Welcome to Wexford Great War Dead

During the Great War, 1914 – 1918, a large number of men from Co. Wexford fought and died in the conflict which has been described as  'the war to end all wars'. This conflict resulted in a catastrophic loss of life and had dire and lasting consequences for generations across Europe.

In Wexford, the local newspapers of the period are full of the obituaries of those men and women, military and civilian, who died as a result of the war.

Until recently, it was believed that just over 500 men from Co. Wexford, who had enlisted in the British military, died fighting in the land war on the Western Front, Middle East and at Gallipoli. Research now shows this number drastically understates the loss of life for County Wexford.

Due to advances in digital archiving and on-line research tools, we now have access to Naval Service, Royal Flying Corp and Mercantile Marine records, as well as digitised birth, marriage and death records for the period. These advances in technology and research methods allow us to develop a fuller picture of the devastation caused to families and communities in County Wexford by The Great War.

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Where have all the young men gone?


When we scan the Census forms
In twenty twenty one and wonder,
Where have all the young men gone?
Then we remember.  Ypres, Mons,
And the Somme.

They went to war a hundred years ago
Brothers, Fathers, and Uncles, we never grew to know.
Where have all the young men gone?
They lay at rest in Ypres, Mons,
And the Somme

The Volunteers answered Redmond's call,
When Britain's back, was against the  wall.
Never returned to where they came from
Now at peace in Ypres, Mons,
And the Somme.

Today crowds who stand and silently wait, for the
Last post and reveille, at the Mennin Gate.
Read men’s names and the regiments they came from
Who lie in graves, unmarked, at Ypres, Mons
And the Somme.

That mournful sound as buglers play.
The Last Post in Mennin at the end of day.
Their memory in towns and villages will live on.
As they rest quietly now, In Gallipolli, Ypres, Mons,
And the Somme.

To commemorate the hundredth anniversary of the end of The Great War  1914--1918. In Memory of. Pte Thomas Byrne. 1900. 6th Bn. Royal Irish Regt. Killed in Action at Passchendale, Ypres. 5th August 1917.
Tom O'Byrne, (Nephew) August 2018.

Died on March 21st

Canham, Herbert Michael

Date of Birth
Service No.
1691
Rank
Private
Regiment
Royal Irish Regiment
2nd Battalion
Date of Death
Circumstances of Death
Killed in Action France and Flanders
Other Biographical Details
Son of Alfred and Mary Canham. The 1911 Census shows him at Cornwall, Killurin.

Doyle, James

Address
Duncormick, Co. Wexford.
Service No.
15020
Rank
Private
Regiment
Royal Irish Regiment
2nd Battalion
Date of Death
Circumstances of Death
Killed in Action, France
Other Biographical Details
Son of Ann Doyle, siblings Patrick, Catherine and Mary

Doyle, Michael

Date of Birth
Address
Carnew, Co. Wexford.
Service No.
4435
Rank
Private
Regiment
Royal Irish Regiment
7th Battalion
Date of Death
Circumstances of Death
Killed in action in France
Other Biographical Details

Son of James Doyle of Collatton Row, Carnew, Co. Wicklow. 

Furniss, Martin

Date of Birth
Address
Chapel Lane, New Ross
Service No.
69338
Rank
Gunner
Regiment
Royal Field Artillery
83rd Battery, 2nd Brigade
Date of Death
Circumstances of Death
Died of wounds at the Military Hospital, Lincoln, England
Other Biographical Details

Son of James and Mary Furniss nee Kavanagh of Church Lane, New Ross, Co. Wexford. He was wounded in the neck, 27 September 1916, and returned to England. Hewas admitted to 4th Northern General Hospital, Lincoln, where he died from his wounds six months later. Brother of Patrick Furniss.

Holden, Patrick

Date of Birth
Service No.
5314
Rank
Private
Regiment
Royal Irish Regiment
7th Battalion
Date of Death
Circumstances of Death
Killed in action in France
Other Biographical Details

Son of Patrick and Bridget Holden nee Power of Military Barracks, Michael Street, New Ross. His mother later resided at 10 Bailey's Lane, Cork.

