Wexford in ww1, lookups available

enfeild

'The Wexford War Dead' by Tom Burnell and Margaret Gilbert will be published in November. I can give you lookups from it beforehand. If you just want a name or a location looked up. If you have relatives from any army who died in ww1 just post the name here I and I will give you thir information.
Regards.
Tom.

Black Lead

That's something I've been looking forward to for a longtime such an important time but it was brushed aside in later years, Is the book focusing on just the WWI or does it have information on Wexford during WWI such as the Americans at ferrybank ?

There is one event that I have allways wanted to know about and that was the crew of a boat from Wexford Town that ended up caught by the Germans coming out of England and they were imprisoned in a POW camp. Do you know anything about that ?

Can't wait for that book, Its added to my Xmas list.

While normally advertising is strickly verboten, I think that this is a good service to community so am willing to let it stay, bar orders from above.

Can you PM me more info about the book? Sounds interesting! Although being a first generation Wexican it doesn't apply to me.

enfeild

The book is not for sale I am offering free lookups.
Regards.
Tom

enfeild

There are many Wexford casualties of boats sent to their doom by ww1 German subs but I would have no information on survivors only on the men who died and also on the ones who were buried in the County of Wexford.
Regards.
Tom.

cosecretary

Hi I am about to start my family tree. One of my relations dies in WW1 his name was Jeramiah Cosgrave and he was from around Galbally.

Any information you could give me would be most appreciated.

Thanks

enfeild

There were 4 Cosgraves killed in ww1.
Here is Jeremiah
COSGRAVE, JEREMIAH. Rank: Private. Regiment or Service: Royal Dublin Fusiliers. Unit: 2nd Bn. Age at Death: 32. Date of Death: 16-August-1917. Service No: 17962. Born in Galbally, Co Wexford. Enlisted in Maesteg. Killed in Action. Supplementary information; Son of John and Mary Cosgrave of Galbally, Bree, Enniscorthy, Co. Wexford. Grave or Memorial Reference: Panel 144 to 145. Memorial: Tyne Cot Memorial in Belgium.

Regards.
Tom

cosecretary

Hi Tom

Thanks for that very interesting and a huge help to me. I must say I find it hard to understand why a country man from wexford would go to fight in ww1.

Black Lead

cosecretary wrote: »

Hi Tom

Thanks for that very interesting and a huge help to me. I must say I find it hard to understand why a country man from wexford would go to fight in ww1.

For King and Country or the hope of Home Rule when the war is over and done with.

cosecretary

I would doubt it cosgrave is an old irish name all catholics perhaps it was something to do with the hope of home rule following the war or maybe it was more for financial reasons. Fascinating stuff either way.

enfeild

cosecretary.
You are welcome, glad to help. He was not in any of the Wexford newspapers.
Regards.
Tom.

enfeild

'I must say I find it hard to understand why a country man from wexford would go to fight in ww1.'

There were 874 Wexford men killed in ww1.
Regards.
Tom

Tonycos

Jeremiah Cosgrave 17692 Private Royal Dublin Fusiliers 2nd Bn was my Grand Uncle. I have been to Tyne Cot last September to see his name on the wall and give my respects, With regard to why they joined I think it was a mix, some economic, some had a wish for adventure, some believed in what Redmond did and for others it was a way out of Ireland. As a former soldier myself I do understand that no matter what flag you serve under the most important thing is the people with you. My father remembers the prayer book my granduncle carried and how blood spattered it was. The army tradition still runs in my family except now its the irish army with my dad and my two brothers and i having served.
It is also my intention to put a small headstone in galbally cemetery sometime in the near future to honour and remember Jeremiah, I have discussed this with my relations in Weford and have gotten their approval.

diarmuidh

Wow that´s a big figure

shockingly high..

I´m no poppy wearer but these men should be commorated in some way in Wexford me thinks..many would have voted for Sinn Fein on their return or for Redmond me thinks

on another point the delapidation of Redmond´s Park and his grave in John´s Street is a town shame..think of the tourists who would like to have a look in there..

ijapdafydd

Jeremiah Cosgrave enlisted in Maesteg, South Wales, just after the declaration of the War along with John Barry (KIA 1915), & John Hayes (both from Kilmore) my grandfather. They enlisted on the promise that Ireland would be granted Home Rule, under the Redmond Act.

