Over 200,000 Belgian refugees - men, women, children, babies and the elderly - fled to Britain to escape the war. Around 2,300 were placed throughout Ireland. (NLI: Irish Life 13 Nov 1914)
Almost 600 foreign nationals were interned at Oldcastle Workhouse, including respected musician Aloys Fleischmann. He was separated from his Irish wife and son for over four years. (NLI: The Irish Outlook, 19 Apr 1913)
Between September 1914 and March 1915 over 2,000 German POWs were held in Richmond Barracks, Templemore, Co Tipperary, which is now home to the Garda training college. (NLI: Irish Life 11 Dec 1914)
