Irish military diaspora
Encyclopedia
The Irish military diaspora refers to the many people of either Irish
birth or extraction (see Irish diaspora
) who have served in foreign military forces
, regardless of rank, duration of service, or success.
Many foreign military units where primarily made of Irish people or those of Irish military diaspora and had the word 'Irish', an Irish place name or an Irish person in the unit's name. 'Irish' named military units took part in numerous conflicts throughout world history. The first military unit of this kind was in the Spanish Netherlands during the Eighty Years War between Spain and the Dutch. A notable example would be that of Owen Roe O'Neill
.
Some of those with notable or outstanding careers included:-
Others were not born in Ireland, but were born of Irish parents, such as:-
Victoria Cross recipients:-
The Victoria Cross
, the British Army’s highest award for valour, has been awarded to 188 persons who were born in Ireland or had full Irish parentage. Of these 30 were awarded in the Crimean War
, 52 in the Indian Mutiny, and 46 Irish VCs in numerous other British Empire
campaigns between 1857 to 1914. In the 20th century, 37 Irish VCs were awarded in World War I
, and eight in World War II
.
Following the establishment of the independent Irish Free State
in 1922, the five regiments that had their traditional recruiting grounds in the counties of the new state were disbanded. They were:
The Irish Guards
continue to recruit from the Republic of Ireland
. Prince William, Colonel of the Regiment, was married (29 April 2011) wearing the Irish Guards Mounted Officer red tunic and the Forage cap bearing the Insignia of the Irish Guards, the eight-pointed Star of the Most Illustrious Order of St. Patrick
, and the regiment’s felicitous motto: Quis Separabit? (Who shall separate us?).
The Irish Fusiliers of Canada (Vancouver Regiment) perpetuated the World War I active service of the 29th (Vancouver) Battalion, CEF plus the indirect service of the 121st (Western Irish) Battalion, CEF and the 158th (Duke of Connaught's Own) Battalion, CEF. Served as 1913 – 11th Regiment, Irish Fusiliers of Canada; 1920 – The Irish Fusiliers of Canada; 1936 – The Irish Fusiliers of Canada (Vancouver Regiment); 1946 – 65th Light Anti-Aircraft Regiment (Irish Fusiliers); 1958 – The Irish Fusiliers of Canada (Vancouver Regiment); 1965 – placed on the Supplementary Order of Battle
; 2002 – amalgamated with The British Columbia Regiment (Duke of Connaught's Own).
The Irish Canadian Rangers perpetuated the indirect service of the 199th (Duchess of Connaught's Own Irish Rangers) Battalion, CEF. Served as 1914 – 55th Irish Canadian Rangers; 1920 – The Irish Canadian Rangers; 1936 – disbanded.
The 218th (Edmonton Irish Guards) Battalion, CEF lacks perpetuation. The colonel had Irish ancestry but the largest group of the troops were recent eastern European immigrants from the fringes of the Austro-Hungarian Empire who spoke Ukrainian but would have had Hungarian citizenship. Combined with the 211th (Alberta Americans) Battalion, CEF, to form the 8th Battalion, Canadian Railway Troops, which served in France building and maintaining railroads.
tried with the help of Roger Casement
to recruit an "Irish Brigade" from Irish-born prisoners of war in the British Army. By 1916 only 52 men had volunteered, and the plan was abandoned.
In the Second World War a smaller number volunteered to join the Wehrmacht
and were trained at Friesack Camp
. Separately some IRA
sympathisers planned certain operations with the Abwehr
that were generally unsuccessful.
in 1859-60 during the Second Italian War of Independence
.
Spanish Civil War
Spanish Cvil War (1936–1939)
Confederate States of America
.
American Revolution
Loyalists
American Civil War
Union Army
Confederate Army
Modern era
Admiral William M. Callaghan
Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff
Michael Mullen
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
birth or extraction (see Irish diaspora
Irish diaspora
thumb|Night Train with Reaper by London Irish artist [[Brian Whelan]] from the book Myth of Return, 2007The Irish diaspora consists of Irish emigrants and their descendants in countries such as the United Kingdom, the United States, Canada, Australia, Argentina, New Zealand, Mexico, South Africa,...
) who have served in foreign military forces
Armed forces
The armed forces of a country are its government-sponsored defense, fighting forces, and organizations. They exist to further the foreign and domestic policies of their governing body, and to defend that body and the nation it represents from external aggressors. In some countries paramilitary...
, regardless of rank, duration of service, or success.
Many foreign military units where primarily made of Irish people or those of Irish military diaspora and had the word 'Irish', an Irish place name or an Irish person in the unit's name. 'Irish' named military units took part in numerous conflicts throughout world history. The first military unit of this kind was in the Spanish Netherlands during the Eighty Years War between Spain and the Dutch. A notable example would be that of Owen Roe O'Neill
Owen Roe O'Neill
Eoghan Ruadh Ó Néill , anglicised as Owen Roe O'Neill , was a seventeenth century soldier and one of the most famous of the O'Neill dynasty of Ulster.- In Spanish service :...
.
Austria
- Franz Moritz Graf von LacyFranz Moritz von LacyGraf Franz Moritz von Lacy , , was the son of Count Peter von Lacy and a famous Austrian field marshal. He served Maria Theresia, was a close friend to Joseph II, Holy Roman Emperor, and became one of his advisers...
- Major Peter MartynPeter MartynPeter Martyn, Irish soldier, 1772-1827.Martyn was a member of one of the Tribes of Galway. He was born in Castlebar, County Mayo in 1772. He joined the Austria-Hungary Imperial Service in June 1790 as a Second-Lieutenant in the 1st Cuirassier Regiment...
- Maximilian Ulysses Graf von Browne
- Laval Graf Nugent von WestmeathLaval Nugent von WestmeathLaval Graf Nugent von Westmeath was a soldier of Irish birth who fought in the armies of Austria and the Two Sicilies.-Biography:...
- Maximilian Graf O’Donnell von TyrconnellMaximilian Karl Lamoral O'DonnellMaximilian Karl Lamoral Graf O’Donnell von Tyrconnell was an Austrian officer and civil servant who became famous when he saved the life of Emperor Franz Josef I of Austria...
- Gottfried Freiherr von BanfieldGottfried von BanfieldFreiherr Gottfried von Banfield was the most successful Austro-Hungarian naval aeroplane pilot in the First World War. He was known as the 'Eagle of Trieste' and was the last person in history to wear the Military Order of Maria Theresa...
- Andreas O'Reilly von BallinloughAndreas O'Reilly von BallinloughAndreas Graf O'Reilly von Ballinlough was an Austrian soldier and commander of Irish origin. His military service extended through the Seven Years' War, War of the Bavarian Succession, Austro-Turkish War, French Revolutionary Wars, and Napoleonic Wars...
Britain
A significant number of Irish people, of all backgrounds, have served in the forces of the British Crown over the centuries (by the end of the 18th century and the beginning of the 19th century, well over one-half of the British military forces consisted of Irish men), because of:-- the fact that the Irish, the English and Scottish Kingdoms were in personal union under the Monarch until the partition of Ireland.
