New Irish Farm Cemetery

• Country Belgium
• Total identified casualties 1454 Find these casualties
• Region West-Vlaanderen
• Identified casualties from First World War
• GPS Coordinates Latitude: 50.87288, Longitude: 2.89835

Location 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.

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

History information

New Irish Farm Cemetery was first used from August to November 1917 and was named after a nearby farm, known to the troops as 'Irish Farm' (originally there was an Irish Farm Cemetery immediately South of the Farm. New Irish Farm Cemetery is about 300 metres North of the Farm at a crossing once known as Hammond's Corner). It was used again in April and May 1918 and 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 the following smaller cemeteries:

ADMIRAL's CEMETERY, BOESINGHE, at the junction of Admiral's Road and Boundary Road, near No Man's Cottage. It was named from a sailor long attached to the 6th Division. It contained the graves of 19 soldiers from the United Kingdom who fell in 1917 and 1918.

CANOPUS TRENCH CEMETERY, LANGEMARCK, a little South-West of St. Julien, containing the graves of 12 men of the 1st/5th Gloucesters who fell in August, 1917.

COMEDY FARM CEMETERY, LANGEMARCK, a little South-East of Langemarck village, near the Steenbeek. It contained the graves of 29 soldiers from the United Kingdom who fell in July-September, 1917.

CROSS ROADS CEMETERY, ST. JEAN, two groups of graves at the cross roads in St. Jean village, containing the graves of 19 soldiers from the United Kingdom who fell in June and July, 1915.

FERDINAND FARM CEMETERY, LANGEMARCK, near the Steenbeek, half-way between St. Julien and Langemarck. It contained the graves of 15 soldiers from the United Kingdom who fell in August-October, 1917.

FRANCOIS FARM CEMETERY, LANGEMARCK, near a farm 1.6 Kms East of Pilckem, containing the graves of 23 soldiers from the United Kingdom who fell in July-October, 1917.

FUSILIER FARM CEMETERY, BOESINGHE, a little West of the Ypres-Pilckem road, containing the graves of 17 men of the 38th (Welsh) Division who fell on 31st July, 1917.

FUSILIER FARM ROAD CEMETERY, BOESINGHE, 400 yards North-West of Fusilier Farm Cemetery. It contained the graves of 14 men of the 38th (Welsh) Division who fell on 31st July-2nd August, 1917.

GLIMPSE COTTAGE CEMETERY, BOESINGHE, 250 metres North-West of Fusilier Farm Road Cemetery, containing the graves of 18 men of the 38th (Welsh) division who fell in July and August, 1917.

IRISH FARM CEMETERY, ST. JEAN, immediately South of the Farm. It was begun by the 1st Royal Fusiliers in May, 1915, and used until September, 1915, and, at intervals, until January, 1918. It contained the graves of 54 soldiers from the United Kingdom.

LA MITERIE GERMAN CEMETERY, LOMME, a little North of the hamlet of La Miterie, containing the graves of eight soldiers from the United Kingdom who fell early in September, 1918.

MIRFIELD CEMETERY, BOESINGHE, by Mirfield Trench, 300 metres west of Fusilier Farm, containing the graves of 16 soldiers from the United Kingdom (all but one of the 51st (Highland) Division) who fell in June-August, 1917.

PARATONNIERS FARM CEMETERY, BOESINGHE, a Belgian Military Cemetery, 800 metres South of Lizerne village, containing the graves of 13 soldiers from the United Kingdom who fell in December, 1917-March, 1918.

PILCKEM ROAD CEMETERY, BOESINGHE, 300 metres North-West of Fusilier Farm, containing the graves of 27 soldiers from the United Kingdom, (18 of the 1st/5th Gordons) who fell in July-August, 1917.

ST. JEAN CHURCHYARD, containing the graves of 44 soldiers from the United Kingdom who fell in May-December, 1915.

SPREE FARM CEMETERY, LANGEMARCK, 800 metres South-East of St. Julien, containing the graves of 14 soldiers from the United Kingdom and three from New Zealand who fell in August and October, 1917.

VANHEULE FARM CEMETERY, LANGEMARCK, 800 metres South-West of St. Julien, containing the graves of 22 soldiers from the United Kingdom and one from New Zealand who fell in August and October, 1917.

YORKSHIRE CEMETERY, ZOUAVE VILLA, ST. JEAN, 200 metres East of the Ypres-Pilckem road, containing the graves of 22 men of the 6th King's Own Yorkshire Light Infantry who fell in January and February, 1916, and two of the 6th East Yorks who fell in August, 1917.

There are now 4,719 commonwealth servicemen of the First World War buried or commemorated in this cemetery. 3,271 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 removed to New Irish Farm whose graves were destroyed by shell fire.

The cemetery was designed by Sir Reginald Blomfield.