Edmund O'Toole

Edmond Joseph O'Toole VC was an Irish recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth forces.

Origins

He was the fourth son of Charles O'Toole of Wilford, Bray, Ireland and brother of Luke O'Toole of Toole and Company, Seed Merchants. He was baptised in Dublin in 1848. It had been previously claimed falsely that he was born at Grahamstown, South Africa, but it has been shown that he was born in Ireland of an Irish family. Several sources report his death as 1891 in Salisbury, Rhodesia but there is a reference to him being a resident of the "Cape" in 1900. and Tanser states the Darter's claim that he died in 1891 is incorrect.

He was always known as Pat or Paddy O'Toole. His first name is sometimes spelt as Edmond.

Details

He was a Sergeant in the Frontier Light Horse, British Colonial forces during the Zulu War when the following deed took place for which he was awarded the VC.

O'Toole

O'Toole is an Irish surname. It may refer to:

People

Other uses

See also

O'Toole (surname)

People

O'Toole family

The O'Tooles of Leinster, one of the leading families of that province, are descended from Tuathal Mac Augaire, King of Leinster (died 958), who belonged to the Uí Dúnlainge dynasty. The name is an anglicisation of the Irish Ó Tuathail.

Their original territory comprised the southern part of the present County Kildare but they were driven from it during the Anglo Norman invasion and settled in the mountains of what is now County Wicklow around Glendalough.

Here, with their kinsmen the O'Byrne family, they were noted for their tough resistance to English domination for four centuries; including exercising great influence over the foundation of the Confederation of Kilkenny in 1642 in what had become Confederate Ireland.

At the start of the 16th century, there were five great houses, all, owing allegiance to "The O'Toole of Powerscourt" as the recognized chief: