The Irish military diaspora refers to the many people of either Irish birth or extraction (see
Irish diaspora
The Irish diaspora () refers to ethnic Irish people and their descendants who live outside the island of Ireland.
The phenomenon of migration from Ireland is recorded since the Early Middle Ages,Flechner, Roy; Meeder, Sven (2017). The Irish ...
) who have served in overseas
military forces
A military, also known collectively as armed forces, is a heavily armed, highly organized force primarily intended for warfare. Militaries are typically authorized and maintained by a sovereign state, with their members identifiable by a d ...
, regardless of rank, duration of service, or success.
Many overseas military units were primarily made up of Irishmen (or members of the 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
The Spanish Netherlands (; ; ; ) (historically in Spanish: , the name "Flanders" was used as a '' pars pro toto'') was the Habsburg Netherlands ruled by the Spanish branch of the Habsburgs from 1556 to 1714. They were a collection of States of t ...
during the
Eighty Years' War
The Eighty Years' War or Dutch Revolt (; 1566/1568–1648) was an armed conflict in the Habsburg Netherlands between disparate groups of rebels and the Spanish Empire, Spanish government. The Origins of the Eighty Years' War, causes of the w ...
between Spain and the Dutch. A notable example is that of
Owen Roe O'Neill.
Australia and New Zealand
The British colonies of Australia and New Zealand suffered a series of 'war scares' during the 19th century from perceived threats from France and Russia. In 1870, when the last British troops left, defence became the responsibility of locally raised colonial forces.
New Zealand
Among the British fencibles (British army soldiers given land) in 1847 many of them were Irishmen. The first Irish unit formed was in New Zealand - the Christchurch Royal Irish Rifle Volunteers were gazetted on 18 November 1868, re-designated No. 2 (Royal Irish) Company Christchurch R.V. on 4 April 1871, and then disbanded on 11 August 1874.
On 29 April 1885, a meeting was held in Christchurch, New Zealand and 95 members of the Irish community applied to form an Irish volunteer corps. That was accepted on 30 April 1885 as the Canterbury Irish Rifle Volunteer
On 1 June 1892, they were amalgamated with the Sydenham R.V. to form the Christchurch City R.V., gazetted 22 July 1892.
New Zealand's Dunedin Irish R.V. were formed on 7 May 1885, when 189 men offered their services. The Dunedin Irish R.V. became part of the 1st Battalion Otago R.V. on 25 January 1886 and were disbanded on 13 September 1893.
One other Irish Corps was to be formed in the South Island of New Zealand, the Southland Irish R.V., were formed at Invercargill and accepted 10 June 1885 as an Honorary Corps. On 7 August 1885, it applied to be formed into a Garrison Corps and then disbanded on 9 July 1886.
Another N.Z. Irish corps was proposed during a 'war scare' in 1885, the Temuka Irish Rifles, on 13 June 1885, but the proposal was abandoned when the government deemed it improbable that hostilities would ensue.
Another Irish corps was proposed on 3 April 1887 and was accepted on 24 June as the Auckland Royal Irish R. V. On 13 August 1887, they were posted to the 3rd Battalion Auckland R.V. When inspected on 6 October 1889, they had a total strength of 93 officers and men and they were disbanded on 5 March 1892.
The last Irish Corps to be formed in New Zealand was the Irish R.V. (Wanganui), accepted 22 October 1901. They were attached to the 2nd Battalion Wellington (West Coast) R.V. and 'J' Company, formed 16 April 1902, becoming 'I' Company on 1 November 1904.
The N.Z. Defence Act of 1911 saw an end to the volunteer system, the Wanganui Irish (by then 'H' Company) were absorbed into the new territorial system when the 2nd Battalion Wellington (West Coast) R.V. were re-designated, 7th Regiment (Wellington West Coast Rifles) on 17 March 1911.
An Irish Caubeen was worn by the Nelson, Marlborough, and West Coast Regiment, which came about after a regimental alliance with the Royal Irish Fusiliers, which took place on 23 September 1949. The blue caubeen and green hackle of the Royal Irish Fusiliers were formally presented to the NMWC Regiment at a Barrosa Day parade in 1961 but may have been worn on special anniversaries and parades before that. On 24 January 1964, the Ist Battalion Nelson, Marlborough, and West Coast Regiment amalgamated into the 2nd Battalion (Canterbury, Nelson, Marlborough, West Coast) Royal New Zealand Infantry Regiment. N.Z. Army Headquarters ruled that only "A" and "B" Companies of the new regiment were to wear the caubeen and hackle on dates significant to the regiment. That was found to be unworkable and so the caubeen and hackle were not worn until 1968 when the ruling was changed. Only officers and warrant officers seem to have worn the caubeen during formal parades, and the RNZIR cedar green beret was worn for everyday use. By the early 1990s. all ranks were wearing the caubeen and hackle. On the formation of the Royal Irish Rangers in 1969, the green caubeen of the Irish Rangers was adopted by the New Zealanders. The 2RNZIR discontinued wearing the caubeen in the 1990s due to financial constraints, and it was replaced by the cedar green beret. In November 1998, the NZ mounted rifles "lemon-squeezer" hat was introduced army-wide and was worn for formal parades, while the beret was worn for everyday use. In 1999, the rifle green beret was adopted for the New Zealand army and was phased-in in late 2002. The 2nd (Canterbury, Nelson, Marlborough, West Coast) Battalion Group, as the unit was known then, wore the green hackle on the left side of the mounted rifle hat. That was to signify the continued association with the Royal Irish Regiment.
Australia (pre-Federation)
Queensland
An offer to form an Irish Corps in the British colony of
Queensland
Queensland ( , commonly abbreviated as Qld) is a States and territories of Australia, state in northeastern Australia, and is the second-largest and third-most populous state in Australia. It is bordered by the Northern Territory, South Austr ...
, Australia, had been rejected in 1862.
Eighteen years after the formation of the first Irish Corps in New Zealand, a Queensland Irish Volunteer Corps were proposed on 18 February 1887 and gazetted on 24 February 1887 as 'A' Company Queensland Irish Rifle Corps.
Established at Peel Street, South Brisbane with three officers and 100 other ranks, 'B' and 'C' companies quickly followed, formed on 11 March 1887 at Valley, North Brisbane and on 22 March 1887 at Petrie Terrace, West Brisbane.
'D' Company was formed at Gympie on 14 November 1888 with an establishment of three officers and 90 other ranks. The application to form this unit had been submitted on 27 May 1887. The application to form a company at Ipswich was submitted on 26 August 1889. They were gazetted on 4 September 1889 as 'E' Company and had a strength of three officers and 90 other ranks.
Gazetted the same day were 'F' Company established at
Woolloongabba, East Brisbane, with three officers and 90 other ranks.
The final company raised was 'G' Company at Maryborough and again with three officers and 90 other ranks, on 4 December 1889.
An application in March 1887, signed by over 100 men willing to form an Irish Corps at
Rockhampton
Rockhampton is a city in the Rockhampton Region of Central Queensland, Australia. In the , the population of Rockhampton was 79,293. A common nickname for Rockhampton is "Rocky", and the demonym of Rockhampton is Rockhamptonite.
The Scottish- ...
came to nothing.
'G' Company at Maryborough was the first to disband on 6 August 1891, followed by 'D' Company at Gympie on 7 November 1894.
In a re-organisation during 1896, the Queensland Irish Volunteer Corps were designated 3rd (Queensland Irish) Battalion, Regiment of Queensland Rifles and 'A', 'B', 'C', 'E' and 'F' companies became 'I' ,'J', 'K', 'M', and 'N' companies. On 30 July 1897, 'I', 'K', and 'M' Companies were disbanded; 'L' and 'N' companies were disbanded by August the following year, and this brought to an end the Volunteer Corps in Queensland.
New South Wales
In November 1895, a meeting was held in Sydney Town Hall when it was decided to form an Irish Rifle Corps.
These companies were established and gazetted on 5 March 1896, as the New South Wales Irish Rifles. They were grouped together with St George Rifles and the Scottish Rifles to form an administrative regiment, designated the 5th (Union Volunteer) New South Wales Infantry Regiment on 20 June 1896. Another Irish company was formed in Sydney in 1998.
http://www.planetfigure.com/threads/australia-nsw-irish-rifle-regiment-1900.79431/
NSW Irish Rifles – belt-buckle
http://www.diggerhistory.info/pages-conflicts-periods/other/irish_rifle.htm
On 1 July 1899, these national companies split to form their own distinct regiments, and the Irish were re-designated as the 8th Union Volunteer Infantry Regiment (Irish Rifles).
Badges of the 8th Union Volunteers Infantry Regiment (Irish Rifles)
https://harrowercollection.com.au/33rd-infantry-regiment/
For administrative purposes, two non-Irish companies from the Illawarra district (one at Kogarah and one at Bulli) were attached.
A further Irish Company was formed at Newcastle, the men being sworn in during June 1900.
Twenty-three men of the 8th (Irish Rifles) fought in the Boer War.
The 8th Union Volunteers Infantry Regiment (Irish Rifles) was re-designated NSW Irish Rifle Regiment (Volunteers) in 1903, and then became the 1st Battalion NSW Irish Rifle Regiment in 1908.
A major re-organisation in 1912 saw the name change to 33rd Infantry Regiment and, in yet another re-organisation in 1918, changed to the 55th Battalion.
In 1927 the old NSW Irish Rifles title was revived. The 'Irish connection' finally came to an end in 1930, when the regiment was re-designated as the NSW Rifle Regiment.
NSW Irish Rifles
('Vice Regal' cigarette-card)
https://sites.google.com/site/irishregimentsoftheempire/australia-and-new-zealand
New South Wales Irish Rifles - hat badge variations
https://sites.google.com/site/irishregimentsoftheempire/australia-and-new-
South Australia
The South Australian Register, dated 13 February 1900, carried the following public notice: "A meeting of all interested in the formation of an Irish Rifle Corps will be held on Tuesday 20 February at 8pm in the town hall."
Afterwards 157 names of volunteers were taken, and after selection, were to become 'F' (Irish) Company, 1st Battalion Adelaide Rifles. At the formation of the Irish Company, it was suggested that a green uniform be worn, but no distinctive uniform was adopted. although a shamrock worked from black braid was worn on the uniform sleeves, and hand-engraved brass harp collar badges were worn. They were worn until January 1910, when the company was ordered to discontinue wearing them, which they did under protest. That was done to secure uniformity of dress with the other companies in the 10th AIR. A green stripe an inch wide was also approved to be worn on the trouser seams, but was later disallowed.