- the long history of the Kingdom of IrelandKingdom of IrelandThe Kingdom of Ireland refers to the country of Ireland in the period between the proclamation of Henry VIII as King of Ireland by the Crown of Ireland Act 1542 and the Act of Union in 1800. It replaced the Lordship of Ireland, which had been created in 1171...
to 1800, and Ireland being a part of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and IrelandUnited Kingdom of Great Britain and IrelandThe United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland was the formal name of the United Kingdom during the period when what is now the Republic of Ireland formed a part of it....
in 1801-1922 - the continuing close links following the 26-county Irish Free StateIrish Free StateThe Irish Free State was the state established as a Dominion on 6 December 1922 under the Anglo-Irish Treaty, signed by the British government and Irish representatives exactly twelve months beforehand...
's evolving constitutional and legal independence from the UKAnglo-Irish TreatyThe Anglo-Irish Treaty , officially called the Articles of Agreement for a Treaty Between Great Britain and Ireland, was a treaty between the Government of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and representatives of the secessionist Irish Republic that concluded the Irish War of...
- the self-esteemSelf-esteemSelf-esteem is a term in psychology to reflect a person's overall evaluation or appraisal of his or her own worth. Self-esteem encompasses beliefs and emotions such as triumph, despair, pride and shame: some would distinguish how 'the self-concept is what we think about the self; self-esteem, the...
of the nobilityNobilityNobility is a social class which possesses more acknowledged privileges or eminence than members of most other classes in a society, membership therein typically being hereditary. The privileges associated with nobility may constitute substantial advantages over or relative to non-nobles, or may be...
and landed gentryLanded gentryLanded gentry is a traditional British social class, consisting of land owners who could live entirely off rental income. Often they worked only in an administrative capacity looking after the management of their own lands....
that caused them to prefer military service to a career in trade (see: Noblesse obligeNoblesse obligeNoblesse oblige is a French phrase literally meaning "nobility obliges".The Dictionnaire de l’Académie française defines it thus:# Whoever claims to be noble must conduct himself nobly....
) - economic necessity
- ambition
- family tradition
- loyalty
Some of those with notable or outstanding careers included:-
- Admiral Matthew Aylmer, 1st Baron AylmerMatthew Aylmer, 1st Baron AylmerMatthew Aylmer, 1st Baron Aylmer was an Irish Admiral of the Royal Navy.Lord Aylmer, Admiral and Commander-in-Chief, was the second son of Sir Christopher Aylmer of Balrath, County Meath, and entered the Royal Navy under the protection of the Duke of Buckingham, as a Lieutenant, in 1678...
- William Blakeney, 1st Baron BlakeneyWilliam Blakeney, 1st Baron BlakeneyWilliam Blakeney, 1st Baron Blakeney KB was an Irish soldier known for his unsuccessful defence of the Spanish island of Minorca following the Battle of Minorca in 1756.-Early life:...
- Lieutenant-General Sir Edward BulfinEdward BulfinLieutenant General Sir Edward Stanislaus Bulfin KCB CVO was a British general during World War I, where he established a reputation as an excellent commander at the brigade, divisional and corps levels...
- Admiral of the FleetAdmiral of the Fleet (Royal Navy)Admiral of the fleet is the highest rank of the British Royal Navy and other navies, which equates to the NATO rank code OF-10. The rank still exists in the Royal Navy but routine appointments ceased in 1996....
Sir George CallaghanGeorge CallaghanAdmiral of the Fleet Sir George Astley Callaghan GCB GCVO was a senior officer in the Royal Navy.-Naval career:... - Guy Carleton, 1st Baron DorchesterGuy Carleton, 1st Baron DorchesterGuy Carleton, 1st Baron Dorchester, KB , known between 1776 and 1786 as Sir Guy Carleton, was an Irish-British soldier and administrator...
- Major General Sir George ColleyGeorge Pomeroy ColleyMajor-General Sir George Pomeroy Colley KCSI CB CMG was a British Army officer who became Governor and Commander-in-Chief of Natal and High Commissionerfor South Eastern Africa....
- Lieutenant-General Sir Eyre CooteEyre Coote (East India Company officer)Lieutenant-General Sir Eyre Coote, KB was an Irish soldier. He is best known for his many years of service with the British Army in India. His victory at the Battle of Wandiwash is considered a decisive turning point in the struggle for control in India between British and France...
- General Sir Alan Cunningham
- Admiral of the FleetAdmiral of the Fleet (Royal Navy)Admiral of the fleet is the highest rank of the British Royal Navy and other navies, which equates to the NATO rank code OF-10. The rank still exists in the Royal Navy but routine appointments ceased in 1996....
Lord Cunningham of Hyndhope - Paddy FinucanePaddy FinucaneWing Commander Brendan Eamonn Fergus Finucane DSO, DFC & Two Bars , known as Paddy Finucane, was a Royal Air Force fighter pilot...
- Air Chief MarshalAir Chief MarshalAir chief marshal is a senior 4-star air-officer rank which originated in and continues to be used by the Royal Air Force...
Sir Francis FogartyFrancis FogartyAir Chief Marshal Sir Francis Joseph Fogarty GBE KCB DFC AFC was a senior commander in the Royal Air Force during World War II and also in the post-War years. During World War I he served as a pilot in the Royal Flying Corps... - Field Marshal Viscount GoughHugh Gough, 1st Viscount GoughField Marshal Sir Hugh Gough, 1st Viscount Gough, KP, GCSI, KCB, PC , was an Irish British Army officer. He was said to have commanded in more general actions than any other British officer of the 19th century except the Duke of Wellington.- Early career :Born at Woodstown House, Co...
- Walter Guinness, 1st Baron MoyneWalter Guinness, 1st Baron MoyneWalter Edward Guinness, 1st Baron Moyne DSO & Bar PC was a Anglo-Irish politician and businessman. He served as the British minister of state in the Middle East until November 1944, when he was assassinated by the militant Jewish Zionist group Lehi...
- Major General Sir Charle GwynnCharles GwynnMajor-General Sir Charles William Gwynn KCB, CMG, DSO, FRGS was an Irish born British Army officer, geographer, explorer and author of works on military history and theory.-Military career:...
- Francis Rawdon-Hastings, 1st Marquess of HastingsFrancis Rawdon-Hastings, 1st Marquess of HastingsFrancis Edward Rawdon-Hastings, 1st Marquess of Hastings KG PC , styled The Honourable Francis Rawdon from birth until 1762 and as The Lord Rawdon between 1762 and 1783 and known as The Earl of Moira between 1793 and 1816, was an Irish-British politician and military officer who served as...
- Tom F. HazellTom F. HazellThomas Falcon Hazell DSO, MC, DFC & Bar was a fighter pilot with the Royal Flying Corps, and later, the Royal Air Force during World War I...
- Major General Sir William HickieWilliam Bernard HickieSir William Bernard Hickie was an Irish born Major General of the British Army and an Irish nationalist politician....
- Sir William Johnson, 1st BaronetSir William Johnson, 1st BaronetSir William Johnson, 1st Baronet was an Anglo-Irish official of the British Empire. As a young man, Johnson came to the Province of New York to manage an estate purchased by his uncle, Admiral Peter Warren, which was located amidst the Mohawk, one of the Six Nations of the Iroquois League...
- Brigadier GeneralBrigadier GeneralBrigadier general is a senior rank in the armed forces. It is the lowest ranking general officer in some countries, usually sitting between the ranks of colonel and major general. When appointed to a field command, a brigadier general is typically in command of a brigade consisting of around 4,000...
