The records of nearly 50,000 Irish soldiers who died in World War I are now published online in a new digital directory.

They are being made available by the Department of Foreign Affairs, Google and a Belgium museum and could help Irish families try and find out what happened to their relatives who lost their lives in the war.

Claire Connaughton's great-uncle Thomas Connolly died in in May 1917, but her family have no idea what happened to him.

She is hoping the new online museum will give her some of the missing pieces of information.

The digitised records of more than 49,600 Irish soldiers are now available online, in a collaboration with the 'In Flanders Fields' museum in Belgium.

Its Director Piet Chielens says eight volumes of Irish men who died between 1919 and 1923 will be on the list.

The records will be available on the website of the 'In Flanders Fields' museum.