Victoria
Attempts had been made to form other Irish Corps. A five hundred strong Irish Australian Volunteer Corps was proposed in Melbourne Victoria in April 1885. A number of meetings were held at St. Patrick's Cathedral Hall.
Australia (post-Federation)
With the formation of the Australian Commonwealth military forces in 1903, the Adelaide Rifles became part of the newly formed 10th Australian Infantry Regiment. That had been the last Irish unit to be formed in Australia.
Steps were also taken in May 1901 and May 1910, to form an Irish Australian Regiment in Melbourne, and again in 1941. An Irish Volunteer Corps was proposed at a meeting held in the dining rooms of the Shamrock Hotel, in Perth Western Australia on 18 April 1900. Another Irish corps was proposed in Perth in 1904. An Irish regiment was suggested at Bendigo Victoria in April 1906, and a company of Irish Rifles was considered at Broken Hill NSW in April 1910. An Irish corps was also proposed in Queensland, as part of the 9th Australian Infantry Regiment (Moreton) in 1906. Committees were often appointed, but the corps were never formed.
The 4th Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment (4 RAR); an infantry battalion formed on 1 February 1964, and renamed the 2nd Commando Regiment on 19 June 2009. 4 R.A.R. is affiliated with Britain's 4th Regiment of Foot Guards (The Irish Guards). The 4 R.A.R. regimental band use the same uniform as the Pipes and Drums of the Irish Guards. The 4 R.A.R. battalion subsequently served in Malaysia as part of the Far East Strategic Reserve from August 1965 to September 1967, and seeing active service in Borneo against the Indonesian army during the Indonesia-Malaysia confrontation. The battalion began its first 12-month tour of Vietnam on 1 June 1968, returning to Vietnam for its second tour in May 1971. From 1990 to 1993 many individual soldiers from the battalion served with the United Nations in Cambodia. In 1993, soldiers from the battalion were detached for operational service in Somalia. In May 1993, the battalion deployed troops to Cambodia. In 1994, the battalion deployed Rwanda. In 1996, a decision was made to convert 4 RAR to a special forces unit. On 1 February 1997, was renamed to 4 RAR (Commando). The unit conducted operations in East Timor and Iraq, and later lost soldiers killed-in-action during the war in Afghanistan.
2/4 RAR Irish Pipes and Drums https://24rarassociation.com/?page_id=1076 (see image 66)
Austria and Austria-Hungary
The
Habsburgs
The House of Habsburg (; ), also known as the House of Austria, was one of the most powerful dynasties in the history of Europe and Western civilization. They were best known for their inbreeding and for ruling vast realms throughout Europe d ...
were the principal employers of Irish soldiers in Central Europe. The multinational nature of the empire meant that gifted foreigners were always welcome and had opportunities not available in other Eastern and Central European countries. By one estimation, over 100 Irishmen were field marshals, generals, or admirals in the Austrian Army, with a corresponding number of men holding commissions in the lower ranks. The first Irishman of note to serve the Habsburgs was Colonel Richard Walsh of
Carrickmines, Dublin, who was mortally wounded at the
Battle of Lützen. His son Oliver became a Major-General. In all, eleven members of this family were field marshals or generals, the most notable being
George Olivier, count of Wallis.
Many Irishmen were ''
Inhaber
''Inhaber'', or Proprietor, was a term used in the Habsburg military to denote special honors extended to a noble or aristocrat. The Habsburg army was organized on principles developed for the feudal armies in which regiments were raised by a weal ...
'' and held rank as regimental colonels. Jacob Butler is the first of these.
Walter Butler was an ''Inhaber'' of a dragoon regiment and received praise for his role in the defence of
Frankfurt an der Oder
Frankfurt (Oder), also known as Frankfurt an der Oder (, ; Marchian dialects, Central Marchian: ''Frankfort an de Oder,'' ) is the fourth-largest city in the German state of Brandenburg after Potsdam, Cottbus and Brandenburg an der Havel. With a ...
. Butler was responsible for the assassination of the Bohemian general
Albrecht von Wallenstein
Albrecht Wenzel Eusebius von Wallenstein, Duke of Friedland (; 24 September 1583 – 25 February 1634), also von Waldstein (), was a Bohemian military leader and statesman who fought on the Catholic side during the Thirty Years' War (1618–16 ...
, who was in the process of defecting to the Swedes.
Another Irishman to serve as field marshal was
Francis Taaffe, 3rd Earl of Carlingford. While attending the Jesuit college at
Olomouc
Olomouc (; ) is a city in the Czech Republic. It has about 103,000 inhabitants, making it the Statutory city (Czech Republic), sixth largest city in the country. It is the administrative centre of the Olomouc Region.
Located on the Morava (rive ...
, he came to know
Charles V, Duke of Lorraine, and this benefited his career greatly. He played a prominent role in saving
Vienna
Vienna ( ; ; ) is the capital city, capital, List of largest cities in Austria, most populous city, and one of Federal states of Austria, nine federal states of Austria. It is Austria's primate city, with just over two million inhabitants. ...
in 1683 and in the subsequent conflict with the Turks. He later became a member of the Order of the Golden Fleece and served Charles V as his prime minister.

Baron Dermot Kavanagh († 1739) of
Ballyane,
County Wexford
County Wexford () is a Counties of Ireland, county in Republic of Ireland, Ireland. It is in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Leinster and is part of the Southern Region, Ireland, Southern Region. Named after the town of Wexford, it was ba ...
, served from his youth in the
Imperial Army and took part in campaigns in Hungary, Italy and Flanders. At the
imperial and royal
The phrase Imperial and Royal (, ) refers to the court/government of the Habsburgs in a broader historical perspective. Some modern authors restrict its use to the Dual Monarchy of Austria-Hungary from 1867 to 1918.
During that period, it in ...
court of Vienna he held the office of
''Kämmerer''. In 1723 he bought the manor of
Hauskirchen in
Lower Austria
Lower Austria ( , , abbreviated LA or NÖ) is one of the nine states of Austria, located in the northeastern corner of the country. Major cities are Amstetten, Lower Austria, Amstetten, Krems an der Donau, Wiener Neustadt and Sankt Pölten, which ...
from Prince Joseph von
Liechtenstein
Liechtenstein (, ; ; ), officially the Principality of Liechtenstein ( ), is a Landlocked country#Doubly landlocked, doubly landlocked Swiss Standard German, German-speaking microstate in the Central European Alps, between Austria in the east ...
. From 1727 to 1734 he commanded the Czech Dragoon Regiment No. 7 while holding the rank of colonel. In 1734 he was promoted to
Generalfeldwachtmeister and the following year Kavanagh rose to the rank of
lieutenant field marshal. He died in 1739 of wounds received during the siege of Belgrade. Kavanagh and his wife Felicitas are commemorated by a monument with an inscription in the
parish church
A parish church (or parochial church) in Christianity is the Church (building), church which acts as the religious centre of a parish. In many parts of the world, especially in rural areas, the parish church may play a significant role in com ...
of St Lawrence at Hauskirchen, which names him in Latin as ''Dermitius
Freiherr
(; male, abbreviated as ), (; his wife, abbreviated as , ) and (, his unmarried daughters and maiden aunts) are designations used as titles of nobility in the German-speaking areas of the Holy Roman Empire, the Austro-Hungarian Empire and in ...
von Kavanagh''.
Maximilian Ulysses Browne was of the first generation born in Austria but was from a prominent Limerick family. Through his mother, he was descended from the FitzGeralds,
Earls of Desmond
Earl of Desmond ( meaning Earl of South Munster) is a title of nobility created by the English monarch in the peerage of Ireland. The title has been created four times. It was first awarded in 1329 to Maurice FitzGerald, 1st Earl of Desmond, Maur ...
. Browne was a major-general by the age of 30. He rose to the rank of ''
Generalfeldmarschall
''Generalfeldmarschall'' (; from Old High German ''marahscalc'', "marshal, stable master, groom"; ; often abbreviated to ''Feldmarschall'') was a rank in the armies of several German states and the Holy Roman Empire, (''Reichsgeneralfeldmarsch ...
'' and died leading his men into battle during the
Battle of Prague. Browne was a kinsman and mentor to
Franz Moritz von Lacy
Franz Moritz Graf von Lacy (; ; , tr. ; 21 October 1725 – 24 November 1801) was an Austrian military leader of Baltic German and Irish origins. He was the son of Count Peter von Lacy, and was a famous Austrian field marshal. Lacy serve ...
(son of
Peter Lacy) who rose to be president of the ''
Hofkriegsrat'' from 1766 to 1774. Other famous Irish-Austrian generals included William O'Kelly from
Aughrim in County Galway; John Sigismund Maguire of County Kerry, who captured
Dresden
Dresden (; ; Upper Saxon German, Upper Saxon: ''Dräsdn''; , ) is the capital city of the States of Germany, German state of Saxony and its second most populous city after Leipzig. It is the List of cities in Germany by population, 12th most p ...
in 1758 and successfully defended it against
Frederick the Great
Frederick II (; 24 January 171217 August 1786) was the monarch of Prussia from 1740 until his death in 1786. He was the last Hohenzollern monarch titled ''King in Prussia'', declaring himself ''King of Prussia'' after annexing Royal Prussia ...
, who mentioned him on a number of occasions; and General
Karl O'Donnell, was known for his exceptional conduct at the
Battle of Torgau. Meanwhile, Colonel Hume Caldwell of County Fermanagh was noted for his conduct at
Breslau and
Olmütz, where he perished. Unusually, Caldwell was of Protestant origin. Field Marshal
Laval Nugent von Westmeath was prominent during the
Napoleonic Wars
{{Infobox military conflict
, conflict = Napoleonic Wars
, partof = the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars
, image = Napoleonic Wars (revision).jpg
, caption = Left to right, top to bottom:Battl ...
and was most noted for his role in the capture of Rome in 1815. In recognition of this,
Pope Pius VI
Pope Pius VI (; born Count Angelo Onofrio Melchiorre Natale Giovanni Antonio called Giovanni Angelo or Giannangelo Braschi, 25 December 171729 August 1799) was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 15 February 1775 to hi ...
made him a prince in 1816. There were no Irish regiments in the Austrian Army with influence confined to nobility serving as officers.
notable commanders
* Major
Peter Martyn
*
Franz Moritz Graf von Lacy
*
Andreas Graf O'Reilly von Ballinlough
*
Maximilian Ulysses Graf von Browne
*
George Olivier, count of Wallis
*
Francis Taaffe, 3rd Earl of Carlingford
*
Laval Graf Nugent von Westmeath
*
Maximilian Graf O'Donnell von Tyrconnell
*
Karl O'Donnell
*
Gottfried Freiherr von Banfield
* General
Thomas Brady
* Captain
Art Ó Laoghaire
Art Ó Laoghaire (IPA:ˈaɾˠt̪ˠoːˈl̪ˠiːəɾʲə, also Airt Ó Laoghaire or Art O'Leary; 1746 – 4 May 1773), a Roman Catholic member of the Gaelic nobility of Ireland, was a captain in the Hungarian Hussars Regiment of the army of Holy ...
