8th Battalion, Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers (British Army)
Date Of Birth:
13/04/1884
Died:
06/09/1916 (Killed in Action)
Age:
31
Summary
Provisional: Joseph Boyle was the eldest child of Joseph and Annie Boyle. He was born in Cookstown on 13th April 1884. He was one of twelve children, nine surviving. Both Joseph and his father were painters. They lived in Cookstown. Private Joseph Boyle was serving with the 8th Battalion of the Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers when he was killed in action on Wednesday 6th September 1916. Joseph’s brother, Private Louis Boyle, was killed in action in France just two weeks later on 17th September 1916.
Further Information
IMPORTANT: There was only one Joseph Boyle in the Cookstown area. It is assumed this is the person, although we have ABSOLUTELY NO PROOF as yet that this is so.
Joseph Boyle was the eldest child of Joseph and Annie Boyle. Joseph Boyle married Annie McIlwainey on 5th August 1883 in the district of Cookstown. The spelling of his mother’s maiden name varies substantially through the records.
Henry Joseph Boyle was born in Cookstown on 13th April 1884. He was one of twelve children, nine surviving.
Army records suggest Joseph Boyle was born at Derryarden, Cookstown. This may be Derryloran.
The 1901 census lists Henry Joseph as age 16, living with the family at house 13 in Union Street, Cookstown, County Tyrone.. Both Joseph and his father were painters.
Family: Joseph Boyle, Annie Boyle, Henry Joseph Boyle (born 13th April 1884), Mary Kate Boyle (born 13th July 1885), Patrick James Boyle (born 10th November 1890), Louis Boyle (born 27th September 1892), Peter Alphonsus Boyle (born 14th November 1894), Sarah Elizabeth Boyle (born 16th October 1895), Margaret Josephine Boyle (born 13th December 1896), Eleanor Frances Boyle (born 5th May 1898), Thomas John Boyle (born 9th September 1900), Nora Gertrude Boyle (born 20th March 1903).
The 1911 census lists Joseph as age 25, living with the family at house 78 in Chapel Street, Cookstown, Tyrone (tbc). They were a family of painters.
Joseph Boyle enlisted in Omagh.
By September 1916, the 8th Inniskillings were posted to the Somme. On September 6th the Inniskillings came under intensive shellfire with one of the major casualties of the 7th Battalion being Lieutenant Colonel H.N. Young who was wounded by an enemy sniper. That night the enemy made a determined attack on Leuze Wood, preceding it with an intensive bombardment, which was beaten off by the Inniskillings. The action concluded with 14 men of 8th Battalion, killed in action including Joseph Boyle and Corporal Joe Quinn from Drumglass, Dungannon.
Private Joseph Boyle was serving with the 8th Battalion of the Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers when he was killed in action on Wednesday 6th September 1916.
Joseph’s brother, Private Louis Boyle, was serving with the 24th Battalion of the Canadian Infantry when he was killed in action in France just two weeks later on 17th September 1916.
Private Joseph Boyle is buried in Peronne Road, Cemetery, Maricourt, Somme, France.
Private J Boyle is commemorated on Cookstown Cenotaph.
