Madam, – Meath County Library has undertaken research on the history of the internment camp set up in Oldcastle at the request of the British government during the first World War in which adult male German civilians resident in Ireland were interned in the former workhouse.
Hardly any official records have survived. My Bavarian grandfather, Aloys Fleischmann snr, was one of the 760 detained there. A document among his papers – a letter of thanks from the members of his choir – has provided the names of 60 inmates.
If any descendants of internees have documents relating to the camp, Ciarán Mangan, the county librarian, would be grateful for information (046 9021134; cmangan@meathcoco.ie). – Yours, etc,