* General
Charles Edward Jennings - Baron Kilmaine, called Brave Kilmaine in the French Revolutionary Wars
*
James Butler
*
Risteárd Buidhe Kirwan
*
Peter Lacy
*
James Patrick Mahon
*
Henry Nugent
Henry Nugent, Count of Val de Soto (died November 1704) was an Irish military officer and nobleman who served as the governor of Gibraltar from 6 August to November 1704.
Early life
Nugent was born at Coolamber, County Longford. His father was ...
*
Manus O'Donell
*
Maurice O'Donnell
Great 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-third of the military forces of the
British Army
The British Army is the principal Army, land warfare force of the United Kingdom. the British Army comprises 73,847 regular full-time personnel, 4,127 Brigade of Gurkhas, Gurkhas, 25,742 Army Reserve (United Kingdom), volunteer reserve perso ...
consisted of Irishmen and Anglo-Irish, because of:-
* the
Kingdom of Ireland
The Kingdom of Ireland (; , ) was a dependent territory of Kingdom of England, England and then of Kingdom of Great Britain, Great Britain from 1542 to the end of 1800. It was ruled by the monarchs of England and then List of British monarchs ...
electing, from the
Crown of Ireland Act 1542
The Crown of Ireland Act 1542 (33 Hen. 8. c. 1 (I)) is an Act that was passed by the Parliament of Ireland on 18 June 1542, which created the title of "King of Ireland" for monarchs of England and their successors; previous monarchs had rul ...
, to be in a
personal union
A personal union is a combination of two or more monarchical states that have the same monarch while their boundaries, laws, and interests remain distinct. A real union, by contrast, involves the constituent states being to some extent in ...
with:
**
House of Tudor
The House of Tudor ( ) was an English and Welsh dynasty that held the throne of Kingdom of England, England from 1485 to 1603. They descended from the Tudors of Penmynydd, a Welsh noble family, and Catherine of Valois. The Tudor monarchs ruled ...
** from the 1603
Union of the Crowns
The Union of the Crowns (; ) was the accession of James VI of Scotland to the throne of the Kingdom of England as James I and the practical unification of some functions (such as overseas diplomacy) of the two separate realms under a single ...
, with the
House of Stuart
The House of Stuart, originally spelled Stewart, also known as the Stuart dynasty, was a dynasty, royal house of Kingdom of Scotland, Scotland, Kingdom of England, England, Kingdom of Ireland, Ireland and later Kingdom of Great Britain, Great ...
, and from 1707 the Stuart
Kingdom of Great Britain
Great Britain, also known as the Kingdom of Great Britain, was a sovereign state in Western Europe from 1707 to the end of 1800. The state was created by the 1706 Treaty of Union and ratified by the Acts of Union 1707, which united the Kingd ...
** from 1714 the
House of Hanover
The House of Hanover ( ) is a European royal house with roots tracing back to the 17th century. Its members, known as Hanoverians, ruled Hanover, Great Britain, Ireland, and the British Empire at various times during the 17th to 20th centurie ...
* from
Irish House of Commons
The Irish House of Commons was the lower house of the Parliament of Ireland that existed from 1297 until the end of 1800. The upper house was the Irish House of Lords, House of Lords. The membership of the House of Commons was directly elected, ...
approving the
acts of Union 1800
The Acts of Union 1800 were parallel acts of the Parliament of Great Britain and the Parliament of Ireland which united the Kingdom of Great Britain and the Kingdom of Ireland (previously in personal union) to create the United Kingdom of G ...
, through the partitioning
Government of Ireland Act 1920
The Government of Ireland Act 1920 ( 10 & 11 Geo. 5. c. 67) was an act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. The Act's long title was "An Act to provide for the better government of Ireland"; it is also known as the Fourth Home Rule Bi ...
, and 1921
Anglo-Irish Treaty
The 1921 Anglo-Irish Treaty (), commonly known in Ireland as The Treaty and officially the Articles of Agreement for a Treaty Between Great Britain and Ireland, was an agreement between the government of the United Kingdom of Great Britain an ...
, Ireland was a constituent nation of the
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland was the union of the Kingdom of Great Britain and the Kingdom of Ireland into one sovereign state, established by the Acts of Union 1800, Acts of Union in 1801. It continued in this form until ...
, with the North continuing as part of the
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Northwestern Europe, off the coast of European mainland, the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotlan ...
.
* the traditions of the
nobility
Nobility is a social class found in many societies that have an aristocracy. It is normally appointed by and ranked immediately below royalty. Nobility has often been an estate of the realm with many exclusive functions and characteristics. T ...
and
landed gentry
The landed gentry, or the gentry (sometimes collectively known as the squirearchy), is a largely historical Irish and British social class of landowners who could live entirely from rental income, or at least had a country estate. It is t ...
, which caused them to prefer military service to a career in trade (see:
Noblesse oblige
''Noblesse oblige'' (; literally "nobility obliges") is a French expression that means that nobility extends beyond mere entitlement, requiring people who hold such status to fulfill social responsibilities; the term retains the same meaning ...
)
* economic necessity
* ambition
* family tradition
Irishmen and Anglo-Irish with notable or outstanding overseas careers included:-
*
Major-General John Ardagh
*
Admiral Matthew Aylmer, 1st Baron Aylmer
*
Rear Admiral Francis Beaufort
*
William Blakeney, 1st Baron Blakeney
*
Brendan Bracken, First Lord of the Admiralty
*
Marshal of the Royal Air Force
Marshal of the Royal Air Force (MRAF) is the highest rank in the UK's Royal Air Force (RAF). In peacetime it was granted to RAF officers in the appointment of Chief of the Defence Staff (United Kingdom), Chief of the Defence Staff (CDS), and to ...
Sir Dermot Boyle
*
Lieutenant-General
Lieutenant general (Lt Gen, LTG and similar) is a military rank used in many countries. The rank traces its origins to the Middle Ages, where the title of lieutenant general was held by the second-in-command on the battlefield, who was normall ...
Sir Edward Bulfin
*
Lieutenant-General Sir William Butler
*
Admiral of the Fleet
An admiral of the fleet or shortened to fleet admiral is a senior naval flag officer rank, usually equivalent to field marshal and marshal of the air force. An admiral of the fleet is typically senior to an admiral.
It is also a generic ter ...
Sir George Callaghan
*
Guy Carleton, 1st Baron Dorchester
*
Major General Sir George Colley
*
Lieutenant-General
Lieutenant general (Lt Gen, LTG and similar) is a military rank used in many countries. The rank traces its origins to the Middle Ages, where the title of lieutenant general was held by the second-in-command on the battlefield, who was normall ...
Sir Eyre Coote
*
Lieutenant-general
Lieutenant general (Lt Gen, LTG and similar) is a military rank used in many countries. The rank traces its origins to the Middle Ages, where the title of lieutenant general was held by the second-in-command on the battlefield, who was normall ...
Alan Cunningham
Sir Alan Gordon Cunningham, (1 May 1887 – 30 January 1983), was a senior Officer (armed forces), officer of the British Army noted for his victories over Italian forces in the East African Campaign (World War II), East African Campaign duri ...
*
Andrew Cunningham, 1st Viscount Cunningham of Hyndhope
Admiral of the Fleet (Royal Navy), Admiral of the Fleet Andrew Browne Cunningham, 1st Viscount Cunningham of Hyndhope, (7 January 1883 – 12 June 1963) was a British officer of the Royal Navy during the Second World War. He was List of milit ...
* Field Marshal Sir
John Dill
*
Major-General Beauchamp Doran
*
Eric Dorman-Smith
*
Major-General Lord Dugan
*
Paddy Finucane
Wing Commander Brendan Eamonn Fergus Finucane, ( ; 16 October 1920 – 15 July 1942), known as Paddy Finucane among his colleagues, was an Irish Second World War Royal Air Force (RAF) fighter pilot and flying ace—defined as an aviator c ...
*
Air Chief Marshal
Air chief marshal (Air Chf Mshl or ACM) is a high-ranking air officer rank used by some air forces, with origins from the Royal Air Force. The rank is used by air forces of many Commonwealth of Nations, countries that have historical British i ...
Sir Francis Fogarty
*
Field Marshal Viscount Gough
*
Rear-Admiral
Rear admiral is a flag officer rank used by English-speaking navies. In most European navies, the equivalent rank is called counter admiral.
Rear admiral is usually immediately senior to commodore and immediately below vice admiral. It is ...
James Macnamara
*
Walter Guinness, 1st Baron Moyne
Walter Edward Guinness, 1st Baron Moyne, Distinguished Service Order, DSO Medal bar, & Bar, Territorial Decoration, TD, Her Majesty's Most Honourable Privy Council, PC (29 March 1880 – 6 November 1944), was a British Conservative Party (UK), ...
*
Major General Sir Charles Gwynn
*
Francis Rawdon-Hastings, 1st Marquess of Hastings
*
Tom F. Hazell
*
Major General Sir William Hickie
*
Sir William Johnson, 1st Baronet
Major-General Sir William Johnson, 1st Baronet ( – 11 July 1774), was a British Army officer and colonial administrator from Ireland known for his military and governance work in British colonial America.
As a young man, Johnson moved to t ...
*
General Sir Garrett O'Moore Creagh VC
*
Brigadier General Richard Kane
*
Lieutenant-General Sir Thomas Kelly-Kenny
*
Major General Louis Lipsett
*
Lieutenant General Henry Lyster VC
*
General Sir Bryan Mahon
*
Paddy Mayne
Lieutenant Colonel (United Kingdom), Lieutenant Colonel Robert Blair Mayne, (11 January 1915 – 14 December 1955), best known as Paddy Mayne or familiarly as Blair, was a British Army Commissioned officer, officer from Newtownards. He was an ...
