As an antidote to Valentine's Day cynicism, here are Major Bishop of the National Army and his bride. This photo is one of the smiliest (technical term) wedding photos we have in our collections.

The photo may have been taken in Limerick.

Priceless information for which we are really grateful on this photo from D.Bishop1: "This is Michael Joseph Bishop (age 25) who married Patricia Foley (age 22) on 24 April 1924. This photograph may have been taken after the wedding was all done and dusted? Michael was the son of Walter Bishop, a confectioner from Waterford City and his 2nd wife Bridget (Power). (You have a photo of his mother on this site.)

Mickey was quite a character if the stories can be believed and was once on the run from the Black and Tans. I have been told that he was a Lance-corporal in WW1 and received a medal. When he was 24 (1923?) he joined the Irish Army. If anyone can tell me more about his military history then I'd be most grateful - apparently he sometimes went under the name 'Stan Bishop' so may be recorded under that.

Patricia and Michael had 4 children and a son of theirs still lives in Ireland. Mickey and, I believe, his brother-in-law re-opened an old gold mine in the Sudan and worked it for many years. Patricia used to spend the Irish Winters in Sudan with her husband. His brother also worked the mine and was mentioned in the National Geographic in 1955. Mickey himself died in Sudan in 1953."

Further information came in to us from blackpoolbeach, who took his search to the Military Archives, who responded with this excellent background on Michael Bishop: "... Major Michael Joseph Bishop born 28 October 1898. He enlisted February 1922, commissioned 14 March 1923 and resigned with effect from 16th February 1929. He is listed as having 3 years previous service with the British Army (I.G. - presumably Irish Guards) and 3 years previous service with the IRA, East Waterford Brigade. Ranks within the Army were not fully standardised in the 1920s. While "Major" is not now a rank in the Defence Forces (Comdt would be the nearest equivalent), there were a small number of officers carrying this rank in the 1920s."

Date: Saturday, 10 May 1924

NLI Ref.: P_WP_3168