Research Guide - Irish Military Heritage


Part 5:

Tracing an individuals' records:

 

19th and 20th Century

If one is interested in an Irish person who served in the armed forces of Ireland since 1922, of the United Kingdom ,or of the USA , Australian and Canadian armed forces since the late nineteenth century, one has a reasonable chance of finding relevant information in libraries, records state archives and on the web.   In general, however, the earlier the dates in question, the less chance of finding material.   This is because state and military record keeping acquired a modern character only at the turn of the twentieth century.

Before embarking on a search it is important that you have as much information as possible about the individual you are seeking information on, such as the person's name, the date of birth, area of origin and details of the unit or regiment in which he or she served .

When researching the Irish Defence Forces one's starting point should be the Military Archives at Cathal Brugha Barracks, Dublin 6. However in most cases detailed information will only be supplied to a proven next-of-kin.

For details of pension records, write to :
Veteran's Allowance Section, 
Department of Defence, (DOD) 
Renmore , Galway . 

This also applies to veterans of the 1916-23 period . The Medals Files , detailing the recipients of medals for service from 1916 to 1921 are held in Cathal Brugha Barracks and are accessible to proven next of kin.

For personnel records of non-commissioned officers and other ranks write to  
Other Ranks Administration, 
Defence Forces HQ, 
Parkgate , Dublin 8 .

For commissioned officers write to :
Officer's Administration, 
Defence Forces HQ, 
Parkgate , Dublin 8 .

Gaining access to information on a relative who took part in the War of Independence or Civil War can be more difficult.

The Collins Papers dealing with various aspects of organisation of the Irish Volunteers, Irish Republican Army and the National Army from 1913-1922 are also held by Military Archives. Over 1,700 witness statements, recorded by the Bureau of Military History , are now also accessible at Cathal Brugha Barracks.

Those who served in the National Army after 1922 were awarded pensions through the Army Pensions Act of 1923. Those who fought on the Anti - Treaty side in the Civil War became entitled to pensions under the 1934 Military Service Pensions Act. These records can be accessed through the Veterans Allowance Section, DOD, Renmore , Galway . However, it should be noted that a number of anti-Treaty veterans refused to apply for either medals or pensions.

For the National Army the Complete Army Census of November 1922 can be consulted at the Military Archives. Records of Anti Treaty internees are also held at the archives.

Service in the Local Defence Forces during the Emergency is recorded in the Local Defence Force Files and Rolls, both held by Military Archives. Sources on Irish participation in United Nations peacekeeping operations are also held at Cathal Brugha Barracks.

Service in the pre 1916 Irish Volunteers, the Cumann na mBan , the Citizen Army and the IRA after 1919 can be traced through a variety of collections held in diverse institutions. While there is absolutely no guarantee of tracing a particular individual's record, there are strong possibilities of discovering more about activities in a particular area.

Major historical resources for the 1916-1923 period are held at UCD Archives in Dublin .   Among these are the papers of revolutionaries such as Sean MacEoin , Richard Mulcahy , The O'Rahilly , Ernie O'Malley, Moss Twomey , and Sighle Humphreys . In the cases of MacEoin and Mulcahy , there is also much valuable information on the organisation of the Irish Army after 1922. There are also over 350 interviews with veterans of the period conducted by Ernie O'Malley, as well as separate collections of documents relating to the Irish Volunteers. Post-1922 Army re-organisation and Irish Army Intelligence work can be examined through the papers of Colonel Dan Bryan.

There are also many documents relevant to this period, including material on the Ulster Volunteer Force (UVF) and the IRA in Ulster , at the Public Record Office of Northern Ireland (PRONI). Among these are the papers of Ulster Volunteers organisers General Sir George Richardson and Colonel Fred Crawford, county-by-county records of the UVF and memoirs of the Larne gunrunning. The files on republican prisoners interned after 1922 are also now open to the public.

Tracing 20 th century service in the British Armed Forces is, in some respects, an easier task. Information on a relative who was killed in either the First or Second World War, in either British or Commonwealth service can be accessed from the Commonwealth War Graves Commission (CWGC), by post or online:

Commonwealth War Graves Commission, 
2 Marlow Road, 
Maidenhead, 
Berkshire SL6 7D, 
Tel:0044 1628 634221  
Website: www.cwgc.org

Consulting the CWGC's "Dept of Honour" register one should be able to trace a relative who died in either World War. The register lists the names of 1.7 million members of the British and Commonwealth forces who died in both world wars and of over 60,000 British civilians who died in World War Two.

It is useful to have details of an individual's regiment and year of death if possible.

Pre-1914 British Army service records are held at the Public Record Office (PRO)

Public Record Office :
Ruskin Avenue , 
Kew, Richmond , 
Surrey TW9 4DU, 
Tel: 004420 8392 5200.

The PRO has also made First World War soldiers and non commissioned officer's service records, although many of these were lost through bombing during the Second World War. 
For details of these check http://www.pro.gov.uk/

London 's Imperial War Museum has published a series of excellent guides to tracing service in the British Army, Royal Navy, Royal Air Force and Merchant Navy.
These are available from 

Family History at the Imperial War Museum ,
Lambeth Road , London SE1 6HZ 
Tel: 0044 20 7416 5320 
E-mail: Family History at the Imperial War Museum

The United Kingdom 's Ministry of Defence holds the records for soldiers who served after 1922 until the mid 1990s. These are available from the Army Records Centre (ARC)

Army Records Centre ,
DR2B Bourne Avenue , 
Hayes, Middlesex UB3 1RF

The ARC will release records to proven next of kin for a fee (currently £25 Sterling ), but there may be a lengthy wait for this service.  

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Pre 19th and 20th Century

Research on an individual who fought before the twentieth century becomes progressively more difficult.   However there are still quite extensive records for the organisation of yeomanry and county militias within Ireland . Militia and yeomanry Lists for Antrim, Armagh, Down, Fermanagh, Londonderry and Tyrone from the 1600s onwards are held at PRONI. Other sources, including material on the United Irishmen and the 1798 Rebellion can be checked at PRONI. Other sources, including material on the United Irishmen and the 1798 Rebellion can be checked at PRONI's Records of Military Interest. British military history from 1485 until 1914 is covered by the

National Army Museum in London ,
Royal Hospital Road , Chelsea , London SW3 4HT, 
Tel: 0044 20 7730 0717
Website: http://www.national-army-museum.ac.uk

The National Archives in Dublin hold the 1798 Rebellion Papers, the 1803 Rebellion Papers and the State of the Country Papers from 1790 to 1830, which contain widespread material of military interest. Here you will also find information on yeomanry and militias, court martial reports and intelligence notes on organisations such as the Fenians .

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