*
George McElroy
*
Lieutenant General Sir Charles MacMorrough Kavanagh
*
Field marshal
Field marshal (or field-marshal, abbreviated as FM) is the most senior military rank, senior to the general officer ranks. Usually, it is the highest rank in an army (in countries without the rank of Generalissimo), and as such, few persons a ...
Richard Molesworth, 3rd Viscount Molesworth
*
Admiral Sir Edmund Nagle
*
George Napier
*
Henry Napier
*
General Sir William Napier
*
Major General Luke O'Connor VC
*
Major-General Sir Joseph O'Halloran
*
Field Marshal James O'Hara
*
Major General David The O'Morchoe
*
Admiral Sir Robert Otway
*
Admiral of the Fleet
An admiral of the fleet or shortened to fleet admiral is a senior naval flag officer rank, usually equivalent to field marshal and marshal of the air force. An admiral of the fleet is typically senior to an admiral.
It is also a generic ter ...
Sir Frederick Richards
*
Admiral of the Fleet
An admiral of the fleet or shortened to fleet admiral is a senior naval flag officer rank, usually equivalent to field marshal and marshal of the air force. An admiral of the fleet is typically senior to an admiral.
It is also a generic ter ...
Sir John de Robeck
*
Major General Robert Ross
*
Admiral Sir Francis Tottenham
*
Field Marshal
Field marshal (or field-marshal, abbreviated as FM) is the most senior military rank, senior to the general officer ranks. Usually, it is the highest rank in an army (in countries without the rank of Generalissimo), and as such, few persons a ...
George Wade
*
Admiral Sir Peter Warren
*
Field Marshal
Field marshal (or field-marshal, abbreviated as FM) is the most senior military rank, senior to the general officer ranks. Usually, it is the highest rank in an army (in countries without the rank of Generalissimo), and as such, few persons a ...
The Duke of Wellington
*
Field Marshal Sir Henry Wilson MP
*
Field Marshal Lord Wolseley
Others were not born in Ireland, but were born into Irish families, such as:-
*
Field Marshal
Field marshal (or field-marshal, abbreviated as FM) is the most senior military rank, senior to the general officer ranks. Usually, it is the highest rank in an army (in countries without the rank of Generalissimo), and as such, few persons a ...
Lord French
*
Field Marshal
Field marshal (or field-marshal, abbreviated as FM) is the most senior military rank, senior to the general officer ranks. Usually, it is the highest rank in an army (in countries without the rank of Generalissimo), and as such, few persons a ...
Lord Alanbrooke
*
Field Marshal
Field marshal (or field-marshal, abbreviated as FM) is the most senior military rank, senior to the general officer ranks. Usually, it is the highest rank in an army (in countries without the rank of Generalissimo), and as such, few persons a ...
Lord Alexander of Tunis
*
General Sir Miles Dempsey
*
Brigadier General George Grogan VC
*
Field Marshal Lord Gort VC
*
General Sir Charles John Stanley Gough VC
*
General Sir Hugh Henry Gough, VC
*
General Sir John Hackett
*
Field Marshal Lord Lambart
*
Lieutenant General Sir George Macdonogh
*
Admiral Sir Charles Madden
*
Colonel Henry McMahon
*
Field Marshal Lord Montgomery
*
General Sir Richard O'Connor
*
General Charles O'Hara
*
Major-General Richard Pope-Hennessy
*
General Sir Edward Quinan
*
Field Marshal Lord Roberts
Victoria Cross recipients:-
The
Victoria Cross
The Victoria Cross (VC) is the highest and most prestigious decoration of the Orders, decorations, and medals of the United Kingdom, British decorations system. It is awarded for valour "in the presence of the enemy" to members of the British ...
, the British Crown's highest award for military valour, has been awarded to 188 persons who were born in Ireland or had full Irish parentage. Of these thirty were awarded in the
Crimean War
The Crimean War was fought between the Russian Empire and an alliance of the Ottoman Empire, the Second French Empire, the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, and the Kingdom of Sardinia (1720–1861), Kingdom of Sardinia-Piedmont fro ...
, 52 in the
Indian Mutiny, and 46 in numerous other
British Empire
The British Empire comprised the dominions, Crown colony, colonies, protectorates, League of Nations mandate, mandates, and other Dependent territory, territories ruled or administered by the United Kingdom and its predecessor states. It bega ...
campaigns between 1857 and 1914. In the 20th century, 37 Irish VCs were awarded in the
First World War
World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...
, ten in the
Second World War
World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
. One has been awarded in Afghanistan in the 21st century to a Belfast-born soldier of the Parachute Regiment.
'Irish' named units of the British Army
* What is now the
Royal Northumberland Fusiliers was founded in 1674 as "The Irish Regiment"
* The
Volunteers of Ireland (1777–82), were renamed the 105th Regiment of Foot
*
The Catholic Irish Brigade (1794-1798)
*
4th Royal Irish Dragoon Guards
The 4th Royal Irish Dragoon Guards was a Cavalry regiments of the British Army, cavalry regiment in the British Army, first raised in 1685 as the Earl of Arran's Regiment of Cuirassiers. It was renamed as the 4th (Royal Irish) Dragoon Guards in 1 ...
, amalgamated 1922.
*
5th Royal Irish Lancers, disbanded in 1921, reconstituted and amalgamated in 1922.
*
6th (Inniskilling) Dragoons
*
8th King's Royal Irish Hussars
The 8th King's Royal Irish Hussars was a Cavalry regiments of the British Army, cavalry regiment in the British Army, first raised in 1693. It saw service for three centuries including the World War I, First and World War II, Second World Wars. ...
, amalgamated 1958.
*
9th Queen's Royal Lancers, amalgamated with the
12th Royal Lancers
The 12th (Prince of Wales's) Royal Lancers was a cavalry regiment of the British Army first formed in 1715. It saw service for three centuries, including the First World War and the Second World War. The regiment survived the immediate post-war ...
to form the
9th/12th Royal Lancers in 1960.
*
9th/12th Royal Lancers, amalgamated with the
Queen's Royal Lancers to form the
Royal Lancers
The Royal Lancers (Queen Elizabeths' Own) is a armoured cavalry regiment of the British Army. The regiment was formed by an amalgamation of the 9th/12th Royal Lancers, 9th/12th Royal Lancers (Prince of Wales's) and the Queen's Royal Lancers on ...
, which includes the
5th Royal Irish Lancers, on 2 May 2015
*
5th Royal Irish Lancers are represented in the new badge for the Royal Lancers regiment by the crossed lancers and the 'red' background colour in the regiment's tactical sign and shoulder patch
*
Queen's Royal Irish Hussars, created 1958, amalgamated 1993.
*
Queen's Royal Hussars (Queen's Own & Royal Irish). created 1993.
* the badge of the
Queen's Royal Hussars includes an Irish harp as its centre-piece, representing the regiment's heritage from the
8th King's Royal Irish Hussars
The 8th King's Royal Irish Hussars was a Cavalry regiments of the British Army, cavalry regiment in the British Army, first raised in 1693. It saw service for three centuries including the World War I, First and World War II, Second World Wars. ...
*
North Irish Horse
*
South Irish Horse
*
Irish Guards
The Irish Guards (IG) is one of the Foot guards#United Kingdom, Foot Guards regiments of the British Army and is part of the Guards Division. Together with the Royal Irish Regiment (1992), Royal Irish Regiment, it is one of the two Irish infant ...

*
Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers
The Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers was an Ireland, Irish line infantry regiment of the British Army in existence from 1881 until 1968. The regiment was formed in 1881 by the amalgamation of the 27th (Inniskilling) Regiment of Foot and the 108th (Ma ...
, amalgamated 1968
*
Royal Irish Fusiliers
The Royal Irish Fusiliers (Princess Victoria's) was an Irish line infantry (later changed to light infantry) regiment of the British Army, formed by the amalgamation of the 87th (Prince of Wales's Irish) Regiment of Foot and the 89th (Princess ...
, amalgamated 1968
*
Royal Ulster Rifles
The Royal Irish Rifles (became the Royal Ulster Rifles from 1 January 1921) was an light infantry rifle regiment of the British Army, first created in 1881 by the amalgamation of the 83rd (County of Dublin) Regiment of Foot and the 86th (Royal ...
, amalgamated 1968
*
Royal Irish Rifles, renamed as Royal Ulster Rifles 1921.
*
Royal Irish Rangers, created 1968, amalgamated 1992
*
Royal Irish Regiment
*
Tyneside Irish Brigade, disbanded 1918.
*
London Irish Rifles, amalgamated 1992
*
Liverpool Irish.
*
Royal Irish Artillery
The 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.
History
In 1755, the Roy ...
, amalgamated 1801.
*
Ulster Defence Regiment
The Ulster Defence Regiment (UDR) was an infantry regiment of the British Army established in 1970, with a comparatively short existence ending in 1992. Raised through public appeal, newspaper and television advertisements,Potter p25 their offi ...
, amalgamated 1992
*
135th (Limerick) Regiment of Foot 1796 (highest regimental number of any British line regiment.)
'Irish' named 1922 disbanded units of the British Army
Following the establishment of the independent
Irish Free State
The Irish Free State (6 December 192229 December 1937), also known by its Irish-language, Irish name ( , ), was a State (polity), state established in December 1922 under the Anglo-Irish Treaty of December 1921. The treaty ended the three-ye ...
in 1922, the six regiments that had their traditional recruiting grounds in the counties of the new state were all disbanded. On 12 June, five regimental
Colours
Color (or colour in Commonwealth English; see spelling differences) is the visual perception based on the electromagnetic spectrum. Though color is not an inherent property of matter, color perception is related to an object's light absorpt ...
were laid up in a ceremony at St George's Hall,
Windsor Castle
Windsor Castle is a List of British royal residences, royal residence at Windsor, Berkshire, Windsor in the English county of Berkshire, about west of central London. It is strongly associated with the Kingdom of England, English and succee ...
