News

Irish veteran records go digital

DETAILS of 3,200 men and women who signed up to fight for Irish freedom have been recorded in a new digital archive.

More than 10,000 files on members of the Irish Volunteers, Citizen Army, Hibernian Rifles, the Irish Republican Army, Cumann na mBan, Na Fianna eireann or National Army between 1916 and 1923 have been released.

Prominent northern republicans of the period including Frank Aiken, John McCoy and Winifred Carney are featured within the files.

The archive is part of a wider programme by the Republic's Department of Defence to catalogue Military Service Pensions, which include 300,000 documents.

Service pensions from veterans involved in the 1916 easter Rising, the War of Independence and the Civil War are among the records.

They also include details on allowances from the dependants of those killed on active service or from those wounded or incapacitated while on duty.

The first phase of the archive was launched last night at the GPO in Dublin by Taoiseach enda Kenny, arts minister Jimmy Deenihan and justice minister Alan Shatter.

Mr Kenny thanked those who have worked on the project, which forms part of the state's centenary commemorations.

"As well as bringing the era to life for a new generation, this on-line archive will provide a great resource for those already interested in the period," he said.

* Visit www.militaryarchives.ie to view the records.