Richard KaneRichard KaneBrigadier General Richard Kane was a British Army General.-Origins:Born to Thomas O'Cahan and his wife, Margaret Dobbin, at his mother's home in Duneane, County Antrim, Ireland, in December 1662...
- Field Marshal Lord KitchenerHerbert Kitchener, 1st Earl KitchenerField Marshal Horatio Herbert Kitchener, 1st Earl Kitchener KG, KP, GCB, OM, GCSI, GCMG, GCIE, ADC, PC , was an Irish-born British Field Marshal and proconsul who won fame for his imperial campaigns and later played a central role in the early part of the First World War, although he died halfway...
- born in Ireland to English parents - Major General Louis LipsettLouis LipsettMajor General Louis James Lipsett CB, CMG , was a senior officer in the British Army and Canadian Expeditionary Force during the First World War. He commanded the 3rd Canadian Division during some of the bitterest battles of the war, taking over in 1915 after his predecessor was killed...
- Lieutenant General Henry Lyster VCHarry Hammon LysterLieutenant General Harry Hammon Lyster VC, CB was an Anglo-Irish recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth forces.-Details:He was 27 years old and a lieutenant in the 72nd Bengal...
- General Sir Bryan MahonBryan MahonGeneral Sir Bryan Thomas Mahon KCB, KCVO, PC, DSO was a British Army general and Irish Free State Senator.-Military career:Mahon was born at Belleville, County Galway...
- Paddy MaynePaddy MayneLieutenant Colonel Robert Blair "Paddy" Mayne DSO & Three Bars was a Northern Irish soldier, solicitor, Ireland rugby union international, amateur boxer, polar explorer and a founding member of the Special Air Service .-Early life and sporting achievements:Robert Blair "Paddy" Mayne was born in...
- George McElroyGeorge McElroyCaptain George Edward Henry McElroy MC and Two Bars, DFC and Bar was a leading ace fighter pilot of the Royal Flying Corps and Royal Air Force during World War I. He was credited with 47 aerial victories....
- George NapierGeorge Thomas NapierLieutenant-General Sir George Thomas Napier KCB entered the British army in 1800, and served with distinction under Sir John Moore and the Duke Wellington in the Peninsula--and lost his right arm at the storming of Ciudad Rodrigo, where, as a Major in the 52nd Foot, he led the Light Division's...
- Henry NapierHenry Edward Napier-Life:Napier, born on 5 March 1789, was son of Colonel George Napier, younger brother of Sir Charles James Napier, conqueror of Scinde, of Sir George Thomas Napier, governor of the Cape of Good Hope, and of Sir William Francis Patrick Napier, historian and general....
- General Sir William NapierWilliam Francis Patrick NapierGeneral Sir William Francis Patrick Napier KCB , Irish soldier in the British Army and military historian, third son of Colonel George Napier was born at Celbridge, near Dublin.-Military service:...
- Field Marshal James O'Hara
- Admiral Sir Robert OtwayRobert OtwayAdmiral Sir Robert Waller Otway, 1st Baronet, GCB was a senior Royal Navy officer of the early nineteenth century who served extensively as a sea captain during the Napoleonic War and later supported the Brazilian cause during the Brazilian War of Independence...
- Admiral of the FleetAdmiral of the Fleet (Royal Navy)Admiral of the fleet is the highest rank of the British Royal Navy and other navies, which equates to the NATO rank code OF-10. The rank still exists in the Royal Navy but routine appointments ceased in 1996....
Sir Frederick RichardsFrederick RichardsAdmiral of the Fleet Sir Frederick William Richards GCB was the British First Naval Lord from 1893 to 1899.-Early life:... - Admiral of the FleetAdmiral of the Fleet (Royal Navy)Admiral of the fleet is the highest rank of the British Royal Navy and other navies, which equates to the NATO rank code OF-10. The rank still exists in the Royal Navy but routine appointments ceased in 1996....
Sir John de RobeckJohn de RobeckAdmiral of the Fleet Sir John Michael de Robeck, 1st Baronet GCB, GCMG, GCVO was an admiral in the British Royal Navy who commanded the Allied naval force in the Dardanelles during World War I.... - Eric Dorman-SmithEric Dorman-SmithEric Edward Dorman-Smith , later de-Anglicised to Eric Edward Dorman O'Gowan, was a British Army soldier who served with distinction in World War I, and then seems to have become something of a bête noire to the British military establishment because of his lively mind, and unorthodox...
- Admiral Sir Peter Warren
- Field Marshal The Duke of WellingtonArthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of WellingtonField Marshal Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington, KG, GCB, GCH, PC, FRS , was an Irish-born British soldier and statesman, and one of the leading military and political figures of the 19th century...
- Field Marshal Sir Henry Wilson MPMember of ParliamentA Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
- Field Marshal Lord WolseleyGarnet Wolseley, 1st Viscount WolseleyField Marshal Garnet Joseph Wolseley, 1st Viscount Wolseley, KP, GCB, OM, GCMG, VD, PC was an Anglo-Irish officer in the British Army. He served in Burma, the Crimean War, the Indian Mutiny, China, Canada, and widely throughout Africa—including his Ashanti campaign and the Nile Expedition...
Others were not born in Ireland, but were born of Irish parents, such as:-
- Field Marshal Lord AlanbrookeAlan Brooke, 1st Viscount AlanbrookeField Marshal The Rt. Hon. Alan Francis Brooke, 1st Viscount Alanbrooke, KG, GCB, OM, GCVO, DSO & Bar , was a senior commander in the British Army. He was the Chief of the Imperial General Staff during the Second World War, and was promoted to Field Marshal in 1944...
- Field Marshal Lord Alexander of TunisHarold Alexander, 1st Earl Alexander of TunisField Marshal Harold Rupert Leofric George Alexander, 1st Earl Alexander of Tunis was a British military commander and field marshal of Anglo-Irish descent who served with distinction in both world wars and, afterwards, as Governor General of Canada, the 17th since Canadian...
- General Sir Miles DempseyMiles DempseyGeneral Sir Miles Christopher Dempsey, GBE, KCB, DSO, MC was commander of the British Second Army during the D-Day landings in the Second World War...
- Field Marshal Lord GortJohn Vereker, 6th Viscount GortField Marshal John Standish Surtees Prendergast Vereker, 6th Viscount Gort, VC, GCB, CBE, DSO & Two Bars, MVO, MC , was a British and Anglo-Irish soldier. As a young officer in World War I he won the Victoria Cross at the Battle of the Canal du Nord. During the 1930s he served as Chief of the...
VCVictoria CrossThe Victoria Cross is the highest military decoration awarded for valour "in the face of the enemy" to members of the armed forces of various Commonwealth countries, and previous British Empire territories.... - Field Marshal Lord LambartFrederick Lambart, 10th Earl of CavanField Marshal Frederick Rudolph Lambart, 10th Earl of Cavan, KP, GCB, GCMG, GCVO, GBE was a British Army officer and Chief of the Imperial General Staff.-Army career:...
- Field Marshal Lord Montgomery
- General Sir Richard O'ConnorRichard O'ConnorGeneral Sir Richard Nugent O'Connor KT, GCB, DSO & Bar, MC, ADC was a British Army general who commanded the Western Desert Force in the early years of World War II...
- General Charles O'HaraCharles O'HaraGeneral Charles O'Hara was a British military officer who served in the Seven Years War, American War of Independence, and French Revolutionary War, and later served as Governor of Gibraltar...
