Joseph Devlin in his Royal Artillery uniform during WWIIWayne Devlin
Every family has its mysteries. For the Devlins, it’s the story of Joseph, or Patrick Joseph Devlin, a man born in the Newry Workhouse in 1910, known by many names but remembered by few. Now, his grandson Wayne is reaching out to the people of Newry and beyond in hopes of piecing together the life of a man whose legacy still lingers in whispers.
Every family has a story. Some stories are told and retold across generations, woven into the fabric of our identities. Others are fragmented, scattered like puzzle pieces lost to time. Our family’s story falls into the latter. And at the heart of it is a man named Joseph Devlin, you may have known him as Patrick Joseph Devlin, he was our grandfather. He was brought up by a family named Molloy, maybe you know that family, or even knew him as Molloy?
Joseph Devlin was born on Nov 25th, 1910, in the Newry Workhouse; his birth certificate names him as Joseph Devlin. He passed away on July 19th, 1954, at 97 Dromalane Park.
He was laid to rest in St. Mary’s Cemetery. His death certificate names him as Patrick Joseph Devlin. From the records, these are just dates and addresses. But from the people of Newry, we’ve heard whispers of something far greater; that he was a deeply respected man, and that his funeral was attended by a remarkable number of mourners. That speaks volumes. Respect like that is earned, not given. But beyond that, we know very little about him.
That’s why we're turning to the Newry community, to you. We believe someone out there holds a piece of the story we’ve been searching for. Perhaps you remember him as a neighbour, a friend, a colleague, or maybe you’ve heard his name mentioned in your family’s stories. Even the smallest memory, anecdote, or detail could help us understand the man he was, his character, his life, and his values.
Joseph Devlin.
Our hope is simple: to piece together his story so that our family can finally know who he was. We want to celebrate his life properly, to honour his memory, and to ensure that future generations of our family can take pride in the man whose name we all carry. Every photograph, every story, every scrap of information is priceless to us.
As well as living in Newry, we know our grandfather lived in Barrow-in-Furness, where he was an ARP Warden in 1939 before joining the Royal Artillery. Later in perhaps the late 1940s to early 50s, he lived in Monton. Perhaps someone in these places knows of him.
If you knew Joseph Devlin or know someone who did, please get in touch. It doesn’t matter how small or insignificant you think your memory might be. One tiny piece of information could be the key to unlocking the life of our grandfather.
Thank you, Newry, for your kindness, your community spirit, and for helping us bring our grandfather’s story home for the whole Devlin family.