EASTER RISING 1916 : BRITISH WAR & VICTORY MEDALS AND DELHI DURBAR MEDAL 1903 AWARDED TO LIEUTENANT COLONEL M.A. TIGHE, 2ND GARRISON AND 8TH BATTALIONS ROYAL IRISH REGIMENT AND ACTING COMMANDER “B” COY, 10TH Bn ROYAL DUBLIN FUSILIERS (LATE ROYAL IRISH

THE BRITISH WAR MEDAL, VICTORY MEDAL AND DELHI DURBAR MEDAL 1903 TRIO AWARDED TO LIEUTENANT COLONEL M.A. TIGHE, 2ND GARRISON AND 8TH BATTALIONS ROYAL IRISH REGIMENT AND ACTING COMMANDER “B” COMPANY, 10TH BATTALION ROYAL DUBLIN FUSILIERS (LATE ROYAL IRISH RIFLES AND INDIAN ARMY), WHO WAS AT THE CENTRE OF EVENTS IN DUBLIN DURING THE 1916 RISING, BEING INVOLVED IN TWO SUCCESSFUL GARRISON DEFENCES WHEN THE EASTER RISING BROKE OUT ON 24TH APRIL 1916, TIGHES UNIT, THE 2ND GARRISON BATTALION ROYAL IRISH REGIMENT WAS STATIONED IN BEGGARS BUSH BARRACKS IN DUBLIN, WHERE IT WAS BESIEGED BY THE REBELS FOR THE DURATION OF THE RISING, AND ON THE AFTERNOON OF 24TH APRIL 1916 TIGHE TOOK COMMAND OF “B” COMPANY, 10TH BATTALION ROYAL DUBLIN FUSILIERS WHICH UNDER HIS COMMAND FOUGHT ITS WAY IN TO THE BESIEGED DUBLIN CASTLE, WHERE HE AND THE MEN UNDER HIS COMMAND SUBSEQUENTLY SAW SERVICE DURING THE SUCCESSFUL DEFENCE OF DUBLIN CASTLE. AFTER THE RISING TIGHE WAS A MEMBER OF THE COURT THAT COURT MARTIALED CAPTAIN JOHN C. BOWEN-COLTHURST FOR THE MURDER OF THE POLITICAL ACTIVIST FRANCIS SHEEHY-SKEFFINGTON. SUBSEQUENTLY TIGHE COMMANDED THE 8TH BATTALION ROYAL IRISH REGIMENT IN FRANCE DURING WW1 AND, AFTER RETURNING FROM FRANCE, COMMANDED THE 4TH VOLUNTEER BATTALION, THE OXFORDSHIRE AND BUCKINGHAMSHIRE LIGHT INFANTRY. Three: British War and Victory Medals (both medals officially named, impressed in plain block capitals: LT. COL. M.A. TIGHE. and additionally engraved with regimental details in block capitals, similar to the officially impressed naming “ROYAL IRISH REGt.”) Delhi Durbar Medal, Edward VII, 1903, silver (officially named, engraved in plain block capitals: MAJOR M.A. TIGHE POLITICAL AGENT MALWA). Silver medals with attractive old dark tone, mounted loose style, as worn, generally Extremely Fine and accompanied by a matching set of dress miniatures, these also mounted loose style, as worn. Group also accompanied by a small size, 22m, Coronation Medal 1902, silver, by Spink & Son, mounted for wearing from a purple and gold ribbon.

Group accompanied by an extensive file of research and original documents, including an original commission warrant appointing Tighe 2nd Lieutenant in the Militia, dated 31st January1879, an original commission warrant appointing Tighe 2nd Lieutenant in the 83rd Foot, dated 22nd April 1881, an original commission warrant appointing Tighe Major, dated 14th December 1914, an original typed letter from Field Marshal Lord Roberts, dated 17th September 1914, thanking Tighe for donating binoculars to the war effort, for use by non-commissioned officers in the field, along with biographical details, census roll extracts, extracts from Army Lists and London Gazettes of the period, copied extracts from the Regimental History re. the services of the 8th Battalion Royal Irish Regiment during WW1 and from Neil Richardson’s “According to their Lights, Stories of Irishmen in the British Army, Easter 1916”, giving details of Tighe’s services in Dublin during the 1916 Rising, newspaper extract confirming Tighe saw service as a member of the court that tried Captain Bowen-Colthurst and biographical details of Francis Sheehy-Skeffington, along with detailed manuscript notes and family trees re. the Tighe family of Loosely House (Tighe’s great-grandfather, Michael, was killed in action at Maida during the Peninsular War on 4/7/1806 whilst serving in the ranks with the 58th Foot).

Michael Augustus Tighe, a member of the Tighe family of Loosely House, Princess Risborough, Buckinghamshire, was born 27/4/1861 at Templehombe, Somerset. He was first commissioned into the Militia, being appointed 2nd Lieutenant, Royal Irish Rifles, 23/4/1881. He transferred to the regular army shortly afterwards, and was promoted Lieutenant, Royal Irish Rifles, 1/7/1881. Tighe subsequently transferred to the Indian Army and served in India as a Political Agent, being promoted Captain, 23/4/1892.

In India, Tighe saw active service on the North-West Frontier during the Mekran operations of April 1898, and was mentioned in dispatches by Lieutenant-Colonel R.C.G. Mayne, commanding the 30th Bombay Infantry, for his services during those operations, in his dispatch of 12/4/1898: Captain M.A.Tighe, Political Agent, South-East Baluchistan, quickly made arrangements for providing camels from Las Beyla, and I am much indebted to this officer for the help he gave me. Had it not been for his personal exertions, I doubt if these camels would ever have reached me in Pashi.” (no campaign medals awarded for this particular operation).