, in the presence of
HM King George V. (The
South Irish Horse had sent a Regimental engraving because the regiment chose to have its standard remain in
St. Patrick's Cathedral, Dublin
Saint Patrick's Cathedral () in Dublin, Ireland is the national cathedral of the Church of Ireland. Christ Church Cathedral, also a Church of Ireland cathedral in Dublin, is designated as the local cathedral of the Diocese of Dublin and Glen ...
). The six regiments finally disbanded on 31 July 1922 were:
*
Royal Irish Regiment, disbanded 1922
*
Connaught Rangers, disbanded 1922
*
Leinster Regiment, disbanded 1922
*
Royal Munster Fusiliers
The Royal Munster Fusiliers was a line infantry regiment of the British Army from 1881 to 1922. It traced its origins to the East India Company, East India Company's Bengal European Regiment raised in 1652, which later became the 101st Regiment ...
, disbanded 1922
*
Royal Dublin Fusiliers, disbanded 1922
*
South Irish Horse, disbanded 1922
Many of the disbanded veterans were subsequently recruited into the Irish Free State's
National Army at the onset of the
Irish Civil War
The Irish Civil War (; 28 June 1922 – 24 May 1923) was a conflict that followed the Irish War of Independence and accompanied the establishment of the Irish Free State, an entity independent from the United Kingdom but within the British Emp ...
.
Canada
The Irish Regiment of Canada in the Second World War was the only Canadian Irish unit to fight in any war. It also perpetuates the active service of the 1st Canadian Machine Gun Battalion from the First World War and the indirect service of the 190th (Sportsmen) Battalion, Canadian Expeditionary Force, 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 First World War 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.
The Irish Canadian Rangers perpetuated the indirect service of the
199th Battalion Duchess of Connaught's Own Irish Rangers, 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 its men were recent eastern European immigrants from the fringes of the Austro-Hungarian Empire who spoke Ukrainian but would have had Austrian citizenship. This 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
*
Irish Canadian Rangers
* The
Irish Fusiliers of Canada (The Vancouver Regiment)
* The
Princess Louise Fusiliers. Although the word "Irish" does not appear in the unit name, the "PLF" are designated as an Irish regiment. The blue
Caubeen is an authorized headdress, and a grey hackle (inherited from the Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers) is worn with it and with the beret. Until relatively recently, officers also carried a blackthorn walking stick.
* The
Irish Regiment of Canada
*
121st (Western Irish) Battalion, CEF
*
199th (Duchess of Connaught's Own Irish Rangers) Battalion, CEF
*
208th (Canadian Irish) Battalion, CEF
*
218th (Edmonton Irish Guards) Battalion, CEF
France
The
Irish Brigade served the
Ancien Régime
''Ancien'' may refer to
* the French word for " ancient, old"
** Société des anciens textes français
* the French for "former, senior"
** Virelai ancien
** Ancien Régime
** Ancien Régime in France
{{disambig ...
from 1690 to 1792.

Notable Irishmen who served in the French military include
*
Patrice de Mac-Mahon, Duke of Magenta
Marie Edme Patrice Maurice de MacMahon, marquis de MacMahon, duc de Magenta (; 13 June 1808 – 17 October 1893), was a French general and politician who served as President of France from 1873 to 1879. He was elevated to the dignity of Marshal ...
– General and
President of the Third Republic
*
Thomas Arthur, comte de Lally – General, commander in chief of the French Armies in India
*
Patrick Sarsfield, 1st Earl of Lucan (1655–1693) - General
*
Richard Hennessy - Officer in the
Irish Brigade, founder
Hennesy Cognac
*
Myles Byrne (1780–1862),
Napoleon
Napoleon Bonaparte (born Napoleone di Buonaparte; 15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821), later known by his regnal name Napoleon I, was a French general and statesman who rose to prominence during the French Revolution and led Military career ...
’s
Irish Legion, retired under the
Bourbon Restoration ''
chef de bataillon.''
*
Arthur Dillon (1670–1733) – General
*
Arthur Dillon (1750–1794) – General and Royalist, victim of the
Reign of Terror
The Reign of Terror (French: ''La Terreur'', literally "The Terror") was a period of the French Revolution when, following the creation of the French First Republic, First Republic, a series of massacres and Capital punishment in France, nu ...
in 1794.
*
Arthur Dillon (1834–1922)
*
Henry Dillon – Colonel of the
Dillon Regiment and apostate.
*
Théobald Dillon General, murdered by his own mutinous troops in 1792 cousin of
Arthur Dillon
*
Henri Jacques Guillaume Clarke
Henri-Jacques-Guillaume Clarke, 1st comte d'Hunebourg, 1st duc de Feltre (; 17 October 1765 – 28 October 1818), was a French military officer, diplomat, and politician of Irish origin who served as Minister of War (France)#First Empire, Minister ...
– Marshal of France
*
Alexandre d'Alton – General
*
Arthur O'Connor - General of Division under Napoleon
*
Charles Edward Jennings de Kilmaine
*
Edward Stack – General
*
Jean Louis Barthélemy O'Donnell - Comte O'Donnell
*
John Allen
*
John Barrett
*
John O'Sullivan
*
Walter Stapleton
*
Richard Bellew
*
James Bartholomew Blackwell
*
Toby Bourke
*
Piers Butler
*
James Butler
*
Charles O'Brien
*
Daniel O'Brien
*
Daniel O'Brien
*
Dominic Collins
Dominic Collins, SJ (; 1566 – 31 October 1602) was an Irish Jesuit lay brother, an ex-soldier, who died for his Catholic faith. He was beatified by Pope John Paul II, along with 16 other Irish Catholic Martyrs, on 27 September 1993.
*
Thomas Conway
Thomas Conway (February 27, 1735 – March 1795) was an Irish-born army officer and colonial administrator who served as the French India#Governors, governor of French India from 1787 to 1789. Over the course of his military career, he served in ...
*
William Corbet
*
Nicholas Cusack
Nicholas Cusack (died 5 September 1299) was a thirteenth-century Bishop of Kildare and member of the Franciscan Order.
He belonged to a prominent Anglo-Irish family from County Meath, who were tenants-in-chief to Baron Skryne, and were later ba ...
*
John Devoy
John Devoy (, ; 3 September 1842 – 29 September 1928) was an Irish republican Rebellion, rebel and journalist who owned and edited ''The Gaelic American'', a New York weekly newspaper, from 1903 to 1928.
Devoy dedicated over 60 year ...
*
James Lysaght Finegan
*
John Fitzgerald
*
Michael Rothe
*
Richard Grace
*
Galloping Hogan
*
William O'Brien
William O'Brien (2 October 1852 – 25 February 1928) was an Irish nationalist, journalist, agrarian agitator, social revolutionary, politician, party leader, newspaper publisher, author and Member of Parliament (MP) in the House of Commons of ...
*
Risteárd Buidhe Kirwan
*
Peter Lacy
*
Michael Lally
*
Gerard Lally
*
James Lally
*
William Lamport
*
William Lawless
*
Simon Luttrell
*
Isidore Lynch
*
Charles MacCarthy
*
Daniel MacCarthy Reagh
*
Owen MacCarthy
*
Roger McElligott
*
Richard Butler
*
Charles MacCarty
*
Muircheartach Óg Ó Súilleabháin
*
Daniel O'Brien
*
Daniel Charles O'Connell
*
Chevalier O'Gorman
*
Redmond O'Hanlon
*
Henry O'Keane
*
James O'Kelly
*
Gordon O'Neill
*
William O'Shaughnessy
*
Richard Francis Talbot
*
John Tennant
*
Matthias Barnewall
*
Richard Warren
*
John Nugent
'Irish' named units of the French Army
Kingdom of France
The Kingdom of France is the historiographical name or umbrella term given to various political entities of France in the Middle Ages, medieval and Early modern France, early modern period. It was one of the most powerful states in Europe from th ...
*
Irish Brigade
**
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 Dillon (1698–1733) (renamed Régiment de Lee)
**
Régiment de Dorrington (1698– ) (renamed Régiment de Roth)
** Régiment de Dublin
** Régiment de
Feilding (1689–1690)
** Régiment de Fitzgerald (1703–1708) (renamed 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 from 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 Fitzjames' Horse)
** Sheldon's Horse (1698– ) (renamed Nigent's Horse)
First French Empire
The First French Empire or French Empire (; ), also known as Napoleonic France, was the empire ruled by Napoleon Bonaparte, who established French hegemony over much of continental Europe at the beginning of the 19th century. It lasted from ...
*
Irish Legion (1803–1815)
Germany
Bavaria
During the
War of the Spanish Succession
The War of the Spanish Succession was a European great power conflict fought between 1701 and 1714. The immediate cause was the death of the childless Charles II of Spain in November 1700, which led to a struggle for control of the Spanish E ...
Irishmen formed 8% of the Bavarian officer corps. The Elector of Bavaria,
Maximilian, was also governor of Spanish Netherlands and nominated Irish officers to Walloon regiments.
Unified Germany
*
Baron George Von Scheffler,
Gardes du Corps (Prussia)
The Gardes du Corps (''Regiment der Gardes du Corps'') was the royal cuirassier guard regiment unit of the king of Prussia and, after 1871, of the German Emperor (in German, the ''Kaiser''). The unit was founded in 1740 by Frederick the Great. I ...
1914–18
In the
First World War
World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...
,
Imperial Germany
The German Empire (),; ; World Book, Inc. ''The World Book dictionary, Volume 1''. World Book, Inc., 2003. p. 572. States that Deutsches Reich translates as "German Realm" and was a former official name of Germany. also referred to as Imperia ...
tried with the help of
Roger Casement
Roger David Casement (; 1 September 1864 – 3 August 1916), known as Sir Roger Casement, CMG, between 1911 and 1916, was a diplomat and Irish nationalist executed by the United Kingdom for treason during World War I. He worked for the Britis ...
to recruit an
"Irish Brigade" from Irish-born
prisoners of war
A prisoner of war (POW) is a person held captive by a belligerent power during or immediately after an armed conflict. The earliest recorded usage of the phrase "prisoner of war" dates back to 1610.
Belligerents hold prisoners of war for a ...
who had served in the British Army. By 1916 only 52 men had volunteered, and the plan was abandoned.
