Lance Corporal George Joseph Carberry
George Joseph Carberry was born in the Parish of St Thomas, Dublin, in 1895, the son of George Carberry and his wife Mary.
On 23 January 1912 he enlisted at Dublin in the 4th Battalion, Royal Dublin Fusiliers Special Reserve (No.8542). He gave his age as 17 years and 3 months, his occupation as a sawyer's helper, and his address as 115 Townsend Street, Dublin.
After a year Carberry was discharged in order that he join a regular regiment – his character was recorded as "very good". On 3 February 1913 he joined the Irish Guards at Dublin (No.4354). However just over seven weeks later he left the army – it is likely that he purchased his discharge. He then took a job at the Jacobs Biscuit Factory in Dublin.
Carberry enlisted in the North Irish Horse between 25 November and 2 December 1915 (No.1999), spending the next year in training at the regiment's reserve and training depot at Antrim.
On 10 September 1916 he married Christina O'Neill at the Lady of Lourdes Church, North Dublin. Two months later, on 14 November, he embarked for France, where he was posted to one of the five squadrons that made up the two North Irish Horse regiments there.
It is likely that during 1917 he fell ill, was wounded or injured, and was evacuated to the UK for treatment. He did not recover sufficiently to enable his return to front line service, and in October 1917 he was transferred to the Military Foot Police (No. P/12979) and promoted to lance corporal. It appears he had no further overseas service. He was discharged on 22 September 1919.
After the war Carberry returned to work in the Jacobs Biscuit Factory. In 1929 he was granted a life pension as a result of rheumatism contracted during the war.
He died tragically on 26 May 1944 in an accident at Howth.
Image of Private Carberry and (it is believed) his wife Christina, kindly provided by Liam Keane.