marriage was John Joseph Redmond. He died in Leicester, England on 24/04/1999. Its still unclear whether he had any children
1921 Jan 3. Joined ADRIC V & D Division. RIC no 78135 and ADRIC no (805) on V & D. Attached to no 4 Guards Coy of Veterans and Drivers Division of ADRIC at Beggars Bush
1921 May 14 Shot while on leave, he was in Frankfort Cottages, Killarney St, Dublin, and he was shot in the presence of his wife. Only after his death did his wife discover he had 7 children by an earlier marriage
I suspect that Redmond was a spy/informer as there is no inquest available. His "difficult" army service record could point to a Thomson man.
His name was corrected later