Jeremiah Cosgrave & John Barry are remembered on the Roll of Honour in the Church of Our Lady & Saint Patrick in Maesteg, in a Book Of Remembrance for the 416 men from the town who died in the Great War compiled by Robert Bulger in the Maesteg Town Council Chamber, and the book “The Shamrock & the Leek” by Gerald MacCormack.

I intend to publish a book, DVD & a website to commemorate the sacrifice of the brave men from the Llynfi Valley (Maesteg area) who fought in the Great War. I will give the different reasons why the men enlisted. Very few of the miners from South Wales enlisted “for king & country”. Wales produced the highest % of its young men to fight the war before conscription, 14% compared to 12% in Scotland, 11% in England & 7% in Ireland.

I want to relate the stories of the friends who enlisted together, and I want to include the story of these 3 brave Irishmen who enlisted for Home Rule for their country. I will appreciate any help you can give me, by sending me copies of documents, photos & the life stories of these 3 brave men. In return if I can return the compliment by helping you in any way I will certainly do so.

Thank you for your help in this matter.

Illtyd John ap Dafydd

funkyderek

Hi Tom,

My great-grandfather James Thomas was killed in action in WW1. I'd appreciate any additional information you can supply about him. Thanks.

Tonycos

ijapdafydd

Its very interesting that Jeremiah was remembered in Maesteg although not too surprising as he enlisted there. I thank you for your information as i didnt know too much about the man only from what my father told me and the fact that he saw Jeremiahs blood spattered prayer book (this was returned to the family) when he was a child. As to having photographs of him i have none and i dont have a lot of contact with relations in Wexford as i live 80 miles in the opposite direction almost. I think its a wonderful thing to remember those who gave their lives for a cause and whether some people think it was for right or not does not matter in my opinion.

All in all including Jeremiah i lost 3 grand uncles in WW1, (Jeremiah RDF, Denis McClean RMF, George Cummins Kings Hussars, also 1 was badly wounded but survived and my maternal grandfather RIR was a POW from 1915 to 1918 and they are all remembered in some way.

Many thanks once again to you from South County Tipperary Man.

Best Regards

enfeild

7 men from Tipperary, Wicklow, Wexford and Offaly who enlisted in Maesteg died in ww1.
Regards.
Tom.

enfeild

JAMES, THOMAS. Rank: Lance Corporal. Regiment or Service: Royal Dublin Fusiliers. Unit; 8th Bn. Date of Death: 09-September-1916. Service No: 24535. Born in Enniscorthy, Co Wexford. Enlisted in Dublin while living in Ballycumber, Queens County. Killed in Action. From an article in a Wexford newspaper…
Killed in Action.
Much sympathy is felt with Mr and Mrs J James, Ballinapierce, Enniscorthy, in the loss they have sustained by the death of their third eldest son, Lance Corporal Thomas James who was killed in action on the 9th September last.
[FONT=&quot]Grave or Memorial Reference: He has no known grave but is listed on Pier and Face 16 C on the Thiepval Memorial in France. [/FONT]

Judgement Day

diarmuidh wrote: »

Wow that´s a big figure

shockingly high..

I´m no poppy wearer but these men should be commorated in some way in Wexford me thinks..many would have voted for Sinn Fein on their return or for Redmond me thinks

on another point the delapidation of Redmond´s Park and his grave in John´s Street is a town shame..think of the tourists who would like to have a look in there..

Well, as a poppy wearer, I have to agree with you about the sad state of Redmond's Park - although maybe it has changed as I haven't been there for a while. However, I find it somewhat ironic that as a 'poppy wearer' I have had to complain about the state of the 1798 memorials at New Ross and Enniscorthy on a number of occasions. From where I'm coming from, our history is our history, from whatever traditiion, and it is important to preserve it. I want to see the awful 'Singing Bird' sculpture removed from in front of Seamus Rafter's statue in Enniscorthy but had I been alive when the latter was I would have wanted him arrested. It's a strange old world to be sure!:)

ijapdafydd

Thank you Enfield, what were the names of the other 5?

here's a list of the 31 names of the men who died in WW1 & are rememberd in the church of Our Lady & Saint Patrick in Maesteg:

John Austin, Francis Banks, John Barry,Thomas Blake, James Breen, Thomas Burns, James Busher, Maurice Patrick Casey, Thomas Casey, Timothy Coleman, Martin Coullton, James Colston, Wiliam Conway, Jeremiah Cosgrave, William Joseph Cotter, Martin Ducey, John Duffey, Thomas Foley, James Hyde, Michael Keane, Michael Kelly, Thomas Lawton, Patrick Lyons, John McGrath, Richard T Melbourne, Thomas Managhan, John Murphy, Richard O'Brien, Hugh William Riley, Thomas Weston, William White.

