Website lists 868 who died in WW1
A NEW PUBLIC history research project website listing the names of the 868 people from County Wexford who died in World War I was launched in Gorey Library before a lecture by historian Hugh McShane on the wills and letters of Wexford soldiers.
Cllr Paddy Kavanagh, deputising for Wexford County Council chairman Cllr Keith Doyle, launched the Wexford Great War Dead website developed from work undertaken by Hazel Percival and Susan Kelly of Wexford County Council in conjunction with local historians.
The website was launched to mark the 100th anniversary of the end of WWI and to commemorate those men and women from county Wexford who lost their lives in the war. In the long term, the project aims to tell the stories and to commemorate the loss of the 868 from County Wexford who lost their lives.
‘Already the response from members of the public has been phenomenal with a large number of people contacting the Library service eager to have their relatives’ stories documented as part of their process,’ Cllr Kavanagh told the gathering.
‘This project provides them with an opportunity, in many cases their first opportunity, to speak openly about their relatives who died in the Great War.’
In his illustrated talk, Hugh McShane gave an insight into surviving wills and letters of Wexford soldiers who fought in the Great War.
Members of the public have been invited to contribute to the new website, by telling Wexford Libraries stories of people they knew who died as a result of the war. Comments can be left on the site or emailed to Wexford County Council Public Library Service at libraryhq@wexfordcoco.ie.
The criteria for inclusion in the list of Wexford Great War dead, are persons who were born in Wexford or lived in Wexford and were casualties of the Great War of 1914 to 1918.
Persons who were injured in the war and died later from wounds or illnesses relating to their time of service are included.