Vanguard of Irish Military Music 1922-1924
The story of
Captain Thomas Joseph O'Doherty 1890-1964.
February 1923, Captain Thomas Joseph O'Doherty founded the No. 1 Army Band, engaging musicians from St. Peter's Brass and Reed Band, Belfast. February 1922, O'Doherty founded the first bands in the Irish army and the first Irish Army School of Music.
He sounded the first bugle call in the Irish Free State along with Tom Kearns and "Ginger" Healy. He trained the first buglers (see Reference 1 below).
19 June 1923, O’Doherty was commissioned
Captain, Army School of Music, Dublin Command.
As Captain and Officer Commanding the Army School of Music, O’Doherty was the first Irish bandmaster to hold a commissioned rank
in the Defence Forces, an honour not yet assigned to him.
Testimonials
An Taoiseach, Mr. Micheál MartinMary Timmons, Assistant Private Secretary to An Taoiseach: "The Taoiseach has asked me to say that he enjoyed reading your book and he would like to take this opportunity to wish you well with this project."
Minister for Defence and Minister for Foreign Affairs, Mr. Simon Coveney, T.D.“I would like to take this opportunity to thank you again for this submission and I look forward to its addition as a secondary source of material in the Military Archives library … it will be available in the Military Archives reference library which is arranged alphabetically by author, so your research will be filed under “MCV”.
The Defence Forces School of Music Gala ConcertOctober 2023, the Defence Forces School of Music held a Gala Concert in the National Concert Hall, Dublin to celebrate their centenary, in the concert programme Captain O'Doherty's contribution in the Army School of Music in 1923 was acknowledged.
He sounded the first bugle call in the Irish Free State along with Tom Kearns and "Ginger" Healy. He trained the first buglers (see Reference 1 below).
Captain Thomas Joseph O'Doherty
It is the universal plight of many soldiers to find that they are disregarded when war is over. In times of conflict, a soldier risks life and limb in support of country, but when the soldiers duty is done, they may be marginalised, overlooked, and forgotten. Captain Thomas O’Doherty was one such soldier.
This book captures the ordinary, courageous, and resilient lives of the Irish people during the raging War of Independence. Readers are taken on O'Doherty's extraordinary journey as a young Volunteer - alongside well-documented figures such as Michael Collins and Countess Markievicz, O’Doherty and his companions fought for Irish freedom.
Becoming a prominent member of the newly formed Óglaigh na hÉireann (Irish Free State Army) and a notable figure in the Irish Civil War, O'Doherty quickly rose to the rank of Captain. Captain Thomas O'Doherty founded the first Irish Army School of Music in 1922, and he founded the No. 1 Army Band in 1923. However, within two years and due to evolving circumstances in the Army School of Music, O’Doherty resigned his commission.
As shown by the research presented in this book, military music was in existence in the Irish Army from its formation in 1922. However, contrary to the accepted narrative, the German military musician, Colonel Anton Fritz Brase did not form the no.1 army band. By 1924, under Brase there was an extensive dismantling of army bands. The collapse of bands at this time was considered best forgotten, with the resultant exclusion of the first two years of music from military history. This distortion became the accepted inaccurate record, reinforced by one hundred years of repetition. The honour of being the founder of military music in the Irish Free State Army is therefore misattributed to others.
O’Doherty died without ever receiving due recognition for his achievements. In this decade of centenary commemorations, now is the time to restore O’Doherty’s status as the central figure in the formation of military music in the Irish Free State Army. Any suggestions in this endeavour, would be appreciated.
About the Author
Post Note from the Author:
© Copyright Vanguard of Irish Military Music