Mark Phibbs : Short Biography

Mark Phibbs was born on 31 Oct 1894 in Corbally, Tulsk. He was the son of Joseph Phibbs and Margaret McDermott. His mother died one month after his birth from fever and pneumonia. When he was five, his father remarried Kate Devanny. 

The Phibb's house had seven rooms with a slated roof and five front windows. In 1901, Mark (6) lived with his father Joseph (40), his stepmother Kate (30), his siblings Nelly (12), Kate (10) and John (8), and his half siblings Michael (5), Percy (3) and James (1).

Joseph Phibbs died suddenly from health complications in 1905, leaving his wife with fifteen young children, five from each of his marriages. The following article appeared in the Roscommon Messenger with details of his inheritance. 

Roscommon Messenger, 12 Jul 1907 

Pursuant to a Decree of his Honour the County Court Judge of the County Roscommon made in the matter of Joseph Phibbs, Nellie Phibbs, Catherine Phibbs, John Phibbs and Mark Phibbs, Minors, and in the matter of the County Officers and Courts Ireland Act, 1877. The Creditors of Joseph Phibbs, late of Corbally in the County of Roscommon, who died on the 27th day of September, 1905 are on or to before the 1st day of February, 1907, to send by post prepaid to the Clerk of the Crown and Peace for the said County of Roscommon at the Courthouse, Roscommon, their Christian and Surnames, addresses and descriptions, and in the case of firms, the names of the partners and the style or title of the firm, the full particulars of their claims, a statement of their accounts and the nature of securities (if any) held by them, or in default thereof, they will peremptorily excluded from the benefit of the said Decree.

Every person holding any security is to produce the same before the Clerk of the Peace for said county, at the Courthouse, Roscommon, on the 2nd day of February, 1907, at 12 o'clock in the noon, being the time appointing for adjudicating on the Claims.

Dated this 10th day of January, 1907. W.E. Robinson, Clerk of Crown and Peace for County Roscommon.

In 1911, Mark (16) was a grocer's assistant working at 25 Wexford Street, West Side in Mansion House, Dublin. His employer was Peter Gilligan (46) from Cavan, a wine and spirit merchant. Also living in the house were Peter's children Ethel (9), Arthur (7) and Frederick (4), a general domestic servant named Mary Doyle (58) from Kildare, a nurse and general governess called Kate Lennon (30) from Cork, and other assistants Patrick O'Keefe (19) from Laois and James Farrell (17) from Kildare. The house had seven rooms, five front windows and a slated roof.

World War I began in 1914. Mark enlisted in the British Army. He was a private in the Leinster Regiment and served in France.

After returning from war in 1918, he suffered from post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), which was then known as "shellshock". He settled in Dublin and lived at 48 Russell Avenue, NG Road in the city.

Mark Phibbs died on 2 Apr 1919 in his home. He was twenty four years old and demobilised from the army. The cause of his death was shock and haemorrhage from a self inflicted wound to his throat during a temporary period of insanity. He is buried in Glasnevin Cememtery.