William (Billy) Dunne of Coolaghy, Ireland served in the AEF in World War I

Forgotten Moycullen War Hero

William Dunne was born on 3 May 1889 at Coolaghy, Moycullen, to John Dunne and Margaret Gavin. He was baptised the same day, with Thomas Dunne and Margaret Barrett serving as sponsors.

At the time of the 1901 census, William was living with his parents in Knockaunranny, Moycullen. Also present in the household were his brothers Patrick, Michael, Martin, and Bartley, his uncle Michael Dunne, and his paternal grandmother Julia Dunne. His younger brother Denis had sadly died the previous year from measles, aged just four years.

William began working for the Midland Great Western Railway Company as a labourer on 16 August 1906, employee number 978. At that time, he earned a weekly wage of 13 shillings. He resigned from his post on 16 April 1910, though the reason is not recorded. The following month, he rejoined the company, this time with a slight raise to 13 shillings and sixpence per week.

By the time of the 1911 census, tragedy had cast a long shadow over the family. William’s father had been found deceased by a milesman on the Galway–Clifden railway line at Coolaghy on 18 July 1906. Less than a month later, heartbreak struck again with the death of William’s brother Michael, aged just eighteen, from heart complications. Earlier, in 1902, his brother Martin had died of pneumonia at the age of eleven.

According to their mother’s entry on the census, she had given birth to nine children, of whom only five were still living—suggesting another sibling had died in infancy, though no birth or death records have been found to date.

In 1911, William was still residing with his widowed mother, now at Knockbane, along with his paternal grandmother Julia and siblings Patrick, Bartley, Julia, and Peter. At this time, William listed his occupation as a platelayer (with the Midland Great Western Railway Company), a position from which he resigned on 1 March 1913.

Emigration

Just a few weeks later, on 23 March 1913, he boarded the RMS Mauretania at Queenstown (Cobh), County Cork, bound for New York. Traveling with him was Bartley Noonan (Noone), son of Matthias and Mary Noone, from Coolaghy, Moycullen. William’s stated destination was Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, while Bartley was heading for Newport, Connecticut.

On 23 October 1913, William—then living at 301 Penn Avenue, Pittsburgh—swore his Declaration of Intention to become a U.S. citizen. Document No. 22272 offers a glimpse of his appearance: he stood 5 ft. 7 in. tall, weighed 150 lbs., and had a fair complexion, black hair, and blue eyes.

Between 1913 and 1917, William relocated to 21 2nd Avenue, Rankin, Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, where he worked as a water tender for the American Steel & Wire Company.

Army Life

It was whilst in this employment, and unmarried, William enlisted in the US Army on 5 June 1917.  His induction took place on 22 September 1917 at Braddock, Pennsylvania, where he became Private William Dunne, Army Serial Number 1910685.

⇒ Read the entire article on the Moycullen Heritage website.
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