Robin Roe
Encyclopedia
Reverend Robin Roe CBE MC
(11 October 1928 – 15 July 2010) was an Irish
clergyman known for his work as an army chaplain
, and a rugby union
player.
, County Laois
. He started playing rugby at The King's Hospital
school, Dublin when he was ten years old. After studying at Trinity College
, he was ordained a deacon
in the Church of Ireland
in 1953, and priest
in 1954. He joined Lansdowne rugby football club for the 1953-54 season. he served a curacy at Sandford, Dublin in the Diocese of Dublin and Glendalough from 1953 to 1955.
while studying at Trinity College in 1951. He played in a total of eleven matches for the Barbarians and scored two tries
. From 1952 to 1957 Roe played in twenty-one matches for 's national rugby team as hooker.
In 1955 Roe toured with the British and Irish Lions
in South Africa
, where he played approximately a dozen games (two as prop
) and scored a try against Griqualand West
. After injuring his ribs early in the tour, his appearances were limited but he still played when required. The tour lasted four months, and Roe's roommates were the 19-year old Tony O'Reilly
, Bill Williams and Bryn Meredith
. Roe found the rugby in South Africa more demanding than he was accustomed to in Ireland, and he admired the consistent play of O'Reilly. He disliked South Africa's apartheid system as opposed to his beliefs as a priest. Roe's twenty-inch neck brought some ribbing from his teammates. The Catholics on the team joked that he had a great neck for a Roman collar.
In 1955 as an army chaplain based near London
, he played about fifteen games for London Irish
. Roe thought that Sunbury
, the home base of the London Irish, was enjoyable; while the training at London Irish was rigorous, Roe believed that the team at Lansdowne was more settled. Roe regarded fellow hooker Karl Mullen
, the man he replaced in the Ireland number 2 jersey and the captain of Ireland and the 1950 British and Irish Lions, as his toughest opponent.
In the summer of 1957 Roe was a member of the first Barbarians side to tour outside Britain or Ireland. The team's tour of Canada
was a success, with a 6-0 won-lost record and a 227-23 points for-against ratio.
as a Chaplain to the Forces 4th Class (equivalent to a captain
in all other units, chaplains are traditionally addressed as padre
regardless of rank). He switched to a full commission in 1958, and was promoted to Chaplain to the Forces 3rd Class (equivalent to a major) in 1961.
Roe distinguished himself for bravery while serving as a British Army
chaplain attached to the 1st battalion, Lancashire Regiment in Aden
in 1967. During the Arab police mutiny (part of the Aden Emergency
), Roe heard gunfire and left Radfan
Camp to investigate. He found a British Army lorry on fire with a number of British soldiers lying dead and wounded. Under heavy fire Roe helped the wounded soldiers to safety in Radfan Camp. Roe was unarmed, as is the custom for military chaplains. He only left the scene after being forcibly turned back by another officer, after he had been shot at and his personal Land Rover
struck by machine gun fire. He was awarded the Military Cross
for his courage under fire, the award was gazetted
on 19 January 1968.
He was promoted to Chaplain to the Forces 2nd Class (lieutenant-colonel) in 1969, and to 1st Class (colonel) in 1973. In 1977 he was made an Honorary Chaplain to the Queen
. He retired from the Army in 1982, and was appointed Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) for his work as a chaplain in that year's Queen's Birthday Honours
.
of Merrow, Surrey
(Diocese of Guildford
) in 1982 and served there until his retirement in 1989. He then moved to Shalford, Surrey
and continued to take services within the diocese. He died on 15 July 2010.
Military Cross
The Military Cross is the third-level military decoration awarded to officers and other ranks of the British Armed Forces; and formerly also to officers of other Commonwealth countries....