Promoted Major, 23/4/1901 and Lieutenant-Colonel, 23/4/1907, Tighe retired from the Indian Army on 30/7/1907. Following the outbreak of WW1, Tighe volunteered for active service and was granted a commission in the British Army, being appointed Major and second in command of the newly raised 2nd Garrison Battalion The Royal Irish Regiment in March 1916.

When the 1916 Rising broke out on the morning of 24/4/1916, the 2nd Garrison Battalion Royal Irish Regiment was stationed in Beggars Bush Barracks, Dublin, immediately came under attack by the rebels and was eventually besieged. Later that day Tighe is recorded in Neil Richardsons According to their Lights as having assumed command on the afternoon of 24/4/1916, being the senior officer present, of Lieutenant Charles Grants B Company, 10th Battalion Royal Dublin Fusiliers, which had been ordered to advance from the Royal Barracks (now Collins Barracks), Dublin, to Dublin Castle, which was then under siege by rebel forces, Grant being quoted by Richardson as subsequently recording I met Colonel Tighe making his way to the Royal Barracks. He joined our party as senior officer and took command. Passing Christchurch cathedral a few revolver shots were fired. We entered a street running along the side walls of the approach to the entrance to the Lower Castle Yard (Palace Street). Here we came under heavy fire from the rebels in the City Hall, which resulted in a further twenty wounded. After fighting their way into Dublin Castle, Tighe and the men temporarily under his command remained in Dublin Castle and took part in its successful defence against rebel forces.

He was promoted Lieutenant-Colonel commanding the 2nd Garrison Battalion, Royal Irish Regiment, in 1918, by which time that battalion had been re-designated 8th Battalion Royal Irish Regiment. Tighe went on home leave on 26/7/1918, whereupon he was appointed Lieutenant-Colonel commanding the 4th Volunteer Battalion Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry, 29/10/1918. Lieutenant-Colonel Tighe died at Loosley House, Princes Ruisborough, Buckinghamshire, on 21/9/1932.

The 8th Battalion Royal Irish Regiment was originally raised in Dublin in March 1916 as the 2nd (Home Service) Garrison Battalion, Royal Irish Regiment. The battalion was stationed at Beggars Bush barracks when the 1916 Rising broke out. The majority of the officers and men of the battalion remained in the barracks for the duration of the rising, successfully defending it against rebel forces, though some officers and men, like Tighe, also saw service outside Beggars Bush barracks. The battalion ceased to be a Home Service battalion in the spring of 1918, landing in France on 18/4/1918, where it saw service with the 178th Brigade, 59th Division. The battalion was re-titled 8th (Service) Battalion on 13/7/1918, and when the war ended on 11/11/1918, was still serving in France, with the 121st Brigade, 40th Division. The Regimental History of the Royal Irish Regiment confirms that, when the 8th Royal Irish landed in France in May 1918, Lieutenant-Colonel Tighe commanded the battalion in the field. Tighe ceased to command the 8th Royal Irish on 26/7/1918 (probably being deemed too old to command a battalion on active service in the field), and went on leave.

Lieutenant-Colonel Tighe is recorded on the published roll for the 1903 Delhi Durbar Medal as being part of the 22 strong Central India Contingent and a “political agent in Malwa and Ticket Officer in the Chiefs’ Camp”. Note, Tighe’s surname is mis-spelt “Righe” in the published roll.

Lieutenant-Colonel Tighe was the son of Lieutenant-Colonel John Augustus Lynagh Tighe, a Military Knight of Windsor. John Augustus Lynagh Tighe was first commissioned Ensign, 58th Foot, 10/4/1855, and after also seeing service with the 70th Foot, Ceylon Rifle Regiment, and 54th Foot, and being promoted Captain, 23/11/1860, retired from the army on 1/7/1881. On retirement, he was appointed a Military Knight of Windsor and granted the honorary rank of Lieutenant-Colonel. He died in the Round Tower at Windsor Castle, Berkshire, in 1900.

Lieutenant-Colonel Tighe was granted a United States patent in 1902 for a single trigger mechanism for double-barreled guns and rifles (copy of grant of patent accompanies group).

The Tighes of Loosely House, Princess Risborough, were a junior branch of the Irish Tighe families of Mitchelstown, Co. Cork, and Woodstock, Co. Kilkenny, but of a much humbler status (which would account for Tighes great-grandfather serving in the ranks during the Peninsular War).

For further details of Tighes services during the 1916 Rising and the services of the 2nd Garrison Battalion Royal Irish Regiment in Dublin in 1916, see Neil Richardsons According to their Lights, Stories of Irishmen in the British Army, Easter 1916 (Collins Press, 2015).

Francis Sheehy Skeffington (1878-1916), Irish nationalist and political activist. A pacifist, when the 1916 Rising broke out, Sheehy Skeffington did not join the rebels, but instead attempted to discourage civilians from looting. He was among a large number of individuals mistaken for rebels and rounded up during the Rising. After being taken to Portobello Barracks, Captain Bowen-Colthurst organised a firing squad, and without authorisation, and contrary to the facts of the case, had Sheey-Skeffington executed. Bowen-Colthurst was subsequently tried by military court martial for murder, but the jury, which included Lieutenant-Colonel Tighe, found Bowen-Colthurst guilty but insane and he was sentenced to be confined for life in Broadhurst.