CWGC Cemetery: NEW IRISH FARM CEMETERY

Visiting Information

Wheelchair access to site possible, but may be by an alternative entrance. For further information regarding wheelchair access, please contact our Enquiries Section on telephone number 01628 507200

Local Information

The cemetery is located to the north-east of the town of Ieper. From the station turn left and follow along M Fochlaan to the roundabout. Turn right and at the next roundabout turn left into M Haiglaan. Follow along this road to the traffic lights and at the lights turn right in the direction of Kortrijk (A19). Follow along the expressway to the next set of lights. At these lights turn left into Pilkemseweg, then take the first right into Zwaanhofweg, a small country road. Follow this road to the crossroads and the cemetery is on your right.

Historical Information

New Irish Farm Cemetery was first used from August to November 1917, and again in April and May 1918. At the Armistice it contained just 73 burials - the three irregular rows of Plot I - but was then greatly enlarged when more than 4,500 graves were brought in from the battlefields north-east of Ypres (now Ieper) and from numerous smaller cemeteries in the area. There are now 4,715 commonwealth servicemen of the First World War buried or commemorated in this cemetery. 3,267 of the burials are unidentified but special memorials commemorate four casualties known or believed to be buried among them. Other special memorials record the names of 30 casualties buried in four of the cemeteries concentrated into New Irish Farm whose graves were destroyed by shell fire. The cemetery was designed by Sir Reginald Blomfield.