New Database Honors Over 30,000 Irish Soldiers from WWI

More than 30,000 Irish soldiers who died during the First World War are now memorialized in a new online database. The IrelandsGreatWarDead.ie database features a total of 31,380 names from the 26 counties of Ireland. This initiative was officially launched on November 11, 2021, coinciding with Armistice Day, which commemorates the end of the war.

The database is a digital transformation of military historian Tom Burnell‘s extensive 15-volume series, “26 County Casualties of the Great War.” This series, published in 2017 after over 15 years of research, catalogs the 29,450 Irish individuals who perished during the conflict. Burnell employed a variety of sources to compile the information, including the Commonwealth War Graves Commission, local and national newspaper archives, and notable books such as “Soldiers Who Died in the Great War” and “De Ruvigny’s Roll of Honour.”

Burnell’s criteria for inclusion in the database focus on individuals who were born in, buried in, or resided in the 26 counties. Since the original publication of his series, he has added nearly 2,000 names through the In From the Cold Series, which honors those who lost their lives in non-combat roles connected to the war. This includes civilian drivers, barrack staff, and merchant seamen who succumbed to war-related circumstances but are not classified as war dead by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission.

Database Launch and Historical Context

The recent digitization of this extensive record was facilitated by Tipperary Libraries, allowing broader public access to this vital historical information. Burnell, who has recently been diagnosed with bile duct cancer, expressed his joy at the publication of the online database, describing it as “one of the best days” of his life. He emphasized that the data had been sitting on his computer for years, and he feared it might be lost.

The necessity for this new database arises from discrepancies in earlier records. The Irish National War Memorial Records, published in 1922, claimed that 49,000 Irish men perished in the First World War. Burnell pointed out that many casualties listed were not actually Irish but served in Irish regiments. His work aims to provide a more accurate account of those who died.

Burnell acknowledged the limitation of his database by noting that he did not have the resources to include the deceased from the six counties of Northern Ireland. He expressed interest in a collaborative project to clarify the total war dead from the entire island of Ireland, estimating that about one-third of fatalities came from Northern Ireland. This suggests that approximately 45,000 individuals from the island lost their lives as a result of the First World War.

The launch of the online database serves not only as a tribute to those who fought and died but also as a crucial step in preserving the collective memory of Ireland’s involvement in the global conflict. By providing access to this information, Burnell hopes to foster a deeper understanding of the sacrifices made by Irish soldiers during one of history’s most devastating wars.