He then attended the Lemmens Institute in Mechelen, which involved a daily 5 mile (8 km) commute by bicycle to the station at Dendermonde before completing the journey on the train.
[3] Great Britain had entered the First World War ostensibly in order to defend the territorial integrity of Belgium, and across the British isles there had been much sympathy for the Belgian refugees who had arrived between 1914 and 1918.
During a period of elevated nationalism across Europe, in the emerging Irish Free State there was also a sense of fellow feeling with Belgium as a victim of a militarily powerful and intrusive neighbour.
Bishop Michael Fogarty, who according to one source "ruled the diocese of Killaloe from 1904 until his death ... in 1955", would play an important role in de Regge's career and life more generally.
His appointment should be seen in the context of Bishop Fogarty's determination, in compliance with the 1903 papal initiative "Tra le sollecitudini", to restore the primacy of Gregorian chant in worship.
[3] During the 1920s and 1930s De Regge made frequent returns to Belgium, and he took the opportunity to receive further private tuition in harmony and orchestration with Paul Gilson and Lodewijk Mortelmans.
[3] At a time when there was only one radio station in the country, the Ennis choir under Ernest de Regge featured in nationally broadcast concerts or masses in 1930, 1933, 1935, 1946, 1947 en 1953.
[1] The same source quotes an (unidentified) press review: "...the brilliant success achieved is a tribute to the excellent training provided to the cathedral choir by organist E De Regge".
[1] In connection with his teaching work, De Regge produced a text book entitled "Theory of Music" which was used in many Irish and English schools.
[3] With the political establishment of the recently launched Irish Free State keen to build national identity, De Regge received commissions from the Ministry of Education and Culture for nationalist-romantic compositions.
[7] He will have received some additional amounts for giving private music lessons, and in connection with his composition, but his eldest daughter later recalled growing up in a family that was usually short of money.
[4] After the mass, the residual solemnity of the occasion faced a challenged when the hearse carrying the coffin from the cathedral to the grave yard on the edge of town broke down and could not be persuaded to start.
While larger mourners attempted a "push start" (and failed), the rumour began to spread among mourners at the back of the large procession that the hold-up was somehow linked to the propensity of De Regge's own ancient car to "need a push" at inopportune moments: there was talk of some sort of practical joke in exceptionally poor taste.
[4] The family stayed in Ennis for long enough to enable the children to complete their school exams for the year, but by the end of 1958 they had relocated to Belgium.