- General Sir Edward QuinanEdward QuinanGeneral Sir Edward Pellew Quinan KCB, KCIE, DSO, OBE was a British army commander during the Second World War. In the early part of his career, he was involved in Indian Army campaigns in Afghanistan and Waziristan on the North West Frontier of the Indian Empire, also known as the British Raj...
- Field Marshal Lord RobertsFrederick Roberts, 1st Earl RobertsField Marshal Frederick Sleigh Roberts, 1st Earl Roberts, Bt, VC, KG, KP, GCB, OM, GCSI, GCIE, KStJ, PC was a distinguished Indian born British soldier who regarded himself as Anglo-Irish and one of the most successful British commanders of the 19th century.-Early life:Born at Cawnpore, India, on...
Victoria Cross recipients:-
The Victoria Cross
Victoria Cross
The Victoria Cross is the highest military decoration awarded for valour "in the face of the enemy" to members of the armed forces of various Commonwealth countries, and previous British Empire territories....
, the British Army’s highest award for valour, has been awarded to 188 persons who were born in Ireland or had full Irish parentage. Of these 30 were awarded in the Crimean War
Crimean War
The Crimean War was a conflict fought between the Russian Empire and an alliance of the French Empire, the British Empire, the Ottoman Empire, and the Kingdom of Sardinia. The war was part of a long-running contest between the major European powers for influence over territories of the declining...
, 52 in the Indian Mutiny, and 46 Irish VCs in numerous other British Empire
British Empire
The British Empire comprised the dominions, colonies, protectorates, mandates and other territories ruled or administered by the United Kingdom. It originated with the overseas colonies and trading posts established by England in the late 16th and early 17th centuries. At its height, it was the...
campaigns between 1857 to 1914. In the 20th century, 37 Irish VCs were awarded in World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
, and eight in World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
.
'Irish' named units of the British Army
- The Volunteers of IrelandVolunteers of IrelandThe Volunteers of Ireland was a British provincial military unit during the American Revolutionary War which was added to the British regular army....
1777-82, renamed the 105th Regiment of Foot - 4th Royal Irish Dragoon Guards4th Royal Irish Dragoon GuardsThe 4th Royal Irish Dragoon Guards was a cavalry regiment in the British Army, first raised in 1685. It saw service for three centuries, before being amalgamated into the 4th/7th Dragoon Guards in 1922....
, amalgamated 1922. - 5th Royal Irish Lancers5th Royal Irish LancersThe 5th Royal Irish Lancers was a cavalry regiment of the British army originally formed in 1689 as James Wynne's Regiment of Dragoons.They fought in the Battle of the Boyne and at the Battle of Aughrim under William of Orange...
, disbanded in 1921, reconstituted and amalgamated in 1922. - 8th King's Royal Irish Hussars8th King's Royal Irish HussarsThe 8th King's Royal Irish Hussars was a cavalry regiment in the British Army, first raised in 1693. It saw service for three centuries, before being amalgamated into The Queen's Royal Irish Hussars in 1958....
, amalgamated 1958. - Queen's Royal Irish HussarsQueen's Royal Irish HussarsThe Queen's Royal Irish Hussars, abbreviated as QRIH, was a cavalry regiment of the British Army formed from the amalgamation of the 4th Queen's Own Hussars and the 8th King's Royal Irish Hussars in Hohne, West Germany in 1958....
, created 1958, amalgamated 1993. - North Irish HorseNorth Irish HorseThe North Irish Horse is a yeomanry unit of the British Territorial Army raised in the northern counties of Ireland in the aftermath of the Second Boer War...
- Irish GuardsIrish GuardsThe Irish Guards , part of the Guards Division, is a Foot Guards regiment of the British Army.Along with the Royal Irish Regiment, it is one of the two Irish regiments remaining in the British Army. The Irish Guards recruit in Northern Ireland and the Irish neighbourhoods of major British cities...
- Royal Inniskilling FusiliersRoyal Inniskilling FusiliersThe Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers was a Irish infantry regiment of the British Army formed in 1881 by the amalgamation of the 27th Regiment of Foot and the 108th Regiment of Foot...
, amalgamated 1968 - Royal Irish FusiliersRoyal Irish FusiliersThe Royal Irish Fusiliers was an Irish infantry regiment of the British Army, formed by the amalgamation of the 87th Regiment of Foot and the 89th Regiment of Foot in 1881. The regiment's first title in 1881 was Princess Victoria's , changed in 1920 to The Royal Irish Fusiliers...
, amalgamated 1968
- Royal Irish RiflesRoyal Ulster RiflesThe Royal Ulster Rifles was a British Army infantry regiment. It saw service in the Second Boer War, Great War, the Second World War and the Korean War, before being amalgamated into the Royal Irish Rangers in 1968.-History:...
, amalgamated 1968 - Royal Ulster Rifles, amalgamated 1968.
- Royal Irish RangersRoyal Irish RangersThe Royal Irish Rangers was a regular infantry regiment of the British Army.-Creation:...
, created 1968, amalgamated 1992 - Royal Irish Regiment (1992)
- Tyneside Irish BrigadeTyneside Irish BrigadeThe Tyneside Irish Brigade was a British First World War infantry brigade of Kitchener's Army, raised in 1914. Officially numbered the 103rd Brigade, it contained four Pals battalions from Newcastle-upon-Tyne, largely made up of men of Irish extraction...
, disbanded 1918. - London Irish RiflesLondon Irish RiflesThe London Irish Rifles is now known more formally known as "D Company, London Regiment" and is a volunteer Rifle Regiment with a distinguished history...
, amalgamated 1992 - Liverpool IrishLiverpool IrishThe Liverpool Irish is a unit of the British Territorial Army, raised in 1860 as a volunteer corps of infantry. Conversion to an anti-aircraft regiment occurred in 1947, but the regimental status of the Liverpool Irish ceased in 1955 upon reduction to a battery...
. - Royal Irish ArtilleryRoyal Irish ArtilleryThe Royal Irish Artillery was an Irish regiment of the British army in the 18th century. It was formed in 1755 as The Artillery Company of Ireland. The name was changed in 1760 to The Royal Regiment of Irish Artillery...
, amalgamated 1801.
Following the establishment of the independent Irish Free State
Irish Free State
The Irish Free State was the state established as a Dominion on 6 December 1922 under the Anglo-Irish Treaty, signed by the British government and Irish representatives exactly twelve months beforehand...
in 1922, the five regiments that had their traditional recruiting grounds in the counties of the new state were disbanded. They were:
- Connaught Rangers, disbanded 1922
- Leinster RegimentPrince of Wales's Leinster RegimentThe Prince of Wales's Leinster Regiment was an infantry regiment of the line in the British Army, formed in 1881 by the amalgamation of the 100th Regiment of Foot and the 109th Regiment of Foot...
, disbanded 1922 - Royal Dublin Fusiliers, disbanded 1922
- Royal Irish Regiment (1684-1922)Royal Irish Regiment (1684-1922)The Royal Irish Regiment, until 1881 the 18th Regiment of Foot, was an infantry regiment of the line in the British Army, first raised in 1684. Also known as the 18th Regiment of Foot and the 18th Regiment of Foot, it was one of eight Irish regiments raised largely in Ireland, its home depot in...