(11 October 1928 – 15 July 2010) was an Irish
Irish people
The Irish people are an ethnic group who originate in Ireland, an island in northwestern Europe. Ireland has been populated for around 9,000 years , with the Irish people's earliest ancestors recorded having legends of being descended from groups such as the Nemedians, Fomorians, Fir Bolg, Tuatha...
clergyman known for his work as an army chaplain
Chaplain
Traditionally, a chaplain is a minister in a specialized setting such as a priest, pastor, rabbi, or imam or lay representative of a religion attached to a secular institution such as a hospital, prison, military unit, police department, university, or private chapel...
, and a rugby union
Rugby union
Rugby union, often simply referred to as rugby, is a full contact team sport which originated in England in the early 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand...
player.
Early life and education
Roe was born in Skeirke, Borris-in-OssoryBorris-in-Ossory
Borris-in-Ossory is a village in west County Laois, Ireland. Bypassed by the M7 motorway on 28 May, 2010, the village is situated on the R445 road close to the County Tipperary border between the towns of Mountrath and Roscrea.-Features:...
, County Laois
County Laois
County Laois is a county in Ireland. It is part of the Midlands Region and is also located in the province of Leinster. It was formerly known as Queen's County until the establishment of the Irish Free State in 1922. The county's name was formerly spelt as Laoighis and Leix. Laois County Council...
. He started playing rugby at The King's Hospital
The King's Hospital
The King's Hospital is a Church of Ireland co-educational fee-paying boarding and day school situated in Palmerstown, Dublin, Ireland.Founded in 1669, it is one of the oldest schools in Ireland and was also known as the Blue Coat School....
school, Dublin when he was ten years old. After studying at Trinity College
Trinity College, Dublin
Trinity College, Dublin , formally known as the College of the Holy and Undivided Trinity of Queen Elizabeth near Dublin, was founded in 1592 by letters patent from Queen Elizabeth I as the "mother of a university", Extracts from Letters Patent of Elizabeth I, 1592: "...we...found and...
, he was ordained a deacon
Deacon
Deacon is a ministry in the Christian Church that is generally associated with service of some kind, but which varies among theological and denominational traditions...
in the Church of Ireland
Church of Ireland
The Church of Ireland is an autonomous province of the Anglican Communion. The church operates in all parts of Ireland and is the second largest religious body on the island after the Roman Catholic Church...
in 1953, and priest
Priest
A priest is a person authorized to perform the sacred rites of a religion, especially as a mediatory agent between humans and deities. They also have the authority or power to administer religious rites; in particular, rites of sacrifice to, and propitiation of, a deity or deities...
in 1954. He joined Lansdowne rugby football club for the 1953-54 season. he served a curacy at Sandford, Dublin in the Diocese of Dublin and Glendalough from 1953 to 1955.
Rugby career
Roe was first selected to play for the BarbariansBarbarian F.C.
The Barbarian Football Club, usually referred to as the Barbarians and nicknamed the "Baa-Baas", is an invitational rugby union team based in Britain...
while studying at Trinity College in 1951. He played in a total of eleven matches for the Barbarians and scored two tries
Try
A try is the major way of scoring points in rugby league and rugby union football. A try is scored by grounding the ball in the opposition's in-goal area...
. From 1952 to 1957 Roe played in twenty-one matches for 's national rugby team as hooker.
In 1955 Roe toured with the British and Irish Lions
British and Irish Lions
The British and Irish Lions is a rugby union team made up of players from England, Scotland, Ireland and Wales...
in South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
, where he played approximately a dozen games (two as prop
Rugby union positions
In the game rugby union, there are fifteen players on each team, comprising eight forwards and seven backs . Depending upon the competition, there may be up to eight replacement players. Early games consisted primarily of forwards that attacked plus a handful of "tends" that played back in defence...
) and scored a try against Griqualand West
Griqualand West
Griqualand West is an area of central South Africa with an area of 40,000 km² that now forms part of the Northern Cape Province. It was inhabited by the Griqua people - a semi-nomadic, Afrikaans-speaking nation of mixed-race origin, who established several states outside the expanding frontier...
