Private Robert Gillespie
Robert Gillespie was born on 1 January 1884 at Drumloo, Scotstown, County Monaghan, the seventh of eight children of farmer John Gillespie and his wife Mary Jane (nee Wright). His mother died before his second birthday, his father re-marrying a year later. By the time of the 1911 Census he was living at the home of Bank of Ireland agent Henry E. Swayne at The Diamond, Clones Urban, County Monaghan, and working as a bank porter.
Gillespie enlisted in the North Irish Horse at Clones on 6 March 1911 (No.587), giving his age as 23 years and 4 months. Mobilised on 8 August 1914, Gillespie was admitted to the Londonderry Hospital two months later. Although discharged from hospital on 3 November, a medical board at Londonderry on 7 December recommended that he be discharged as permanently unfit for military service.
On 17 December 1914 Gillespie was invalided out of the service (paragraph 154(xi) Special Reserve Regulations). His character was recorded as "very good".