, disbanded 1922 - Royal Munster FusiliersRoyal Munster FusiliersThe Royal Munster Fusiliers was a regular infantry regiment of the British Army. One of eight Irish regiments raised largely in Ireland, it had its home depot in Tralee. It was originally formed in 1881 by the amalgamation of two regiments of the former East India Company. It served in India and...
, disbanded 1922 and the - South Irish HorseSouth Irish HorseThe South Irish Horse was a Territorial Yeomanry regiment of the British Army. Formed on the 2nd January 1902 as the South of Ireland Imperial Yeomanry. It was renamed as the South Irish Horse from 7 July 1908 and transferred to the Special Reserve...
, disbanded 1922
The Irish Guards
Irish Guards
The Irish Guards , part of the Guards Division, is a Foot Guards regiment of the British Army.Along with the Royal Irish Regiment, it is one of the two Irish regiments remaining in the British Army. The Irish Guards recruit in Northern Ireland and the Irish neighbourhoods of major British cities...
continue to recruit from the Republic of Ireland
Republic of Ireland
Ireland , described as the Republic of Ireland , is a sovereign state in Europe occupying approximately five-sixths of the island of the same name. Its capital is Dublin. Ireland, which had a population of 4.58 million in 2011, is a constitutional republic governed as a parliamentary democracy,...
. Prince William, Colonel of the Regiment, was married (29 April 2011) wearing the Irish Guards Mounted Officer red tunic and the Forage cap bearing the Insignia of the Irish Guards, the eight-pointed Star of the Most Illustrious Order of St. Patrick
Order of St. Patrick
The Most Illustrious Order of Saint Patrick is a British order of chivalry associated with Ireland. The Order was created in 1783 by George III. The regular creation of knights of Saint Patrick lasted until 1921, when most of Ireland became independent as the Irish Free State...
, and the regiment’s felicitous motto: Quis Separabit? (Who shall separate us?).
Canada
The only unit to fight was The Irish Regiment of Canada in World War II. They also perpetuate the active service of the 1st Canadian Machine Gun Battalion from World War I plus the indirect service of the 190th (Sportsmen) Battalion, CEF and the 208th (Canadian Irish) Battalion, CEF. Served as 1915 110th Irish Regiment; 1920 – The Irish Regiment; 1932 – The Irish Regiment of Canada; 1936 – The Irish Regiment of Canada (MG); 1940 – The Irish Regiment of Canada.The Irish Fusiliers of Canada (Vancouver Regiment) perpetuated the World War I active service of the 29th (Vancouver) Battalion, CEF plus the indirect service of the 121st (Western Irish) Battalion, CEF and the 158th (Duke of Connaught's Own) Battalion, CEF. Served as 1913 – 11th Regiment, Irish Fusiliers of Canada; 1920 – The Irish Fusiliers of Canada; 1936 – The Irish Fusiliers of Canada (Vancouver Regiment); 1946 – 65th Light Anti-Aircraft Regiment (Irish Fusiliers); 1958 – The Irish Fusiliers of Canada (Vancouver Regiment); 1965 – placed on the Supplementary Order of Battle
Supplementary Order of Battle
In Canada, a regiment is placed on the Supplementary Order of Battle when the need for the regiments existence is no longer relevant. When placed on the Supplementary Order of Battle, a regiment is considered "virtually disbanded", and will only be reformed should the need be dire...
; 2002 – amalgamated with The British Columbia Regiment (Duke of Connaught's Own).
The Irish Canadian Rangers perpetuated the indirect service of the 199th (Duchess of Connaught's Own Irish Rangers) Battalion, CEF. Served as 1914 – 55th Irish Canadian Rangers; 1920 – The Irish Canadian Rangers; 1936 – disbanded.
The 218th (Edmonton Irish Guards) Battalion, CEF lacks perpetuation. The colonel had Irish ancestry but the largest group of the troops were recent eastern European immigrants from the fringes of the Austro-Hungarian Empire who spoke Ukrainian but would have had Hungarian citizenship. Combined with the 211th (Alberta Americans) Battalion, CEF, to form the 8th Battalion, Canadian Railway Troops, which served in France building and maintaining railroads.
'Irish' named units of the Canadian Army
- The Irish Canadian Rangers
- The Irish Fusiliers of Canada (Vancouver Regiment)
- The Irish Regiment of CanadaThe Irish Regiment of Canada2nd Battalion, The Irish Regiment of Canada is a Primary Reserve infantry regiment of the Canadian Forces based in Sudbury, Ontario. The 1st Battalion was reduced to nil strength and placed on the Supplemental Order of Battle on 31 December 1964....
- 121st (Western Irish) Battalion, CEF121st (Western Irish) Battalion, CEFThe 121st Battalion, CEF was a unit in the Canadian Expeditionary Force during the First World War. Based in New Westminster, British Columbia, the unit began recruiting in late 1915 in that city. After sailing to England in August 1916, the battalion was absorbed into the 16th Reserve Battalion...
- 199th (Duchess of Connaught's Own Irish Rangers) Battalion, CEF199th (Duchess of Connaught's Own Irish Rangers) Battalion, CEFThe 199th Battalion, CEF was a unit in the Canadian Expeditionary Force during the First World War. Based in Montreal, Quebec, the unit began recruiting during the winter of 1915/16 in that city. After sailing to England in December 1916, the battalion was absorbed into the 23rd Reserve...
- 208th (Canadian Irish) Battalion, CEF208th (Canadian Irish) Battalion, CEFThe 208th Battalion, CEF was a unit in the Canadian Expeditionary Force during the First World War. Based in Toronto, Ontario, the unit began recruiting during the winter of 1915/16 in that city and the surrounding district. After sailing to England in May 1917, the battalion was absorbed into...
- 218th (Edmonton Irish Guards) Battalion, CEF
France
- Patrice MacMahon - General and President
- Gérard de Lally-Tollendal - General commander in chief of the French Armies in India
- Arthur Dillon - General
- Henri Jacques Guillaume ClarkeHenri Jacques Guillaume ClarkeHenri-Jacques-Guillaume Clarke, 1st Count of Hunebourg, 1st Duke of Feltre , born in Landrecies, was a Marshal of France and French politician of Irish descent.Clarke entered the French army in 1782...
- Marshal of France - Henri D'Alton - General
- Jacques LauristonJacques LauristonJacques Alexandre Bernard Law, marquis de Lauriston was a French soldier and diplomat of Scottish descent, the son of Jacques François Law de Lauriston , and a general officer in the French army during the Napoleonic Wars. He was born in Pondicherry in India...
- General - Jacques Law, Marquis of Lauriston - Charles Edward Jennings de Kilmaine
'Irish' named units of the French Army
- Kingdom of FranceKingdom of FranceThe Kingdom of France was one of the most powerful states to exist in Europe during the second millennium.It originated from the Western portion of the Frankish empire, and consolidated significant power and influence over the next thousand years. Louis XIV, also known as the Sun King, developed a...
- Irish BrigadeIrish Brigade (French)The Irish Brigade was a brigade in the French army composed of Irish exiles, led by Robert Reid. It was formed in May 1690 when five Jacobite regiments were sent from Ireland to France in return for a larger force of French infantry who were sent to fight in the Williamite war in Ireland...
