Private Michael Kinsella
Michael Kinsella was born on 5 August 1900 at Newbridge, County Kildare, the third of six children of car driver John Kinsella and his wife Bridget (née O'Dea). Four of his siblings died as infants. By the time of the 1911 Census he was living as a boarder at 2.1 Matthew Court, Newbridge, at the home of widow Mary Dormody and her son Laurence.
Kinsella enlisted in the Hussars of the Line at the Curragh on 20 April 1917 (No.35354). He gave his age as 19 (his true age was 16) and his occupation as post-boy (or farm labourer on other documents). Posted to the 2nd Reserve Cavalry Regiment at the Curragh, on 2 July 1917 he was transferred to the North Irish Horse at Antrim (No.2587).
On 25 May 1918 at Antrim he was awarded 14 days' detention for being absent from evening stables.
In July 1918 Kinsella was admitted to the Belfast War Hospital, where a doctor reported that he was:
Dull, stupid, lazy, unemployable. ... He is obviously feebleminded. He is careless, indifferent and untidy, & seems to have a permanent dislike for work.
A medical board reported:
Crimed several times for being dirty and irregular on parade. Examined 1/7/18 by Lieut-Col. Dawson, considered weakminded and not fit to make a good soldier.
The board recommended Kinsella's discharge, which took place on 12 August 1918 (paragraph 392(xvi), King's Regulations 'no longer physically fit for war service'). His military character was recorded as 'indifferent. ... Honest and sober.'