Willie Doyle

British priest (1873–1917)

William Joseph Gabriel Doyle, (3 March 1873 – 16 August 1917) was an Irish Catholic priest who was killed in action while serving as a military chaplain to the Royal Dublin Fusiliers during the First World War. He is a candidate for sainthood in the Catholic Church.

Doyle was born in Dalkey, Ireland, the youngest of seven children of Hugh and Christine Doyle (née Byrne).

After reading St. Alphonsus' book Instructions and Consideration on the Religious State he was inspired to enter the priesthood. In March 1891, he entered the Society of Jesus (Jesuits) in Ireland. Having completed his novitiate, for his regency he was assigned to teach: he taught at Belvedere College, Dublin, and at Clongowes Wood College, County Kildare, between 1894 and 1898. He then undertook his tertianship at Drongen Abbey, Tronchiennes, Belgium. From 1909 until 1915 he served on the Jesuit mission team, travelling around Ireland and Britain preaching parish missions and conducting retreats. In 1914 he was involved in the foundation of a Colettine Poor Clares monastery in Cork. He was an early member of the Pioneer Total Abstinence Association and had been considered a future leader of the organisation by its founder, Fr James Cullen.

Doyle volunteered to serve in the Royal Army Chaplains' Department of the British Army during the First World War; he was appointed as a chaplain with the 16th (Irish) Division. A recommendation for a Military Cross was rejected as "he had not been long enough at the front". Doyle was awarded the Military Cross for his bravery during the assault on the village of Ginchy during the Battle of the Somme in 1916. but was awarded neither.

General William Hickie, the commander in chief of the 16th (Irish) Division, described Father Doyle as "one of the bravest men who fought or served out here." Irish folk singer Willie 'Liam' Clancy was named after him due to his mother's fondness for Doyle, although they never met.

In August 2022, the Father Willie Doyle Association was established to petition the Catholic Church to introduce a cause for canonisation for Doyle. In January 2022 the Supplex Libellus, the formal petition, was presented to Bishop Thomas Deenihan. Having consulted with the Irish Bishops' Conference and the Dicastery for the Causes of Saints, Deenihan issued an edict on 27 October announcing the opening of a cause. The Opening Session took place on 20 November 2022 at the Cathedral of Christ the King, Mullingar.