Private Joseph Alphonsus McSweeney
Joseph Alphonsus McSweeney (or Sweeney) was born on 12 February 1900 at Dungloe, Glenties, County Donegal, the second of two children of American-born parents, railway contractor Joseph Sweeney and his wife Catherine (nee Boyle). At the time of the 1911 Census he was boarding at the Mt Sackville Convent Boarding School in Castleknock, North Dublin. On 2 April 1917 he was employed by the Northern Bank and was posted to the Dungloe branch.
McSweeney enlisted in the North Irish Horse on 29 September 1917 (regimental number unknown at present). Soon after, however, it was discovered that he was under-age, and he was discharged.
On 13 December 1917 McSweeney returned to work at the Northern Bank, at Strokestown. Over the following years he worked at Head Office (1920), Grafton Street (1921), Kingscourt (1927), Head Office (1928), Ball’s Branch (1929), Head Office (1930), Falls (1930) and Oldcastle (1931). He retired on 31 March 1962.
On 12 September 1939 he married May Glover at the Church of St Therese, Somerton Road, Belfast.
The image and some of the information above is sourced from Gavin Bamford's site honouring the officials of the Northern Bank and Belfast Bank who served during the two World Wars and in more recent conflicts. northernbankwarmemorials.blogspot.com.au