This downloadable PDF resource reflects an exhibition held at The National Archives to commemorate the Irish at the Battle of the Somme in July 1916. The exhibition told the story of two Irish Divisions, the 36th (Ulster) Division and the 16th Irish Division in 1916.
The exhibition was based on a selection of documents and photographs from the National Archives UK, National Library of Ireland, National Museum of Ireland and sources held by private individuals from Northern Ireland. It explored the impact of the outbreak of the First World War in 1914 in Ireland. Other themes included the recruitment of Irishmen, the stories of individual heroism from both Irish Divisions and the focus on a forgotten man –Tom Kettle.
The material highlighted how the war has been remembered through battlefield memorials and monument in both Northern Ireland and the Republic since 1918 and the path towards present day reconciliation.