1891 Oct 26 born New Ross, Wexford
1901 census at Nash, Dunmain, Wexford
he was educated at Primary Schools in Gussernane & Cushingstown
1909 Mar 12 enlisted in Royal Irish Regt #3889. Special Reserve. He was 17 years old. There is a tale that he enlisted at the age of 15 and that his father had to sell a cow to buy him out, but that appears in an Irish Times article that gives his date of birth incorrectly as 1894
1910 Jan 4 Discharged from Special Reserve to join Regular Army
1911 census at Channel Islands, a Private in 2nd Royal Irish Regt . Born New Ross Wexford
served in India with R Irish
1913 wins battalion Novice Lightweight Boxing championship
1914 returned to Ireland and transferred to RDF
1914 Dec 19 landed in France
1915 promoted Sgt
1918 Apr 8 Transfers to The Royal Munster Fusiliers
1918 Mar 27 gets MM (Gazetted 13 Sep 1918) for
1918 Aug promoted Acting CSM
1918 Sep 2 He won the VC for his actions as a company sergeant-major in the 1st Battalion, The Royal Munster Fusiliers, 16th (Irish) Division near Riencourt, France, during the Hundred Days Offensive in the final period of World War I.
1919 Jan 20 Re-enlists in British Army on discharge
1919 Jan 19 Gazetted Victoria Cross. The citation reads
"For most conspicuous bravery on the 2nd September, 1918, near Riencourt, when as Acting Company Serjeant-Major, command of the company devolved upon him consequent on officer casualties. Observing that some of our men were surrounded by the enemy, he led a party to their assistance, and by skill and leadership worked his way along the trenches, killed several of the enemy and extricated the party, carrying back, under heavy fire, a wounded officer to a place of safety. Later, seeing a Tank in difficulties, he rushed forward under intense fire, routed the enemy who were attempting to get into it, and prevented the advance of another enemy party collecting for a further attack on the Tank. An enemy machine gun now opened on the Tank at close range, rendering it impossible to get the wounded away, whereupon C.S.M. Doyle, with great gallantry, rushed forward, and, single-handed, silenced the machine gun, capturing it with three prisoners. He then carried a wounded man to safety under very heavy fire. Later in the day, when the enemy counterattacked his position, he showed great power of command, driving back the enemy and capturing many prisoners. Throughout the whole of these operations C.S.M. Doyle set the very highest example to all ranks by his courage and total disregard of danger."
1919 Mar 28. He received a hero's welcome in New Ross when a large crowd gathered to cheer him.
1919 May 8 Attends VC Investiture at Buckingham Palace
1919 Jan 20 discharged from British Army but re-enlisted straight away
1919 Nov 25 Married in Westland Row, Dublin to Charlotte Kennedy (1890–1980)
1920 Jun 26 attended the VC Garden Party at Buckingham Palace
1920 Nov 11 the British government designated the Tomb of the Unknown Warrior in Westminster Abbey. As a Victoria Cross holder, Doyle was part of the ceremonial Guard of Honour that intered their fallen comrade among kings.
1921 Jun 19 Census shows him a CSM in Royal Munster Fusileers at Ennis Barracks. He is the only RMF man there
1921 Jul 11. A report in a Witness Statement by Michael Brennan, CO East Clare IRA. Places him in Ennis on the day of the truce, but refers to Doyle as a British Army sergeant rather than his intelligence officer . "Just after midday on July 11th, I went into Ennis with some comrades and we stopped our car at the Clare Hotel. We were stopped by an almost hysterical crowd. One of the most excited was a British Army sergeant, named Doyle I think, wearing the ribbon of the Victoria Cross on his tunic"
1922 Jan 27 Discharged from British Army "on reduction of establishment". His military character was described as "very good". This coincides with the date of disbandment of the Munster Fusiliers. The month is not clear
1922 Feb 20 enlisted in Irish Army Sgt Major in the Irish Army census of Nov 1922
During the Civil War he served with the Free State Army in Waterford, Kilkenny and south Tipperary and was wounded in the left arm in Limerick in early 1923.
1924 May 27 Doyle re-enlisted into the Irish peacetime army and joined the 20th Infantry Bn as a Company Sergeant of “D” Coy. Over the next 13 years C.S. Doyle he served in the 20th Bn (re-designated 7th Bn in 1927) and finally 2nd Bn (1930) and the School of Instruction.
1929 Nov 9 Attended VC Dinner in House of Lords
1935 Jan 28 He re-newed his contract with the Irish Army (see below article)
1937 he retired from the Irish Army and went on their Reserve
An article in covers his reasons for leaving the Irish Army
1937 he was awarded a Coronation Medal.
1937 Jul 19 Joined Guinness as a Policeman
1939 Jan 25 He finally left the Irish Army Reserve
1940 Nov 20 died Dublin from Polio
buried Grangegorman Military Cemetery in a grave paid for by Old Comrades Association
On that Major J J Tynan is almost certainly the secretary of British Legion (Dublin)
He was buried in a brown habit, not his British Army uniform. ‘My name is Leighton Thomas and my great granduncle was Martin Doyle VC MM who served in the Mid Clare IRA brigade as an intelligence officer. Martin was not buried in his British uniform nor did he request it. He was in fact buried in a brown habit which was the typical burial attire at the time. He did request to be buried in Grangegorman but that's as far as it went. His daughter who is still alive bought the habit and saw it on him in the coffin.’ Feb 2019
1919 Nov 9 His medals auctioned and bought by Lord Ashcroft for £19,000