ROCHE Second-Lieutenant Rory Roche

Rory Roche attended Belvedere College and left in the year 1906. Rory and his brother, Frank, were prominent members of ‘night studies’ class with Fr Nicholas J. Tompkin during their time at the school—Fr Tompkin was at Belvedere from 1898 and was Rector from June 1900 to August 1908. Roche was a second-lieutenant and was in Dublin during the Easter rising, 1916. The Belvederian of 1916 reported that

He was cut off from his regiment but went to the barracks in mufti [civilian clothes] and insisted on doing his share of the troublesome week's work.

The Belvederian of 1931 published news of Rory that came to them in a curious way:

An Old Belvederian had occasion to forward a copy of last year’s Annual to a London business firm for reference purposes. He later received a wire from the firm requesting him to send a further copy. It transpired that Rory’s brother was an employee of the firm and asked for a loan of The Belvederian to show it to his brother who was himself an O.B. When it was needed they found that Rory had unconsciously packed it away in his trunk as he was sailing for India, and it could not be rescued.