John Joseph Esmonde

Dr John Joseph Esmonde LRCSI, (27 January 1862 – 17 April 1915) was an Irish nationalist MP for North Tipperary 1910–1915.

Family

Esmonde was born on the 27th January 1862 in Drominagh, Borrisokane, County Tipperary, Ireland. Esmonde's father, James Esmonde, was the younger brother of Sir John Esmonde, 10th Baronet, and his mother was Caroline Sugrue. He was the second child of four.

Esmonde had three sons and three daughters from his first marriage to Rose Magennis whilst living in Ingleside, Pontesbury, England, including:

• John Lymbrick Esmonde (1893–1958)
• Lt. Geoffrey Esmonde (1897–1916) was killed in action serving with the 4th Tyneside Irish Battalion of the Northumberland Fusiliers
• Anthony Charles Esmonde (1899–1981)

Following the death of Rose in 1901, Esmonde married Eily O'Sullivan in 1904 and had seven more children. The family returned to Ireland in 1910. A son from his second marriage, Eugene Esmonde, was awarded a Victoria Cross posthumously in 1942. Esmonde's youngest son, Paddy, was awarded the Military Cross whilst serving in the Royal Army Medical Corps at the Rhine in 1944.

Death

On 17 April 1915, while serving as Captain in the Royal Army Medical Corps, Esmonde died from "pneumonia and heart failure consequent on the strain of overwork". He is buried in his family vault in Terryglass, County Tipperary. Esmonde is commemorated on Panel 1 of the Parliamentary War Memorial in Westminster Hall, one of 22 MPs that died during World War I to be named on that memorial. A further act of commemoration came with the unveiling in 1932 of a manuscript-style illuminated book of remembrance for the House of Commons, which includes a short biographical account of the life and death of Esmonde.