‘Huge interest’ expected in military pensions record which show old IRA service

The military pension records of those who fought in the Easter Rising and War of Independence will be made available to the public later this month.

Some 300,000 files will be released relating to 60,000 individuals who received some form of the old IRA pension, including statements by those in commanding positions which will detail what each did to merit a pension.

The files will be released following their launch at the GPO on January 17th.

Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht Jimmy Deenihan anticipates "huge interest" from the public.

“People don’t realise what’s in store here. This is contemporary history and it is very important,” he said.

The unveiling will be part of a busy year of centenary commemorations .

War cross
A new cross, commissioned by the Glasnevin Trust and the Commonwealth War Graves Commission, will be unveiled at a service at the Irish National War Memorial Gardens in Islandbridge on August 4th, the 100th anniversary of the day Britain declared war on Germany.

There will also be an Irish presence in Mons, Belgium where the first major battle of the first World War on the western front will be marked.

The passage of the final Home Rule Bill in July 1914 and the famous Woodenbridge speech given by John Redmond, which urged Irish volunteers to sign up to fight for the British army, will also be examined in detail.

Mr Deenihan said all first World War commemorations would be co-ordinated with the Northern Assembly.

The centenary of the founding of Cumann na mBan will be remembered with a plaque outside Wynns Hotel on April 3rd and a conference in Collins Barracks.