In the
Second World War
World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
an even smaller number volunteered to join the
Wehrmacht
The ''Wehrmacht'' (, ) were the unified armed forces of Nazi Germany from 1935 to 1945. It consisted of the German Army (1935–1945), ''Heer'' (army), the ''Kriegsmarine'' (navy) and the ''Luftwaffe'' (air force). The designation "''Wehrmac ...
of
Nazi Germany
Nazi Germany, officially known as the German Reich and later the Greater German Reich, was the German Reich, German state between 1933 and 1945, when Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party controlled the country, transforming it into a Totalit ...
and were trained at
Friesack Camp. Separately some
IRA sympathisers
planned certain operations with the
Abwehr
The (German language, German for ''resistance'' or ''defence'', though the word usually means ''counterintelligence'' in a military context) ) was the German military intelligence , military-intelligence service for the ''Reichswehr'' and the ...
that were generally unsuccessful.
India

*
Connaught Rangers, disbanded 1922
*
Leinster Regiment, disbanded 1922
*
Royal Dublin Fusiliers, disbanded 1922
*
Royal Irish Fusiliers
The Royal Irish Fusiliers (Princess Victoria's) was an Irish line infantry (later changed to light infantry) regiment of the British Army, formed by the amalgamation of the 87th (Prince of Wales's Irish) Regiment of Foot and the 89th (Princess ...
*
Royal Irish Regiment, disbanded 1922
*
Royal Munster Fusiliers
The Royal Munster Fusiliers was a line infantry regiment of the British Army from 1881 to 1922. It traced its origins to the East India Company, East India Company's Bengal European Regiment raised in 1652, which later became the 101st Regiment ...
, disbanded 1922
Latin America

The presence and impact of the Irish in Latin America dates back to the time of Spanish rule, when in different historical periods they migrated to the
Iberian Peninsula
The Iberian Peninsula ( ), also known as Iberia, is a peninsula in south-western Europe. Mostly separated from the rest of the European landmass by the Pyrenees, it includes the territories of peninsular Spain and Continental Portugal, comprisin ...
and from there to the American continent, enlisted in the colonization, trade, army and administration companies.
The greatest concentration and contributions occurred during the emancipation wars from Spanish rule.
Events
*
Spanish American wars of independence
The Spanish American wars of independence () took place across the Spanish Empire during the early 19th century. The struggles in both hemispheres began shortly after the outbreak of the Peninsular War, forming part of the broader context of the ...
(1811–26)
*
Irish and German Mercenary Soldiers' Revolt – Brazil 1828
*
USA intervention in Mexico (1846–48)
People
*
William Aylmer– Aide-de-camp to
Mariano Montilla in
Venezuela
Venezuela, officially the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, is a country on the northern coast of South America, consisting of a continental landmass and many Federal Dependencies of Venezuela, islands and islets in the Caribbean Sea. It com ...
*
John Blossett- led the second
British Legion
The Royal British Legion (RBL), formerly the British Legion, is a British Charitable organization, charity providing financial, social and emotional support to members and veterans of the British Armed Forces, their families and dependants.
...
to aid
Simon Bolivar in the wars of independence against Spain.
*
William Brown (admiral)
William Brown (also known in Spanish as Guillermo Brown or ''Almirante'' Brown) (22 June 1777 – 3 March 1857) was an Irish sailor, merchant, and naval commander who served in the Argentine Navy during the wars of the early 19th century. Brow ...
– "Father of the Argentine Navy"
*
Peter (Pedro) Campbell – Founder of the Uruguayan Navy (see
Pedro Campbell for detailed information.)
*
Charles Chamberlain, Irish colonel who was attached to the Staff of General Simon Bolivar. Chamberlain severely wounded in the battle of Unare Barracks took refuge with his wife
Eulalia Ramos in
Barcelona
Barcelona ( ; ; ) is a city on the northeastern coast of Spain. It is the capital and largest city of the autonomous community of Catalonia, as well as the second-most populous municipality of Spain. With a population of 1.6 million within c ...
(Venezuela). In march of 1817 the Royalist Army siege Barcelona. The town's entire population took refuge in the Convent of San Francisco transformed in fortress by Simon Bolivar. On 7 April 1817 Chamberlain died in combat and his wife Eulalia Ramos attempted to move his body before being captured and beaten by a Spanish officer. He proposed that she gives up the independence cause in exchange for remaining alive, but she quickly took his gun and shot him in the chest, killing him instantly, while shouting ''"Viva la Patria -- mueran los tiranos".'' Immediately, the other Spaniards pounce on her, killing her with their bayonets, while the Fortress fell into the hands of the royalist forces.
* – Commander of the Irish Legion in Venezuela and New Granada.
*
Antonio Donovan (1849–1897) – General in
Argentina
Argentina, officially the Argentine Republic, is a country in the southern half of South America. It covers an area of , making it the List of South American countries by area, second-largest country in South America after Brazil, the fourt ...
(text in Spanish)
*
William Ferguson (1800–1828) – Aide-de-camp to General
Simon Bolívar, involved in the struggle for independence of Venezuela, New Granada and Peru. On 28 September 1828 at Santafe de Bogotá, Ferguson was mistaken by conspirators for Bolívar, and shot in the back and mortally wounded while walking down the street. Honoured with a public funeral his remains were buried at the cathedral of Bogotá, an unusual honour for a Protestant.
*
Rupert Hand – Cavalry colonel that assassinated general
José María Córdova. Governor of El Choco (Colombia)
*
Juan MacKenna – Founder of the Military Corps of Engineers of the Chilean Army.
*
Juan Garland – military engineer in the service of Spain and active in Chile.
*
William Lamport – nicknamed El Zorro, The Fox, due to his exploits in Mexico
*
Patrick Lynch – Capitán de Milicias in Río de la Plata
*
Estanislao Lynch – Argentine officer in the
Army of the Andes
The Army of the Andes () was a military force created by the United Provinces of South America, United Provinces of the Río de la Plata (Argentina) and assembled by General José de San Martín as part of his campaign to liberate Chile from the S ...
*
Patricio Lynch – Admiral of the Chilean navy
*
Joseph Mires- mathematician that founded the math Academy of Caracas (1808) as captain of the Regiment of the Queen, but soon turned to the cause of Venezuelan Patriots. As aid de camp of Marshal Antonio José de Sucre he will face battles, prison and exile until to be fired in Guayaquil, Ecuador, in 1829.
*
Santiago Mariño Fitzgerald – Venezuelan born of an Irish mother descent, aide de camp to Simón Bolívar in Venezuela
*
José Trinidad Morán- Venezuelan military man of an Irish father descent. Obtained Peruvian nationality for his services rendered in the war of independence. Participated in the liberation campaigns of Ecuador, Peru and Bolivia
*
Richard Murphy O'Leary – general surgeon, aide de camp to
Simón Bolívar
Simón José Antonio de la Santísima Trinidad Bolívar y Palacios (24July 178317December 1830) was a Venezuelan statesman and military officer who led what are currently the countries of Colombia, Venezuela, Ecuador, Peru, Panama, and Bol ...
in Venezuela
*
John Thomond O'Brien – Aide-de-camp to general
José de San Martín
José Francisco de San Martín y Matorras (; 25 February 177817 August 1850), nicknamed "the Liberator of Argentina, Chile and Peru", was an Argentine general and the primary leader of the southern and central parts of South America's succe ...
.
*
Jorge O'Brien – Captain of the Chilean Navy during the
Chilean War of Independence
The Chilean War of Independence (Spanish language, Spanish: ''Guerra de la Independencia de Chile'', 'War of Independence of Chile') was a military and political event that allowed the emancipation of Chile from the Spanish Empire, Spanish Mona ...
.
*
Francis O'Connor – officer in the Irish Legion of
Simon Bolivar, Aide de camp to
Antonio Jose de Sucre in Peru, Minister of War in
Bolivia
Bolivia, officially the Plurinational State of Bolivia, is a landlocked country located in central South America. The country features diverse geography, including vast Amazonian plains, tropical lowlands, mountains, the Gran Chaco Province, w ...
.
*
Morgan O'Connell– Aide-de-camp to general Simon Bolivar in
Venezuela
Venezuela, officially the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, is a country on the northern coast of South America, consisting of a continental landmass and many Federal Dependencies of Venezuela, islands and islets in the Caribbean Sea. It com ...
*
Hugh O'Conor- Military governor of northern Mexico.
*
Demetrio O'Daly (general) – Puerto Rican delegate to the Spanish Cortes
*
Juan O'Donojú
Juan José Rafael Teodomiro de O'Donojú y O'Ryan (, 30 July 1762 – 8 October 1821) was a Spanish-Irish people, Irish military officer, diplomat and Viceroy of New Spain (Mexico) from 21 July 1821 to 28 September 1821 during the Mexican War ...
- Lieutenant General in the service of Spain and last viceroy of New Spain.
*
Ricardo O'Donovan- officer of the Peruvian army of Irish ancestors who died in combat in the battle of Arica
*
Ambrosio O'Higgins – Colonial administrator and military governor of Chile (1788–1796), father of Bernardo O'Higgins
*
Bernardo O'Higgins
Bernardo O'Higgins Riquelme (; 20 August 1778 – 24 October 1842) was a Chilean independence leader who freed Chile from Spanish rule in the Chilean War of Independence. He was a wealthy landowner of Basque people, Basque-Spanish people, Spani ...
– First Chilean head of state (Supreme Director, 1817–23), commanded the forces that won independence from Spain.
*
Daniel Florencio O'Leary
Daniel Florence O'Leary (; 14 February 1801 – 24 February 1854) was a general, military general and aide-de-camp under Simón Bolívar.
Life
O'Leary was born in Cork (city), Cork, Ireland; his father was Jeremiah O'Leary, a butter merchant. ...
– aide de camp to
Simón Bolívar
Simón José Antonio de la Santísima Trinidad Bolívar y Palacios (24July 178317December 1830) was a Venezuelan statesman and military officer who led what are currently the countries of Colombia, Venezuela, Ecuador, Peru, Panama, and Bol ...
in Venezuela
*
Tomás O'Neille - governor of San Andres island
*
Arturo O'Neill de Tyrone y O'Kelly (1736–1814) - Spanish Army officer and colonial governor of Florida and Yucatán.
*
Sebastián Kindelán y O'Regan - governor of East Florida, Santo Domingo and Cuba.
*
Alexander O'Reilly – General, "Father of the Puerto Rican Militia"
*
Diego O'Reilly – General, led royalist troops into the Battle of Pasco (1820), but was defeated by General Arenales using thick snowfall to launch a surprise attack.