Neville, Martin

Date of Birth
Address
Bannow
Service No.
11537
Rank
Lance Corporal
Regiment
Royal Irish Regiment
7th Battalion
Date of Death
Circumstances of Death
Killed in France and Flanders
Other Biographical Details
Son of John and Margaret Neville née Roach.

Reynolds, James

Date of Birth
Service No.
26065
Rank
Private
Regiment
Royal Dublin Fusiliers
2nd Battalion
Date of Death
Circumstances of Death
Killed in Action
Other Biographical Details
Wexford newspaper article. Son of John Reynolds

Roche, Joseph

Date of Birth
Address
Wexford
Service No.
19236
Rank
Private
Regiment
Royal Dublin Fusiliers
2nd Battalion
Date of Death
Circumstances of Death
Killed in Action France and Flanders
Other Biographical Details

Son of Thomas and Ellen Roche née Redmond.

Rothwell, John Francis

Address
Taghmon
Service No.
5624
Rank
Private
Regiment
Royal Irish Regiment
7th Battalion
Date of Death
Circumstances of Death
Killed in Action France and Flanders
Other Biographical Details
Son of Matthias and Sarah Rothwell of Growtown, Taghmon.

Thomas, James

Date of Birth
Service No.
1981
Rank
Private
Regiment
Royal Irish Regiment
7th Battalion
Date of Death
Circumstances of Death
Killed in Action France and Flanders
Other Biographical Details
Son of John and Eliza Thomas née Devlin. Husband of Mary née Forrestal.

Born on March 21st

Caulfield, Robert

Date of Birth
Address
New Ross
Service No.
371737
Rank
Lance Corporal
Regiment
London Regiment
8th Battalion
Date of Death
Circumstances of Death
Killed in Action France and Flanders
Other Biographical Details

Son of James and Margaret Caulfield nee Browne of Lady Lane, New Ross, Co. Wexford.

Chapman, William Stephen

Date of Birth
Address
South Main Street, Wexford
Service No.
3/16799
Rank
Rifleman
Regiment
Royal Irish Rifles
3rd Battalion
Date of Death
Circumstances of Death
Died of wounds
Other Biographical Details

Son of William Joseph and Maria Elizabeth Chapman nee Connell. His father was a navy pensioner and lived at William Street, Sligo. In 1911, William jnr was a draper's assistant in Wexford town at the drapery and boot factoring business of Thomas Masterton, Sount Main Street.

Sample Records

Murphy, Thomas

Date of Birth
Address
Barrack Street, Wexford
Service No.
9929
Rank
Private
Regiment
Royal Irish Regiment
1st Battalion
Date of Death
Circumstances of Death
Killed in Action in the battle of St Julien, France
Other Biographical Details

Son of James Murphy, Barrack Street , Wexford. James was known as one of the best boxers in the army. Lord Kitchener wrote to James parents conveying the sympathy of the King and Queen on the death of Private Murphy. His brother Patrick, a seaman on board HMS Orbita, was drowned on the 31st of August 1915 at only 21 years of age.
Private James Murphy has no known grave but is commemorated on panel 33 of the Menin Gate, Ypres, Belgium.

Dempsey, William

Date of Birth
Service No.
5752A
Rank
Seaman
Regiment
Royal Naval Reserve
HMS Goliath
Date of Death
Circumstances of Death
HMS Goliath was torpedoed in the Dardanelles
Other Biographical Details

Son of John and Mary Dempsey of Bride St, Wexford.

Rossiter, Thomas

Date of Birth
Address
William Street, Wexford
Service No.
3095A
Rank
Seaman
Regiment
Royal Naval Reserve
HMS Hampshire
Date of Death
Circumstances of Death
Direct result of enemy action
Other Biographical Details

Son of Thomas Rossiter of William Street, Wexford.

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