The McGrath Brothers

Manchester Regiment / Royal Irish Fusiliers / Connaught Rangers

McGrath Brothers from Galway.
Courtesy of Dermot McGrath.

My great-grandfather, Michael, was from a town land called Lehid in Kilconly, Tuam, Co. Galway. He was the eldest of a family of six brothers and one sister and they lived in a thatch cottage on a small plot of land. All the brothers and their father travelled over to the Manchester area every summer for seasonal work on the farms in the Lancashire area.

Although my great grandfather, Michael, came back and settled in Galway his five brothers stayed in England and all enlisted and fought in the Great War. William, John, James, Thomas and Patrick saw action in Europe and India. All five brothers survived the war and came back to live in the Oldham area of Manchester.

  • Michael Mc Grath b. 1873 (my great-grandfather)
  • William Mc Grath b. 1876 Manchester Regiment
  • John Mc Grath b. 1879 Manchester Regiment
  • James Mc Grath b. 1883 Manchester Regiment
  • Thomas Mc Grath b. 1886 Royal Irish Fusiliers
  • Patrick Mc Grath b. 1889 Connaught Rangers

Michael Mc Grath did not join the army but returned to Ireland from Oldham. He moved to 15 Demesne Cottages, Tuam, where his grandson (also Michael Mc Grath), my father, still lives.

Dermot McGrath, 2009.

Comments about this page

  • I am trying to trace Ashley Scoggins regarding the McGrath brothers as below.

    Where can I learn more about the McGrath Brothers? I have found some old letters from a John McGrath to his Brother James “Jim” McGrath during his time in France during WW1. They are all addressed to an address in Manchester.

    By PETER MCGRATH (31/08/2023)
  • Ashley could you please get in touch with Dermot McGrath or myself Stephen McGrath regarding the letters.
    Thanks .

    By Stephen McGrath (12/11/2020)
  • By Dermot Mc Grath (04/07/2016)
  • Where can I learn more about the McGrath Brothers? I have found some old letters from a John McGrath to his Brother James “Jim” McGrath during his time in France during WW1. They are all addressed to an address in Manchester.

    By Ashley Scoggins (08/12/2015)

Add a comment about this page

Your email address will not be published.