Galway & the Great War On 28 June 1914 Archduke Franz Ferdinand, heir to the Austro-Hungarian throne, and his wife Sophie were shot and killed in Sarajevo. Their assassination, against the backdrop of competing territorial ambitions and the stockpiling of munitions across Europe, was to have enormous and unimagined consequences for people across the world. The incident triggered a series of events which, over the course of just a few weeks, led to conflict on a global scale. In addition to over 50,000 Irishmen already serving in the British Army at the outbreak of war, a further 150,000 or so enlisted in Ireland between 1914 and 1918. Over 30,000 of these men were killed in the line of duty, including at least 750 Galway men. As part of its Galway & the Great War exhibition, Galway City Museum is encouraging the public to share their personal stories with a Galway connection for inclusion in the exhibition and/or on this website. If you have a Galway story that you would like to share please contact the museum by email at museum@galwaycity.ie or by phone on (091) 532460.
