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The records of soldiers pensioned from the British army by the Royal Hospital Kilmainham in Dublin have been released online, and they include over two hundred years worth of the records of Irish men.

Part of a major collection of newly-digitised records of those pensioned from the British army in Dublin, they contain the names and discharge documents of almost 20,000 Irish soldiers from 1783-1822.

According to the Journal, the records were catalogued by a team of 14 people from the Friends of the National Archives volunteer group over 3 years. There are 19,109 soldiers' details included in the records.

The Royal Hospital Kilmainham, which now houses the Irish Museum of Modern Art, was established in 1681 to house sick and veteran Irish troops from the British Army.

The newly released records contain many details about the Irish soldiers, including where they served and what their regiment was, as well as their height, weight, colour of hair and eyes, and any distinguishing features such as tattoos or scars.

Among the records released are those of Private Hugh Burke from Wicklow, who was pensioned from the army on 26 June 1816 after four years' service. He was deemed unfit for further service after 'a gunshot wound to the left shoulder was received in action near New Orleans in America on 8  January 1815.'

The Battle of New Orleans was the last major battle between the British and American forces in the War of 1812 and was fought after a peace treaty had already been signed between the two sides.

Brian Donovan, a family historian from findmypast told the press: 'The number of Irish men who fought in the British army was extensive and these records allow us to glimpse the lives and careers of these soldiers.

'What makes the Kilmainham series so exciting is how far in time they stretch back. There is detailed information about rank and file soldiers born before 1750, about the regiments they served with, where they travelled, and injuries received. Scanned in colour, indexed and published online for the first time, these records are a fantastic addition to the findmypast collection.

One Irish soldier, Private Hugh Burke, was one of the so-called 'Green Redcoats,' and his records can be found on the family history site findmypast.ie.'