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Unsolved Mystery: The Deceased Dentist

RCSI Heritage Collections are appealing to you, the virtual community, to help locate a relative, photo or any information about a graduate of dentistry from the College who is to feature in our 2016 exhibition 
Surgeons & Insurgents: RCSI and the Easter Rising

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Are you related to 

Charles Hachette Hyland (LDS RCSI 1907)?

Charles Hachette Hyland was born in Dublin in 1887 to Charles and Martha who lived in 5 Percy Place, Dublin 4. Charles Snr was manager of the Gaiety Theatre for many decades and celebrated his silver anniversary there in 1904. Charles was the eldest of five children; Hugh, Eileen, Gerard and Winifred. 

1911 Census courtesy of the National Archives of Ireland

Charles studied dentistry in the College and received his licence (LDS RCSI) in 1907. He married Kathleen and by 1916 they had one son, Charles. Unfortunately it is in 1916 when tragedy struck the young Hyland family. Charles, Kathleen and their son were living in 3 Percy Place in 1916. When the Rising broke out the fighting around Percy Place, Pembroke Road and Mount Street was very intense. Despite bullets flying from all directions, Charles donned his white coat and ran out to help the fallen wounded. By a tragic twist of fate Charles was not injured during these excursions into danger. It was when he was standing at his back door on Thursday 27th April 1916 that he was killed by a bullet. 

Charles' signature from the RCSI Roll of Dentistry Licentiates (RCSI/DEC/06)

A memorial to Charles is in the south porch of St. Mary's Catholic Church on Haddington Road. Charles was buried in Glasnevin in May 1916. His son Charles W. D. Hyland went on to become a well known Dublin solicitor and passed away in 1996. Philomena Guinan Hyland was Charles W.D's wife for many years and was a highly respected consultant in St Vincent's Hospital and the Royal Victoria Eye & Ear. Philomena and Charles had no children. 

Through numerous lines of enquiry RCSI Heritage Collections have been unable to locate anyone related to these Hylands. Can you help? Are you a relative? 

If you have any information about the Hyland family please contact the RCSI Heritage Collections at archivist@rcsi.ie


- Researched and written by Meadhbh Murphy