Some of these were formally incorporated into the 18th century French Army array, while others were "Wild Geese"Flight of the Wild GeeseThe Flight of the Wild Geese refers to the departure of an Irish Jacobite army under the command of Patrick Sarsfield from Ireland to France, as agreed in the Treaty of Limerick on October 3, 1691, following the end of the Williamite War in Ireland...
- Régiment de Albemarle (1698–1703)(renamed Régiment de Fitzgerald)
- Régiment de Athlone
- Régiment de Berwick (1698–1775)(to Régiment de Clare)
- 2nd Battalion (1703–1715)(to 1st Battalion and Régiment de Roth)
- Régiment de Botagh
- Régiment de Bourke (1698–1715)(renamed Régiment de Wauchop)
- Régiment de Bulkeley
- Régiment de Butler (1689–1690)
- Régiment de Charlemont
- Régiment de Clare
- Régiment de Clancarty
- Régiment de DillonDillon RegimentThe Dillon's Regiment was first raised in Ireland in 1688 by Theobald, 7th Viscount Dillon for the Jacobite side in the Williamite War. He was then killed at the Battle of Aughrim in 1691....
(1698–1733)(Renamed Régiment de Lee) - Régiment de Dorrington (1698 - )(renamed Régiment de Roth)
- Régiment de Dublin
- Régiment de FeildingRobert FieldingRobert Fielding was an English bigamist and rake in the late 17th and early 18th centuries...
(1689–1690) - Régiment de Fitzgerald (1703–1708)(remamed Régiment de O'Donnell)
- Régiment de Fitzgorman
- Régiment de Galmoy (1698–1715)(to Régiment de Dillon)
- Régiment de Lally
- Régiment de Lee (1733 -)
- Régiment de Limerick
- Régiment de Mountcashel (1698 - )(renamed Régiment de Lee)
- Régiment de MacElligott
- Régiment de O'Brien
- Régiment de O'Donnell (1708–1715)(to Régiment de Clare)
- Régiment de Roscommon
- Régiment de Roth (or Rooth)(renamed Régiment de Walsh)
- Régiment de Walsh (renamed fro Régiment de Roth)
- Régiment de Wauchop (1715)(to Spain)
- Fitzjame's Horse
- Galmoy's Horse
- Kilmallock's Dragoons
- O'Gara's Dragoons
- Nugent's Horse (renamed Fitzjame's Horse)
- Sheldon's Horse (1698 - )(remamed Nigent's Horse)
- First French EmpireFirst French EmpireThe First French Empire , also known as the Greater French Empire or Napoleonic Empire, was the empire of Napoleon I of France...
- Irish LegionIrish LegionThe Irish Legion was a French battalion established in 1803 for a future invasion of Ireland. It was later expanded to a Regiment and won distinction in the Walcheren Expedition and the Peninsular War...
(1803-1815)
Germany
In the First World War Imperial GermanyGerman Empire
The German Empire refers to Germany during the "Second Reich" period from the unification of Germany and proclamation of Wilhelm I as German Emperor on 18 January 1871, to 1918, when it became a federal republic after defeat in World War I and the abdication of the Emperor, Wilhelm II.The German...
tried with the help of Roger Casement
Roger Casement
Roger David Casement —Sir Roger Casement CMG between 1911 and shortly before his execution for treason, when he was stripped of his British honours—was an Irish patriot, poet, revolutionary, and nationalist....
to recruit an "Irish Brigade" from Irish-born prisoners of war in the British Army. By 1916 only 52 men had volunteered, and the plan was abandoned.
In the Second World War a smaller number volunteered to join the Wehrmacht
Wehrmacht
The Wehrmacht – from , to defend and , the might/power) were the unified armed forces of Nazi Germany from 1935 to 1945. It consisted of the Heer , the Kriegsmarine and the Luftwaffe .-Origin and use of the term:...
and were trained at Friesack Camp
Friesack Camp
Friesack Camp or Camp Friesack is a name commonly used to refer to a special World War II POW camp where a group of Irishmen serving in the British Army volunteered for recruitment and selection by Abwehr II and the German Army. The camp was designated Stalag XX A and located in the Friesack...
. Separately some IRA
Irish Republican Army (1922–1969)
The original Irish Republican Army fought a guerrilla war against British rule in Ireland in the Irish War of Independence 1919–1921. Following the signing of the Anglo-Irish Treaty on 6 December 1921, the IRA in the 26 counties that were to become the Irish Free State split between supporters and...
sympathisers planned certain operations with the Abwehr
Abwehr
The Abwehr was a German military intelligence organisation from 1921 to 1944. The term Abwehr was used as a concession to Allied demands that Germany's post-World War I intelligence activities be for "defensive" purposes only...
that were generally unsuccessful.
Latin America
- Daniel Florencio O'LearyDaniel Florencio O'LearyDaniel Florence O'Leary was a military general and aide-de-camp under Simón Bolívar. He was born in Cork, Ireland; his father was Jeremiah O'Leary, a butter merchant...
- aide de camp to BolívarSimón BolívarSimón José Antonio de la Santísima Trinidad Bolívar y Palacios Ponte y Yeiter, commonly known as Simón Bolívar was a Venezuelan military and political leader...
in Venezuela - William Brown (admiral)William Brown (admiral)Admiral William Brown was an Irish-born Argentine Admiral. Brown's victories in the Independence War, the Argentina-Brazil War, and the Anglo-French blockade of the Río de la Plata earned the respect and appreciation of the Argentine people, and today he is regarded as one of Argentina's national...
- "Father of the Argentine Navy" - William LamportWilliam LamportWilliam Lamport was an Irish Mexican Catholic adventurer who according to at least one historian gained a nickname of El Zorro, the Fox, due to his exploits in Mexico. The attribution of the nickname, however, is disputed.-Birth and education:...
- nicknamed El Zorro, the Fox, due to his exploits in Mexico - Saint Patrick's BattalionSaint Patrick's BattalionThe Saint Patrick's Battalion , formed and led by Jon Riley, was a unit of 175 to several hundred immigrants and expatriates of European descent who fought as part of the Mexican Army against the United States in the Mexican-American War of 1846 to 1848. Most of the battalion's members had...
- A unit of Irish immigrants forming part of the Mexican Army during the Mexican-American War (1846–48). - Alexander O'Reilly - General, "Father of the Puerto Rican Militia",
- Juan MacKennaJuan MackennaBrigadier Juan Mackenna was an Irish-born, Chilean military officer and hero of the Chilean War of Independence. He is considered to have been the creator of the Corps of Military Engineers of the Chilean Army....
- Founder of the Military Corps of Engineers of the Chilean Army. - Jorge O'Brien - Captain of the Chilean Navy during the Chilean War of Independence.
- Ambrosio O'HigginsAmbrosio O'Higgins, Marquis of OsornoAmbrosio Bernardo O'Higgins, 1st Marquis of Osorno born Ambrose Bernard O'Higgins , was a member of the O'Higgins family and an Irish-born Spanish colonial administrator...
- Colonial administrator and military governor of Chile (1788–1796), father of Bernardo O'Higgins - Bernardo O'HigginsBernardo O'HigginsBernardo O'Higgins Riquelme was a Chilean independence leader who, together with José de San Martín, freed Chile from Spanish rule in the Chilean War of Independence. Although he was the second Supreme Director of Chile , he is considered one of Chile's founding fathers, as he was the first holder...
