Military Service medal applications database for 2016

Some 65,000 files in the Military Service Pensions Collection (MSPC) are one stage closer to public scrutiny following the award, to Eneclann, of an archiving and database project for the Military Archives in Cathal Brugha Barracks. Work will get underway next month.

The bulk of the MSPC is made up of applications for, and the award of, the 1916 Medal and The Service Medal (1917-1921), pensions and gratuities by individuals (or their dependents) who served as members of the following groups between April 1916 and 30 September 1923:

• Irish Volunteers
  
• Irish Citizen Army
  
• Irish Republican Army
  
• Cumann na mBan
  
• National Army/Defence Forces
  
• Other similar named organisations on active service.
  

Those who died or were wounded while on duty are also included.

In addition, there are roughly 15,000 related special allowance or DP files.

Following archival treatment, a fully searchable online database will be added to Military Archives.ie. Eneclann say the project will take 30 months to complete.