. After injuring his ribs early in the tour, his appearances were limited but he still played when required. The tour lasted four months, and Roe's roommates were the 19-year old Tony O'Reilly
Tony O'Reilly
Sir Anthony Joseph Francis O'Reilly is an Irish businessman and former international rugby union player. He is known for his involvement the Independent News & Media Group, which he led from 1973 to 2009, and as former CEO and Chairman of the H.J. Heinz Company. He was the leading shareholder of...
, Bill Williams and Bryn Meredith
Bryn Meredith
Brinley "Bryn" Victor Meredith was a rugby union international. Meredith was a mobile hooker, he was selected 34 times for Wales between 1954 and 1962, but missed 2 matches for health and family bereavement reasons....
. Roe found the rugby in South Africa more demanding than he was accustomed to in Ireland, and he admired the consistent play of O'Reilly. He disliked South Africa's apartheid system as opposed to his beliefs as a priest. Roe's twenty-inch neck brought some ribbing from his teammates. The Catholics on the team joked that he had a great neck for a Roman collar.
In 1955 as an army chaplain based near London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, he played about fifteen games for London Irish
London Irish
London Irish RFC is an English rugby union club based in Sunbury, Surrey, where the senior squad train, the youth teams and senior academy play home games, and the club maintain their administrative offices. The senior squad play home games at the Madejski Stadium in Reading and compete in the top...
. Roe thought that Sunbury
Sunbury-on-Thames
Sunbury-on-Thames, also known as Sunbury, is a town in the Surrey borough of Spelthorne, England, and part of the London commuter belt. It is located 16 miles southwest of central London and bordered by Feltham and Hampton, flanked on the south by the River Thames.-History:The earliest evidence of...
, the home base of the London Irish, was enjoyable; while the training at London Irish was rigorous, Roe believed that the team at Lansdowne was more settled. Roe regarded fellow hooker Karl Mullen
Karl Mullen
Dr Karl Daniel Mullen was an Irish Rugby Union player and Consultant Gynaecologist who captained the Irish rugby team and captained the British Lions on their 1950 tour to Australia and New Zealand....
, the man he replaced in the Ireland number 2 jersey and the captain of Ireland and the 1950 British and Irish Lions, as his toughest opponent.
In the summer of 1957 Roe was a member of the first Barbarians side to tour outside Britain or Ireland. The team's tour of Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
was a success, with a 6-0 won-lost record and a 227-23 points for-against ratio.
Army chaplaincy
Roe joined the British Army in 1955, when he was commissioned (on a Short Service Commission) into the Royal Army Chaplains' DepartmentRoyal Army Chaplains' Department
The Royal Army Chaplains' Department is an all-officer corps that provides ordained clergy to minister to the British Army.As of 2007, there are about 280 serving regular chaplains in the British Army; these can belong to either one of several Christian churches, or to the Jewish faith, although...
as a Chaplain to the Forces 4th Class (equivalent to a captain
Captain (OF-2)
The army rank of captain is a commissioned officer rank historically corresponding to command of a company of soldiers. The rank is also used by some air forces and marine forces. Today a captain is typically either the commander or second-in-command of a company or artillery battery...
in all other units, chaplains are traditionally addressed as padre
Padre
Padre may refer to:* Partnership for Acid Drainage Remediation in Europe PADRE* An IDE for the Perl programming language, see Padre * A Military Chaplain* A member of the San Diego Padres baseball team...
regardless of rank). He switched to a full commission in 1958, and was promoted to Chaplain to the Forces 3rd Class (equivalent to a major) in 1961.