- first Chilean head of state (Supreme Director, 1817–23), commanded the military forces that won independence from Spain. - Patricio LynchPatricio LynchPatricio Javier de los Dolores Lynch y Solo de Zaldívar was a Lieutenant in the Royal Navy and a Rear Admiral in the Chilean navy, and one of the principal figures of the later stages of the War of the Pacific...
- Admiral of the Chilean navy - Che GuevaraChe GuevaraErnesto "Che" Guevara , commonly known as el Che or simply Che, was an Argentine Marxist revolutionary, physician, author, intellectual, guerrilla leader, diplomat and military theorist...
- Revolutionary - Peter (Pedro) CampbellPeter Campbell (naval officer)Peter Campbell, born in Tipperary, founded the Uruguayan Navy....
- the Irish-born founder of the Uruguayan Navy (see Pedro Campbell for detailed information.)
'Irish' named units in Latin American
- 1st Venezuelan Rifles1st Venezuelan RiflesThe 1st Venezuelan Rifles was a nominally Irish regiment that took part in the Venezuelan War of Independence. Commanded by Colonel Donald Campbell, a Scottish Protestant, its core was British-recruited and its ranks were filled out with criolles and Caribbean natives...
- Saint Patrick's BattalionSaint Patrick's BattalionThe Saint Patrick's Battalion , formed and led by Jon Riley, was a unit of 175 to several hundred immigrants and expatriates of European descent who fought as part of the Mexican Army against the United States in the Mexican-American War of 1846 to 1848. Most of the battalion's members had...
- Irish American battalion that fought for Mexico in the Mexican American War
Papal States
An Irish Brigade led by Myles O'Reilly attempted to save the Papal StatesPapal States
The Papal State, State of the Church, or Pontifical States were among the major historical states of Italy from roughly the 6th century until the Italian peninsula was unified in 1861 by the Kingdom of Piedmont-Sardinia .The Papal States comprised territories under...
in 1859-60 during the Second Italian War of Independence
Second Italian War of Independence
The Second War of Italian Independence, Franco-Austrian War, Austro-Sardinian War, or Austro-Piedmontese War , was fought by Napoleon III of France and the Kingdom of Piedmont-Sardinia against the Austrian Empire in 1859...
.
'Irish' named units in South Africa
- Cape Town Irish Volunteer RiflesCape Town Irish Volunteer RiflesThe Cape Town Irish Volunteer Rifles were a volunteer part-time military unit, which existed for a few years in late Victorian South Africa.The unit was formed in Cape Town in 1885, in response to fears of a war between the United Kingdom and Russia....
- South African Irish RegimentSouth African Irish RegimentThe South African Irish Regiment is an infantry regiment of the South African Army. As a reserve unit, it has a status roughly equivalent to that of a British Territorial Army or United States Army National Guard unit.-Origins:...
- Irish Boer commandosIrish commandosTwo units of Irish commandos fought alongside the Boers against the British forces during the Second Boer War -Irish Transvaal Brigade:John MacBride, a friend of Arthur Griffith's, organised the Irish Transvaal Brigade...
- Irish Transvaal Brigade
- 2nd Irish Brigade
Spain
- Hugh Dubh O'NeillHugh Dubh O'NeillHugh Dubh O'Neill, 5th Earl of Tyrone was an Irish soldier of the seventeenth century. He is best known for his participation in the Irish Confederate Wars and in particular his defence of Clonmel in 1650.O'Neill was a member of the O'Neill dynasty, the leaders of which fled Ireland in the flight...
- Field Marshal Alejandro O'ReillyAlejandro O'ReillyAlejandro O'Reilly , was a military reformer and Inspector-General of Infantry for the Spanish Empire in the second half of the 18th century...
- Juan O'DonojúJuan O'DonojúJuan O'Donojú y O'Rian was a Spanish military officer and jefe político superior of New Spain from July 21, 1821 to September 28, 1821, during Mexico's war of independence...
- Joaquín Blake y JoyesJoaquín Blake y JoyesJoaquín Blake y Joyes was a Spanish military officer who served with distinction in the French Revolutionary and Peninsular wars.-Early military career:...
- Ricardo Wall
- Leopoldo O'Donnell y JorrisLeopoldo O'Donnell, 1st Duke of TetuanDon Leopoldo O'Donnell y Jorris, 1st Duke of Tetuan, 1st Count of Lucena, 1st Viscount of Aliaga, Grandee of Spain, , was a Spanish general and statesman...
- Carlos Luis O'Donnell y Jorris
- Ambrosio O'Higgins
Spanish Civil War
- Frank RyanFrank Ryan (Irish republican)Frank Ryan was a prominent member of the Irish Republican Army, editor of An Phoblacht, leftist activist and leader of Irish volunteers on the Republican side in the Spanish Civil War....
- Eoin O'DuffyEoin O'DuffyEoin O'Duffy was in succession a Teachta Dála , the Chief of Staff of the Irish Republican Army , the second Commissioner of the Garda Síochána, leader of the Army Comrades Association and then the first leader of Fine Gael , before leading the Irish Brigade to fight for Francisco Franco during...
'Irish' named units in Spain
Historical- Regimento de Infanteria de Hibernia (1705 - )
- Regimento de Infanteria de Irlanda (1702 - )
- Regimento de Infanteria de Limerick (1718 - )
- Regimento de Infanteria de Ultonia (1718 - )
- Regimento de Infanteria de Wauchop (1715 - )
- Regimento de Infanteria de Waterford (1718 - )
- Dragones de Dublin (1701–1722)
Spanish Cvil War (1936–1939)
- Connolly ColumnConnolly ColumnThe Connolly Column was the name given to the Irish volunteers who fought for the Second Spanish Republic in the International Brigades during the Spanish Civil War. They were named after James Connolly, the executed leader of the Irish Citizen Army...
- Irish Brigade (Spanish Civil War)Irish Brigade (Spanish Civil War)The Irish Brigade , fought on the Nationalist side of Francisco Franco during the Spanish Civil War. The unit was formed wholly of Roman Catholics by the politician Eoin O'Duffy, who had previously organised the banned quasi-fascist Blueshirts and openly fascist Greenshirts in Ireland...
- Irish Socialist VolunteersIrish Socialist Volunteers in the Spanish Civil WarIrish Socialist volunteers in the Spanish Civil War describes a grouping of IRA members and Irish Socialists who fought in support the cause of the Second Republic during the Spanish Civil War. These volunteers were taken from both Irish Republican and Unionist political backgrounds but were bonded...
United States of America
- Michael Corcoran, General in the Union ArmyMichael CorcoranMichael Corcoran was an Irish American general in the Union Army during the American Civil War and a close confidant of President Abraham Lincoln. As its colonel, he led the 69th New York regiment to Washington, D.C. and was one of the first to serve in the defense of Washington by building Fort...
- Philip SheridanPhilip SheridanPhilip Henry Sheridan was a career United States Army officer and a Union general in the American Civil War. His career was noted for his rapid rise to major general and his close association with Lt. Gen. Ulysses S...
, General in the Union Army - Jeremiah O'BrienJeremiah O'BrienCaptain Jeremiah O’Brien was a captain in the Massachusetts State Navy. Prior to its existence Captain Jeremiah O’Brien (1744–1818) was a captain in the Massachusetts State Navy. Prior to its existence Captain Jeremiah O’Brien (1744–1818) was a captain in the Massachusetts State...