*
Robert Otway – Materially supported the
Independence of Brazil
The independence of Brazil comprised a series of political and military events that led to the independence of the Kingdom of Brazil from the United Kingdom of Portugal, Brazil and the Algarves as the Empire of Brazil, Brazilian Empire. It is c ...
*
Robert Piggot – First Irish commander of
1st Venezuelan Rifles of Bolivar Army
*
Middleton Power – aide de camp to
Simón Bolívar
Simón José Antonio de la Santísima Trinidad Bolívar y Palacios (24July 178317December 1830) was a Venezuelan statesman and military officer who led what are currently the countries of Colombia, Venezuela, Ecuador, Peru, Panama, and Bol ...
in Venezuela
*
John Riley Comandante of the
Saint Patrick's Battalion in the
American-Mexican War
*
James Rooke – at command of
British Legions
The British Legion () or British Legions were Foreign volunteers, foreign volunteer units which fought under Simón Bolívar against Spain for the independence of Colombia, Venezuela, and Ecuador, and under José de San Martín for the independen ...
was seriously wounded in the
Battle of Vargas Swamp (Colombia)
*
Arthur Sandes – Second Irish commander of
1st Venezuelan Rifles of Bolivar Army
*
Thomas Charles Wright - Irish-born naval admiral. He was the founding-father of the Ecuadorian Navy, and a general in Bolívar's army.
*
James Towers English – Irish commander of British Legions forces in the Spanish American wars of independence.
*
Pedro Dartnell – Descendant of Irish, Commander-in-Chief of the Chilean Army. President of the Provisional Government Junta of 1925
'Irish' named units in Latin America
*
1st Regiment Venezuelan Rifles – Irish regiment that took part in the
Venezuelan War of Independence
The Venezuelan War of Independence (, 1810–1823) was one of the Spanish American wars of independence of the early nineteenth century, when independence movements in South America fought a civil war for secession and against unity of the S ...
.
*
Saint Patrick's Battalion – Irish American battalion that deserted and fought for Mexico in the
Mexican–American War
The Mexican–American War (Spanish language, Spanish: ''guerra de Estados Unidos-México, guerra mexicano-estadounidense''), also known in the United States as the Mexican War, and in Mexico as the United States intervention in Mexico, ...
Papal States
The Irish that went to fight for the Papal States were not professional soldiers but an entirely voluntary force (a few were members of Cork Constabulary) that was raised with a sole purpose, to defend
Pope Pius IX
Pope Pius IX (; born Giovanni Maria Battista Pietro Pellegrino Isidoro Mastai-Ferretti; 13 May 1792 – 7 February 1878) was head of the Catholic Church from 1846 to 1878. His reign of nearly 32 years is the longest verified of any pope in hist ...
. By 1860 the ability of foreign countries to recruit in Ireland and Great Britain was frowned upon but still technically possible. It wouldn't be outlawed for another ten years with the
Foreign Enlistment Act. Despite being promised that they would serve in a single brigade they were scattered among other brigades with men from other European Catholic countries. They were poorly clothed and equipped but fought with gallantry. The first battle they played a part in was
Perugia
Perugia ( , ; ; ) is the capital city of Umbria in central Italy, crossed by the River Tiber. The city is located about north of Rome and southeast of Florence. It covers a high hilltop and part of the valleys around the area. It has 162,467 ...
where after most of the Papal force surrendered the Irish continued to fight. The next battle where the Irish fought was
Spoleto
Spoleto (, also , , ; ) is an ancient city in the Italian province of Perugia in east-central Umbria on a foothill of the Apennines. It is south of Trevi, north of Terni, southeast of Perugia; southeast of Florence; and north of Rome.
H ...
. 300 Irish volunteers under
Myles O'Reilly held off 2,500 veteran Piedmontese, including
Victor Emmanuel's elite light infantry the
Bersaglieri for fourteen hours including vicious hand-to-hand fighting.
The next significant engagement was the
Battle of Castelfidardo where 150 Irishmen fought. The war ended shortly after this when the outnumbered and out-equipped Papal army was ordered by Pius to lay down their arms.
Apart from
Myles O'Reilly this was the first military experience of
Myles Keogh who later on fought with distinction during the US Civil War and after in the
United States Cavalry
The United States Cavalry, or U.S. Cavalry, was the designation of the mounted force of the United States Army. The United States Cavalry was formally created by an act of United States Congress, Congress on 3 August 1861 and ceased as a dist ...
until he fell at the
Battle of Little Bighorn in 1876.
Portugal
Kingdom of Portugal
The Kingdom of Portugal was a Portuguese monarchy, monarchy in the western Iberian Peninsula and the predecessor of the modern Portuguese Republic. Existing to various extents between 1139 and 1910, it was also known as the Kingdom of Portugal a ...
* Marshal
William Beresford, 1st Viscount Beresford
William Carr Beresford, 1st Viscount Beresford, (; 2 October 1768 – 8 January 1854) was a British army officer and politician. A General (British Army), general in the British Army and a Marshal of Portugal, Marshal in the Portuguese Army, ...
; head of the Portuguese army from 1809 to 1820.
Russia
The most recognised and outstanding Irishman to serve in the Russian Army was
Peter Lacy from
Bruff
Bruff () is a town in east County Limerick, in the midwest of Republic of Ireland, Ireland, located on the old Limerick–Cork (city), Cork road (R512 road (Ireland), R512). The town lies on the River Maigue, Morning Star river, with two bridg ...
, County Limerick, who died in 1751 while governor of Livonia. Lacy's daughter married another Irish man from Limerick,
General George Browne who became a Russian general and their son
Johann Georg von Browne also rose to the rank of general in Russia. Count John O'Rourke was a prominent military theorist during the time of Catherine the Great. O'Rourke and his brother Cornelius joined the Russian Army. Cornelius married a niece of
Lacy. John O'Rourke's son
Joseph Cornelius O'Rourke rose to the rank of lieutenant general during the Napoleonic period. Another prominent descendant
Eduard Alexander Ladislaus Graf (Count) O'Rourke became the bishop of Gdańsk in the inter-war years and died an exile in Rome in 1943.
*
Field Marshal Count Peter von Lacy
Sweden
Irish military involvement in the Swedish army was neither happy nor successful. At the beginning of the seventeenth century about 6,000 men were shipped out of Ulster for the security of the plantation and sent to Sweden. They were especially unhappy fighting for a Lutheran power. Some Irish
friar
A friar is a member of one of the mendicant orders in the Catholic Church. There are also friars outside of the Catholic Church, such as within the Anglican Communion. The term, first used in the 12th or 13th century, distinguishes the mendi ...
s disguised themselves as soldiers and moved among the men encouraging them to desert to Catholic powers. The men then left Swedish service and most joined the army of Poland. After this incident
Gustavus Adolphus
Gustavus Adolphus (9 December N.S 19 December">Old_Style_and_New_Style_dates.html" ;"title="/nowiki>Old Style and New Style dates">N.S 19 December15946 November Old Style and New Style dates">N.S 16 November] 1632), also known in English as ...
refused to accept any large scale recruitment of Irishmen considering them untrustworthy. However a small number went to serve in the officer corps. The most prominent of these was
Hugh Hamilton, 1st Viscount of Glenawly. Two of his nephews also entered Swedish service.
South Africa
Some Irish fought in British ranks in various colonial wars. Some Irish were also among the 1820 settlers, a famous example is the Rorke family whose descendants went on to set up Rorkes Drift.
Battle of Rorkes Drift
Disbanded 'Irish' named units in South Africa
*
Cape Town Irish Volunteer Rifles
*
Irish Boer commandos
** Irish Transvaal Brigade
** 2nd Irish Brigade
'Irish' named units in South Africa
*
South African Irish Regiment Formed in 1914
Spain
The first major military exodus of Irishmen to Spain happened after the failure of the
Second Desmond Rebellion
The Second Desmond Rebellion (1579–1583) was the more widespread and bloody of the two Desmond Rebellions in Ireland launched by the FitzGerald Dynasty of County Desmond, Desmond in Munster against English rule. The second rebellion began in ...
in 1583. At least 200 Irish were part of the
Armada in 1588. About the same time, in 1587, 600 Irishmen under the command of
Sir William Stanley sent to aid the Dutch in their war with Spain switched sides with their commander and served Spain.
The next great exodus of Irishmen to serve in the armies occurred after the
Siege of Kinsale. An Irish regiment was formed in 1605 and Colonel
Henry O'Neill
Henry O'Neill (August 10, 1891 – May 18, 1961) was an American actor known for playing gray-haired fathers, lawyers, and similarly dignified roles on film during the 1930s and 1940s.
Early life
Henry O'Neill was born in Orange, New J ...
was placed at its head. Five other Irish regiments were formed between 1632 and 1646 and were placed under the command of
The Earl of Tyrconnell,
Owen Roe O'Neill,
Thomas Preston, Patrick FitzGerald and John Murphy. Later they were joined by Irishmen who had served in the army of
Henri de Bourbon and
Charles IV. The difficulties that plagued them at home were carried to the continent when O'Donnells refused to serve under O'Neills and tension existed between the Old English and the Old Irish. This was especially evident in tensions between O'Neill and Preston.
After the
Cromwellian conquest of Ireland
The Cromwellian conquest of Ireland (1649–1653) was the re-conquest of Ireland by the Commonwealth of England, initially led by Oliver Cromwell. It forms part of the 1641 to 1652 Irish Confederate Wars, and wider 1639 to 1653 Wars of the Three ...
there was a fresh exodus of men which suited the English as it ensured that men of fighting age would be engaged in wars on the continent. In one incident in 1653 during the Siege of
Girona
Girona (; ) is the capital city of the Province of Girona in the autonomous community of Catalonia, Spain, at the confluence of the Ter, Onyar, Galligants, and Güell rivers. The city had an official population of 106,476 in 2024, but the p ...
(
Principality of Catalonia
The Principality of Catalonia (; ; ; ) was a Middle Ages, medieval and early modern state (polity), state in the northeastern Iberian Peninsula. During most of its history it was in dynastic union with the Kingdom of Aragon, constituting together ...
) some of the Irish defenders deserted and joined the French under
de Bellefonds. With the restoration of
Charles II in 1660 most of the remaining Irish chose to return to Ireland. Two regiments remained under the command of the O'Neills and
Hugh Balldearg O'Donnell.
