George Chester Duggan (1885 - ? ) - Irish poet and Civil Servant

George Chester Duggan was born on 5th February1885 in Parsonstown, King's Co. (Offaly), Ireland. His parents were George Duggan, born in Co. Fermanagh, Manager of the Provincial Bank, College Green, Dublin, and his wife, Emily Dugga, née Grant.  

On the 1911 Census his name is registered as Chester George Duggan. The family later lived at Ferney, Greystones, Co. Wicklow. 

Educated at the High School, Dublin, and Trinity College Dublin, where he was a senior moderator and double gold medallist (1907), George graduated in 1907 with a Batchelor of Arts Degree (BA). In 1908 he entered the British civil service and served in the Admiralty (1908–10, 1914–16), chief secretary's office, Dublin Castle (1910–14, 1919–21), and Ministry of Shipping (1917–19). 

In 1912 George married Elizabeth Gore, youngest daughter of Rev. Robert Blair of Ballinamallard, Co. Fermanagh. They had one daughter.

“The Watchers on Gallipoli” is a 43 page poetic work, published in 1921 as a dedication to Irish poet and Civil Servant George Chester Duggan’s two brothers – George Grant (Royal Irish Fusiliers) and Jack (5th Royal Irish Regiment) who both died at Sulva in August 1915.

A line from the poem:

“March away my brothers, softly march away“ 

Sources:

Catherine W. Reilly.-  “English Poetry of the First World War:  A Bibliography” (St. Martin’s Press, New York, 1978), p. 117.

Find my Past, FreeBMD,

https://fass.open.ac.uk/sites/fass.open.ac.uk/files/files/new-voices-journal/issue10/allen.pdf

https://www.dib.ie/biography/duggan-george-chester-a2821#:~:text=Duggan%2C%20George%20Chester%20(1885%E2%80%93,Emily%20Duggan%20(n%C3%A9e%20Grant).

https://www.mayobooks.ie/March-Away-Brothers-Irish-Soldiers-Music-Great-War-9781907535246