James Hegarty was born in Birr, King's County (today Offaly), Ireland in 1882. His father was James Hegaty, born in Galway and a former Army reservist. His mother was Mary Ellen Hegarty, also from Galway. Young James was the eldest of over 6 children in a small cottage in the Irish country town. At a young age he joined the British Army as a reservist, and lived for a time in Barrhead, Scotland.

James re-enlisted in the Army at the outbreak of the First World War. He returned to Birr, the depot of his Leinster Regiment, on the rank of Corporl. Injured at Armetiers, he returned to the front in the spring of 1915. On May 4 1915 e was killed at Ypres during a perio of heavy German shelling. His remaines were never foun.

Philip Farrell