Roe distinguished himself for bravery while serving as a British Army
British Army
The British Army is the land warfare branch of Her Majesty's Armed Forces in the United Kingdom. It came into being with the unification of the Kingdom of England and Scotland into the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707. The new British Army incorporated Regiments that had already existed in England...
chaplain attached to the 1st battalion, Lancashire Regiment in Aden
Aden
Aden is a seaport city in Yemen, located by the eastern approach to the Red Sea , some 170 kilometres east of Bab-el-Mandeb. Its population is approximately 800,000. Aden's ancient, natural harbour lies in the crater of an extinct volcano which now forms a peninsula, joined to the mainland by a...
in 1967. During the Arab police mutiny (part of the Aden Emergency
Aden Emergency
The Aden Emergency was an insurgency against the British crown forces in the British controlled territories of South Arabia which now form part of the Yemen. Partly inspired by Nasser's pan Arab nationalism, it began on 10 December 1963 with the throwing of a grenade at a gathering of British...
), Roe heard gunfire and left Radfan
Radfan
Radfan or the Radfan Hills is a region of the Republic of Yemen. In the 1960s, the area was part of a British protectorate of Dhala and was the site of intense fighting during the Aden Emergency...
Camp to investigate. He found a British Army lorry on fire with a number of British soldiers lying dead and wounded. Under heavy fire Roe helped the wounded soldiers to safety in Radfan Camp. Roe was unarmed, as is the custom for military chaplains. He only left the scene after being forcibly turned back by another officer, after he had been shot at and his personal Land Rover
Land Rover
Land Rover is a British car manufacturer with its headquarters in Gaydon, Warwickshire, United Kingdom which specialises in four-wheel-drive vehicles. It is owned by the Indian company Tata Motors, forming part of their Jaguar Land Rover group...
struck by machine gun fire. He was awarded the Military Cross
Military Cross
The Military Cross is the third-level military decoration awarded to officers and other ranks of the British Armed Forces; and formerly also to officers of other Commonwealth countries....
for his courage under fire, the award was gazetted
London Gazette
The London Gazette is one of the official journals of record of the British government, and the most important among such official journals in the United Kingdom, in which certain statutory notices are required to be published...
on 19 January 1968.
He was promoted to Chaplain to the Forces 2nd Class (lieutenant-colonel) in 1969, and to 1st Class (colonel) in 1973. In 1977 he was made an Honorary Chaplain to the Queen
Honorary Chaplain to the Queen
An Honorary Chaplain to the Queen is a member of the clergy within the United Kingdom, who, through long and distinguished service, is appointed to minister to the monarch of the United Kingdom. Although usually an Anglican priest or a Church of Scotland minister, a member of the clergy from any...
. He retired from the Army in 1982, and was appointed Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) for his work as a chaplain in that year's Queen's Birthday Honours
Queen's Birthday Honours
The Queen's Birthday Honours is a part of the British honours system, being a civic occasion on the celebration of the Queen's Official Birthday in which new members of most Commonwealth Realms honours are named. The awards are presented by the reigning monarch or head of state, currently Queen...
.
Later life
Roe became RectorRector
The word rector has a number of different meanings; it is widely used to refer to an academic, religious or political administrator...
of Merrow, Surrey
Merrow, Surrey
The village of Merrow, in Surrey, England, lies on the north-east corner of Guildford. It is about two miles from the town centre, right on the edge of the ridge of hills that forms the North Downs. Although now a relatively anonymous suburb, the village can trace its origins back many hundreds of...
(Diocese of Guildford
Diocese of Guildford
The Diocese of Guildford is a Church of England diocese based in Guildford, covering most of Surrey and part of Hampshire. The cathedral is Guildford Cathedral and the bishop is the Bishop of Guildford. It is part of the Province of Canterbury....
) in 1982 and served there until his retirement in 1989. He then moved to Shalford, Surrey
Shalford, Surrey
Shalford is a village in Surrey, England, situated on the busy A281 Horsham road immediately south of Guildford. It has a railway station which is between Guildford and Dorking on the North Downs Line....
and continued to take services within the diocese. He died on 15 July 2010.