- Thomas Francis MeagherThomas Francis Meagher-Young Ireland:Meagher returned to Ireland in 1843, with undecided plans for a career in the Austrian army, a tradition among a number of Irish families. In 1844 he traveled to Dublin with the intention of studying for the bar. He became involved in the Repeal Association, which worked for repeal...
- Commodore John Barry "Father of the American Navy"John Barry (naval officer)John Barry was an officer in the Continental Navy during the American Revolutionary War and later in the United States Navy. He is often credited as "The Father of the American Navy"...
- Myles Walter Keogh
Confederate States of America
- Patrick CleburnePatrick CleburnePatrick Ronayne Cleburne was an Irish American soldier, best known for his service in the Confederate States Army during the American Civil War, where he rose to the rank of major general....
- John MitchelJohn MitchelJohn Mitchel was an Irish nationalist activist, solicitor and political journalist. Born in Camnish, near Dungiven, County Londonderry, Ireland he became a leading member of both Young Ireland and the Irish Confederation...
- Richard W. DowlingRichard W. DowlingRichard William "Dick" Dowling was the victorious commander at the Second Battle of Sabine Pass in the American Civil War, and is considered Houston, Texas's first prominent citizen and hero.-Biography:...
'Irish' named units in the United States
Many of these units have their origins from the participation of Irish-Americans in the American Civil WarIrish-Americans in the American Civil War
Due to the number of Irish immigrants to the Industrial Revolution-era United States, Irish-American participation in the American Civil War was commonplace.- Pre-1861 Irish immigration :...
.
- Incomplete
American Revolution
American Revolution
The American Revolution was the political upheaval during the last half of the 18th century in which thirteen colonies in North America joined together to break free from the British Empire, combining to become the United States of America...
Loyalists
Loyalist (American Revolution)
Loyalists were American colonists who remained loyal to the Kingdom of Great Britain during the American Revolutionary War. At the time they were often called Tories, Royalists, or King's Men. They were opposed by the Patriots, those who supported the revolution...
-
- Loyal Irish Volunteers
- 2nd American Regiment (Volunteers of IrelandVolunteers of IrelandThe Volunteers of Ireland was a British provincial military unit during the American Revolutionary War which was added to the British regular army....
) later the 105th Regiment of Foot (British Army)
American Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
Union Army
Union Army
The Union Army was the land force that fought for the Union during the American Civil War. It was also known as the Federal Army, the U.S. Army, the Northern Army and the National Army...
- 9th Connecticut Infantry9th Connecticut InfantryThe 9th Regiment Connecticut Volunteers was a volunteer infantry regiment in the Union Army during the American Civil War. It was established in September 1861 as an Irish regiment, composed mainly of soldiers born in Ireland or first generation Irish Americans...
- 7th Missouri Volunteer Infantry (US)
- 8th Missouri Volunteer Infantry (US)8th Missouri Volunteer InfantryThe 8th Missouri Volunteer Infantry was an infantry regiment in the Union army during the American Civil War. Among its early leaders were Morgan Lewis Smith and Giles Alexander Smith, both of whom later became generals....
- 9th Massachusetts Infantry Regiment
- 10th Ohio Volunteer Infantry10th Ohio InfantryThe 10th Ohio Volunteer Infantry was an infantry regiment in the Union Army during the American Civil War. The regiment was also known as the Montgomery Regiment and the Bloody Tenth...
- 10th Tennessee Volunteer Infantry10th Regiment Tennessee Volunteer InfantryThe 10th Regiment Tennessee Volunteer Infantry was an infantry regiment that served in the Union Army during the American Civil War. It was originally recruited and designated as the 1st Middle Tennessee Infantry, largely from Irish-Americans.-Service:...
(formerly 1st Middle Tennessee Volunteer Infantry) - 23rd Illinois Voluteer Infantry
- 28th Massachusetts Infantry28th Massachusetts Infantry regimentThe 28th Massachusetts Infantry regiment was the second primarily Irish American volunteer infantry regiment recruited in Massachusetts for service in the American Civil War. The regiment's motto was Faugh a Ballagh ...
- 30th Missouri Volunteer Infantry
- 35th Indiana Volunteer Infantry35th Regiment Indiana Infantry- History :The 35th Regiment Indiana Infantry was organized on December 11, 1861 during the American Civil War, and mustered out October 23, 1865...
("1st Irish") - 37th New York Volunteer Infantry ("The Irish Rifles")
- 42nd New York Volunteer Infantry ("Tammany Jackson Guard")
- 63rd New York Volunteer Infantry63rd New York InfantryThe 63rd New York Infantry was a Union Army regiment in the Irish Brigade during the American Civil War. It served in some of the leading campaigns and battles of the Army of the Potomac in the Eastern Theater of operations....
- 69th New York Volunteer Infantry69th Infantry Regiment (United States)The 69th Infantry Regiment was a Regular Army infantry regiment in the United States Army.-History:There have been three different lineages started under this number: The Famous 69th Infantry Regiment , and two under the Federal designation....
("Fighting 69th") - 88th New York Volunteer Infantry88th New York InfantryThe 88th New York Infantry was a volunteer regiment in the Union Army's Irish Brigade during the American Civil War.-1861:The regiment was mustered into service in the autumn of 1861 at Fort Schuyler in New York when the government approved the commissioning of an Irish Brigade...
- 99th New York Volunteer Infantry
- 116th Pennsylvania Volunteer Infantry
- 164th New York Volunteer Infantry ("Corcoran's Irish Zouaves")
- Irish Brigade (U.S.)
Confederate Army
- 1st Irish Battalion, Virginia Infantry Regulars1st Virginia Infantry BattalionThe 1st Battalion, Virginia Infantry Regulars, also known as the Irish Battalion, was raised in Virginia for service in the Confederate States Army during the American Civil War and, served as infantry. It fought mostly with the Army of Northern Virginia....
- 6th Louisiana Volunteer Infantry ("Irish Brigade")
- 9th Georgia Cavalry
- 10th Tennessee Volunteer Infantry ("Sons of Erin")
- Company E, 33rd Virginia Infantry, Stonewall Brigade ("Emerald Guards")
- McMillan Guards, Company K, 24th Georgia Infantry
- Jeff Davis Guard, Company F, 1st Texas Heavy Artillery
- Company I, 8th Alabama Volunteer Infantry ("Emerald Guards")
- Cobb's LegionCobb's LegionCobb's Legion was an American Civil War unit that was raised on the Confederate side from the State of Georgia by Thomas Reade Rootes Cobb during the summer of 1861. A "legion" consisted of a single integrated command, with individual components from the infantry, cavalry, and artillery...
(Georgia Legion)
Modern era
Admiral William M. Callaghan
William M. Callaghan
William McCombe Callaghan was a United States Navy officer who served as the first captain of the battleship and the inaugural commander of the Military Sea Transportation Service. Through the course of almost 40 years, he served his country in three wars. His naval career began on a destroyer in...
Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff
Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff
The Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff is by law the highest ranking military officer in the United States Armed Forces, and is the principal military adviser to the President of the United States, the National Security Council, the Homeland Security Council and the Secretary of Defense...
Michael Mullen
Michael Mullen
Michael Glenn "Mike" Mullen is a retired United States Navy four-star admiral, who served as the 17th Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff from October 1, 2007 to September 30, 2011. Mullen previously served as the Navy's 28th Chief of Naval Operations from July 22, 2005 to September 29, 2007...