An Cosantóir

An Cosantóir Dec 2014/Jan 2015 www.dfmagazine.ie 42 | CRoSS oFF thE WoRDS In thE lISt AS you FInD thEM. Word searches are fun, they also bring benefits you may not realise and can play an important role in keeping you mentally fit. WHAT dATE dURINg WWI WAS WILLIAM WILLMOT KILLEd IN ACTION (THIS ISSUE)? Post your answer along with your name and address to us or email subs@military.ie for a chance to win a limited edition An Cosantóir Dry Flo t-shirt and DF 'goody bag' Last month's winner of the An Cosantóir T-shirt and 'Goody Bag' was Dylan Morgan, Dublin 24. Closing date is 21st January 2015. Q&A DEC/JAn Uniform ServiceS: medal moUnting Service: competitive priceS, contact mUrty QUinn 087 9394680 lanyardS made to order: competitive priceS, contact Brian on 087 2971982 noticeboard word search A new WWI serviceman searchable database has been launched. This collaboration project is between South Dublin Libraries and the Dept of Arts Heritage and the Gaeltacht, and was made possible by the generous co-operation of the National Library of Ireland who kindly allowed access to the original set of historic documents. In 1914, 'Irish Life' newspaper published a supplement called 'Our Heroes', from which this database takes its name, it also publicised the principal events of the war in which Irish regiments were engaged. It contained 1,600 photographs and biographical notes of officers in Irish regiments and of Irish officers in British regiments who fell in action, or who were mentioned for distinguished conduct from 1914 to 1918. The original magazine photographs were assembled by Patrick Hugh Lynch of the Dept of Arts Heritage and the Gaeltacht, and then the images were processed by David Power of South Dublin Libraries: • Optical Character Recognition software was used to create searchable text. • Image editing software was used to create a set of photographs of the officers and men. • Additional commemoration information (date of death and place of burial/commemoration) was sourced from the Commonwealth War Graves Commission and added to the original data. This project is a valuable addition to Ireland's Decade of Commemorations. Historians, researchers and students alike will find this resource a valuable tool, allowing interrogation of the original text to find not only servicemen's names, but everything that was contained in the original biographies - school names, rugby clubs, counties and much more besides. The information contained within this database has all-Ireland importance. It is a snapshot of a cross section of the Irish officer class of the British Army, alongside the privates and NCOs listed among them who bravely distinguished themselves in the field or were killed in action. http://ourheroes.southdublinlibraries.ie/ our hero's (Ár lAoChrA) wwi DAtAbAse

• Cover