With the
War of Succession
A war of succession is a war prompted by a succession crisis in which two or more individuals claim to be the Order of succession, rightful successor to a demise of the Crown, deceased or deposition (politics), deposed monarch. The rivals are ...
in 1701 Irish regiments were reformed mostly via France. Two
dragoon
Dragoons were originally a class of mounted infantry, who used horses for mobility, but dismounted to fight on foot. From the early 17th century onward, dragoons were increasingly also employed as conventional cavalry and trained for combat wi ...
regiments were formed and named after their founders, O'Mahony (1703) and Crofton (1705). Four infantry regiments were formed between 1702 and 1718 while a fifth transferred from French service in 1715. They were named:
*Regimento de Infantería de Hibernia (1705– )
*Regimento de Infantería de Irlanda (1702– )
*Regimento de Infantería de Limerick (1718– )
*Regimento de Infantería de Ultonia (Ulster) (1718– )
*Regimento de Infantería de Wauchop (1715– )
*Regimento de Infantería de Waterford (1718– )
There was a certain amount of reorganisation, so the Regimento de Infantería de Waterford became the second battalion of Irlanda in 1733. When
Charles, Duke of Parma (future Charles II) became King of Naples and Sicily he took Regimento de Infantería de Limerick with him into Neapolitan service, where it was known as Regimento del Rey. The remaining regiments remained in Spanish service and wore red uniforms until 1802, when they changed to light blue in common with the remainder of the Spanish army.
Notable commanders
*
Donal Cam O'Sullivan Beare
*
Hugh Dubh O'Neill
*
Shane O'Neill (son of Hugh)
*
Field Marshal Alejandro O'Reilly
*
Arturo O'Neill
*
Juan O'Neylle
*
Luis de Lacy
*
Juan O'Donojú
Juan José Rafael Teodomiro de O'Donojú y O'Ryan (, 30 July 1762 – 8 October 1821) was a Spanish-Irish people, Irish military officer, diplomat and Viceroy of New Spain (Mexico) from 21 July 1821 to 28 September 1821 during the Mexican War ...
*
Joaquín Blake y Joyes
*
Ricardo Wall
*
Leopoldo O'Donnell y Jorris
*
Carlos Manuel O'Donnell y Anhetan
*
Enrique O'Donnell, Conde de La Bisbal
*
Joseph O'Donnell Jr.
*
Joseph O'Donnell Sr.
*
Charles Wogan
*
Gonzalo O'Farrill
*
Garret Barry
*
Balthazar Bourke
*
Redmond Burke
*
William Burke
*
Tomás Burke
Tomás Burke (floruit, fl. 1600–02) was an Irish people, Irish gentleman and soldier who served during the Nine Years' War (Ireland), Nine Years' War.
Career
The most obscure of the four known sons of John na Seamar Burke (died 1583), Burke ...
*
Dominic Collins
Dominic Collins, SJ (; 1566 – 31 October 1602) was an Irish Jesuit lay brother, an ex-soldier, who died for his Catholic faith. He was beatified by Pope John Paul II, along with 16 other Irish Catholic Martyrs, on 27 September 1993.
*
Piers Butler
*
Juan Garland
*
Richard Grace
*
Murrough O'Brien
*
William Lamport
*
Patrick Lawless
*
Juan Mackenna
*
Owen Roe O'Neill
*
Alejandro O'Reilly
*
Bernardo O'Connor
*
John Patrick O'Gara
*
Joseph O'Lawlor
*
Hugh Dubh O'Neill
*
Philip O'Sullivan Beare
*
John Sherlock
*
Shane O'Neill
*
Willaim Walsh
*
William Talbot
*
Thomas Preston
Spanish Civil War (1936–1939)
*
Frank Ryan
*
Eoin O'Duffy
Eoin O'Duffy (born Owen Duffy; 28 January 1890 – 30 November 1944) was an Irish revolutionary, soldier, police commissioner, politician and fascist. O'Duffy was the leader of the Monaghan Brigade of the Irish Republican Army (IRA) and a promin ...
*
Irish Brigade (Spanish Civil War)
*
Irish Socialist Volunteers
United States

Irish have been fighting in the United States and British North America all the way back to the mid-1600s mostly in Virginia, Pennsylvania, and the Carolinas. Florence O’Sullivan a captain who was an early settler in South Carolina who was involved in much of the fighting against the Spanish and natives
Sullivans Island.
In the 1700s Irish surnames could be found on various colonial American records especially in Provincial military units that contained large amounts of troops born in Ireland even Washington's force at the battle of fort necessity the muster roll is found online. An example being frontiersman
Samuel Brady. And earlier
Thomas Dongan. Irish involvement only heightened with the American revolution and later in the mid-1800s when most of the Irish immigrants came to the United States.
*
Hercules Mooney
*
Daniel Sullivan
*
Edward Hand
*
Thomas Hickey
*
Jeremiah O’Brien
*
Timothy Murphy (sniper)
*
John Sullivan (general) revolutionary war general
*
Richard Butler (general)
Richard Butler (April 1, 1743 – November 4, 1791) was an Anglo-Irish officer in the Continental Army during the American Revolutionary War who was later killed while fighting Native Americans at the Battle of the Wabash.
Family
Born in St. ...
*
Stephen Watts Kearny
*
Thomas MacDonough
*
John Coffee
John R. Coffee (June 2, 1772 – July 7, 1833) was an American planter of English descent, and a state militia brigadier general in Tennessee. He commanded troops under General Andrew Jackson during the Creek Wars (1813–14) and the Battle ...
*
Presley Neville O’Bannon
*
Michael Corcoran, General in the Union Army
*
Thomas Francis Meagher
*
Commodore John Barry "Father of the American Navy"
*
Myles Walter Keogh
*
Edward Stack
*
Richard Montgomery
Richard Montgomery (2 December 1738 – 31 December 1775) was an Irish-born American military officer who first served in the British Army. He later became a major general in the Continental Army during the American Revolutionary War, and ...
*
Philip Sheridan
*
James Shields (Brig. Gen. USA) Planned defeat of General
Thomas "Stonewall" Jackson
Thomas Jonathan "Stonewall" Jackson (January 21, 1824 – May 10, 1863) was a Confederate general and military officer who served during the American Civil War. He played a prominent role in nearly all military engagements in the eastern the ...
at
Kernstown in 1862
Confederate States of America
*
William M. Browne
*
Patrick Cleburne
Major general, Major-General Patrick Ronayne Cleburne ( ; March 16, 1828November 30, 1864) was a senior Officer (armed forces), officer in the Confederate States Army who commanded infantry in the Western Theater of the American Civil War, West ...
*
Richard W. Dowling
*
Joseph Finegan
*
James Hagan (Confederate colonel)
*
Walter P. Lane
*
Patrick T. Moore
*
John Mitchel
'Irish' named units in the United States
Many of these units have their origins from the participation of
Irish-Americans in the American Civil War.
:''Incomplete''
American Revolution
The American Revolution (1765–1783) was a colonial rebellion and war of independence in which the Thirteen Colonies broke from British America, British rule to form the United States of America. The revolution culminated in the American ...
Loyalists
** Loyal Irish Volunteers
** 2nd American Regiment (
Volunteers of Ireland) later the 105th Regiment of Foot (British Army)
*
John Connolly
American Civil War
The American Civil War (April 12, 1861May 26, 1865; also known by Names of the American Civil War, other names) was a civil war in the United States between the Union (American Civil War), Union ("the North") and the Confederate States of A ...
Union Army
*
69th Pennsylvania Infantry (formerly 2nd California) ("The Rock of Erin")
*9th Connecticut Infantry
* 7th Missouri Infantry Regiment (Union), 7th Missouri Infantry Regiment
* 8th Missouri Infantry Regiment (Union), 8th Missouri Infantry Regiment
* 30th Missouri Infantry Regiment ("Shamrock Regiment")
* 9th Regiment Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry, 9th Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry
* 10th Ohio Infantry, 10th Ohio Volunteer Infantry
* 10th Regiment Tennessee Volunteer Infantry, 10th Tennessee Volunteer Infantry (formerly 1st Middle Tennessee Volunteer Infantry)
* 23rd Illinois Volunteer Infantry
* 90th Illinois Infantry Regiment ("Irish Legion" or "Second Irish")
* 28th Massachusetts Infantry regiment, 28th Massachusetts Infantry
* 30th Missouri Volunteer Infantry
* 35th Regiment Indiana Infantry, 35th Indiana Volunteer Infantry ("1st Irish")
* 37th New York Volunteer Infantry ("The Irish Rifles")
* 42nd New York Volunteer Infantry ("Tammany Jackson Guard")
* 63rd New York Infantry, 63rd New York Volunteer Infantry
* 69th Infantry Regiment (New York), 69th New York Volunteer Infantry ("Fighting 69th"). Currently an Army National Guard battalion that maintains Irish traditions
* 88th New York Infantry, 88th New York Volunteer Infantry
* 99th New York Volunteer Infantry
* 116th Pennsylvania Volunteer Infantry
* 164th New York Volunteer Infantry ("Corcoran's Irish Zouaves")
* Irish Brigade (US)
Confederate Army
* 1st Virginia Infantry Battalion, 1st Irish Battalion, Virginia Infantry Regulars
* 2nd Tennessee Volunteer Infantry ("Irish")
* 6th Louisiana Volunteer Infantry ("Irish Brigade")
* 9th Georgia Cavalry
* 10th Tennessee Volunteer Infantry ("Sons of Erin")
* Louisiana Tigers
* 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 Infantry Regiment, 8th Alabama Volunteer Infantry ("Emerald Guards")
* Cobb's Legion (Georgia Legion)
* 24th Georgia Infantry Regiment
*Company D, 18th Arkansas Infantry Regiment, Marmaduke's ("The Shamrock Guards")
Modern era
* Admiral William M. Callaghan
* Michael Mullen, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff 2007–11
* Martin Dempsey, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff 2011-15
See also
* Flight of the Wild Geese
* Foreign enlistment in the American Civil War
* Loyalist (American Revolution)
Notes
{{DEFAULTSORT:Irish Military Diaspora
Irish diaspora
American Civil War
American Revolutionary War
Confederate States Army soldiers
Expatriate military units and formations
Foreign Confederate military personnel,
Loyalists in the American Revolution,
Military history of the American Civil War
Social history of the American Civil War
Irish regiments,
Irish regiments of the British Army
Irish regiments of the United States Army
Irish regiments in European armies
Irish regiments in French service
War scare
Infantry