Poppy In memoriam Poppy

Captain the Hon Andrew Edward Somerset Mulholland

 

 

 

Andrew Mulholland, born on 20 September 1882 at Drayton Lodge, Monkstown, Co. Dublin, was the eldest son of the second Baron Dunleath of Ballywalter Park, County Down, and his wife Norah Louisa Fanny (nee Ward).

Mulholland was educated at Eton and Oxford, where he became an accomplished cricketer. According to the Christ Church Oxford Roll of Honour:

... in the Eton XI of 1901 he made 361 runs with an average of 30.08, but scored only 13 and 18 against Harrow. He came up to Christ Church in 1902, when he played in the Freshmen's match, making 34 and 14, but did not obtain his blue. He had been a member of the MCC since 1908. At Lord's in 1909 he played for Army v. Royal Navy, and in his only innings scored 39.

On 17 July 1903 he was commissioned as a 2nd lieutenant and posted to the North of Ireland Imperial Yeomanry, the predecessor of the North Irish Horse. He served with the regiment for three years, before joining the 1st Battalion, Irish Guards. He was promoted to lieutenant in January 1909 and captain in July 1913.

In June 1913 he married Lady Hester Joan Byng, youngest daughter of the fifth Earl of Strafford. They had one child, Daphne Norah, born on 11 March 1915.

Mulholland embarked for France with his regiment on 12 August 1914, taking part in the retreat from Mons and advance to the Aisne before moving north to the Ypres sector.

He was killed in action in the fighting around Ypres on 1 November 1914, aged 32. According to Bond of Sacrifice "... at about 2 p.m., he was hit by a bullet while rallying his men in the trenches near Ypres, and died at 9 p.m."

Captain Mulholland was buried at the Ypres Town Cemetery, Grave No. E2.3. The gravestone inscription reads:

CAPTAIN THE HON
A.E.S. MULHOLLAND
IRISH GUARDS
1ST NOVEMBER 1914

 

His name is on the MCC Roll of Honour and there is a window to him in the church of Ireland at Ballywalter (below).

 

 

 

Original grave cross and memorial window, Holy Trinity Church in Ballywalter

 

Gravestone image kindly provided by Steve Rogers, Project Co-ordinator of the The War Graves Photographic Project, www.twgpp.org. First image of Captain Mulholland from the Illustrated London News, 28 November 1914; second image shows him with officers of the North of Ireland Imperial Yeomanry in 1905. Last two images kindly provided by Nigel Henderson, researcher at History Hub Ulster. Some of the above information from the Advertiser (Adelaide) 9 January 1915.