Maesteg has a close association with Ireland, particularly with county Wexford, and many hail from Kilmore. At least 20% of the town's population are either Irish or from Irish ancestry.

Tonycos

Actually come to think of it on the list of Tipperary War dead that i saw here i think there are some put down as having enlisted in Maesteg, Would be interesting to compare the names. Clonmel Town was a major recruiting centre in Tiperary for the RIR and other barracks within the area for the Royal Munster Fusiliers.

ijapdafydd

Many of the miners who joined the 10th & 13th battalion of the Welsh Regiment enlisted in Bridgend 10 miles away.

Maesteg, was a very industrial town with plenty of work for the incoming Irish, in the iron & tin works and the many coal mines. The Llynfi valley has maintained all of it’s Welsh place names, Maesteg means Fair (teg) Field (maes).

Although my grandfather & his friends enlisted in the Dublin regiment, they trained initially in Cork, before going to Egypt & finally to the Dardanells. A good book on the Dardanells campaign is by a Welshman Huw Rodge called Galipoli.

Tonycos

Yes a lot would have trained in Depot Brracks and in Cork would most likely have been Victoria Barracks now called Collins Barracks, One of its most famous Officers at one time was Bernard Law Montogmery. I spent 5 years there as a solider myself. I hope some day to go to Helles and see memorial there as i have a relation named on it from the Gallipoli campaign.
http://www.cwgc.org/search/casualty_details.aspx?casualty=691131

Also the fact that Jeremiah Cosgrave is remembered in Maesteg i may travel there some day soon for a look myself. Having been to Tyne Cot i can say its so very well kept and is a true memorial to the futility of war.

enfeild

[FONT=&quot]
[/FONT] MONAGHAN, THOMAS.
[FONT=&quot]WALSH, PATRICK.[/FONT][FONT=&quot]
[/FONT] [FONT=&quot]COSGRAVE, JEREMIAH. [/FONT][FONT=&quot]
[/FONT] [FONT=&quot]DOYLE, MARTIN. [/FONT][FONT=&quot]
BARRY, JOHN
[/FONT] [FONT=&quot]CALLAGHAN, THOMAS. [/FONT][FONT=&quot]. [/FONT]

enfeild

So far I have only found one Waterford man who enlisted in Maesteg and died he was DUCEY, MARTIN.

enfeild

Two more Wexford men I missed were BUSHER, JAMES.and Thomas Mitten. James Busher's brother Peter also served with the RAMC and survived the war.

ijapdafydd

Thank you Enfeild! Although the folowing are not remembered in the church in Maesteg they are included in the Book of Rememberance held in the council offices.

Gunner Thomas Callaghan Royal Field Artillery
Private Thomas Mitten 2nd Battalion Prince of Wales Volunteers (South Lancashire Regiment).
Sgt Patrick Walsh 3rd Grenadier Guards

Tonycos

let me know in advance when you intend to come to Maesteg, as i can show you around offer you accomodation & all my relatives living locally would like to meet you.

In addition if anyone wants discounted fares on the ferry from Rosslare with a car, i have acontact who can arrange this.

funkyderek

Hi Tom,

Thanks but I was actually looking for James Thomas, first name James, surname Thomas, not the other way around. Having a surname thats also a common first name can be a real pain when researching genealogy! Can I impose upon you once more?

enfeild

A quick search of SDGW throws up 73 James Thomas. 6 of them in the RWF. You need to be more specific.

funkyderek

Tom, I know he was born in 1880 or 1881, had a wife called Mary and four children (Kate, John, Joseph and James).

I believe him to be have served in the 7th Battalion of the Royal Irish Regiment, but that's only because he was the only James Thomas from Wexford that I found in a previous Internet search. So it would be good to have some data to confirm or refute this hypothesis.