Irish Brigade (France): Difference between revisions
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Irish regiments served at virtually every major land battle fought by the French between 1690 and 1789, particularly [[Battle of Steinkeerke (1692)|Steenkirk]] (1692), [[Battle of Neerwinden (1693)|Neerwinden]] (1693), [[Battle of Marsaglia|Marsaglia]] (1693), [[Battle of Blenheim|Blenheim]] (1704), [[Battle of Malplaquet|Malplaquet]] (1709), [[Battle of Fontenoy|Fontenoy]] (1745), [[Battle of Lafelt|Lafelt]] (1747) and [[Battle of Rossbach|Rossbach]] (1757). |
Irish regiments served at virtually every major land battle fought by the French between 1690 and 1789, particularly [[Battle of Steinkeerke (1692)|Steenkirk]] (1692), [[Battle of Neerwinden (1693)|Neerwinden]] (1693), [[Battle of Marsaglia|Marsaglia]] (1693), [[Battle of Blenheim|Blenheim]] (1704), [[Battle of Malplaquet|Malplaquet]] (1709), [[Battle of Fontenoy|Fontenoy]] (1745), [[Battle of Lafelt|Lafelt]] (1747) and [[Battle of Rossbach|Rossbach]] (1757). |
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They also remained strongly attached to the Jacobite cause, taking part in the [[Jacobitism#The_.27Fifteen|rising of 1715]] and the [[Jacobitism#The_.27Forty-Five.27|rising of 1745]], with a composite battalion of infantry and one squadron of cavalry seeing action, particularly at [[Battle of Falkirk (1746)|second Battle of Falkirk]] (where they cemented the victory by driving off the Hanoverians causing the clans to waver) and [[Battle of Culloden|Culloden]], alongside the regiment of Royal Scots (Royal Ecossais) which had been raised the year before in French service. Many other exiled Jacobites in the French army were captured en route to [[Scotland]] in late 1745 and early 1746, most particularly the [[Charles Radcliffe, 5th Earl of Derwentwater]], a captain in Dillon's regiment who was executed in London in 1746. |
They also remained strongly attached to the Jacobite cause, taking part in the [[Jacobitism#The_.27Fifteen|rising of 1715]] and the [[Jacobitism#The_.27Forty-Five.27|rising of 1745]], with a composite battalion of infantry and one squadron of cavalry seeing action, particularly at the [[Battle of Falkirk (1746)|second Battle of Falkirk]] (where they cemented the victory by driving off the Hanoverians causing the clans to waver) and [[Battle of Culloden|Culloden]], alongside the regiment of Royal Scots (Royal Ecossais) which had been raised the year before in French service. Many other exiled Jacobites in the French army were captured en route to [[Scotland]] in late 1745 and early 1746, most particularly the [[Charles Radcliffe, 5th Earl of Derwentwater]], a captain in Dillon's regiment who was executed in London in 1746. |
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Irish regiments served in the [[Seven Years' War]], both in [[Europe]] and [[India]], and during the [[American War of Independence]], though after the late [[1740s]] the number of Irishmen serving in the regiments had begun to markedly decline. Orders were always given in English so many [[Irish language|Irish]]-speaking Irishmen probably learnt their first [[English language|English]] while serving in the French army. |
Irish regiments served in the [[Seven Years' War]], both in [[Europe]] and [[India]], and during the [[American War of Independence]], though after the late [[1740s]] the number of Irishmen serving in the regiments had begun to markedly decline. Orders were always given in English so many [[Irish language|Irish]]-speaking Irishmen probably learnt their first [[English language|English]] while serving in the French army. |
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Revision as of 02:41, 22 May 2006
- For other uses, see Irish Brigade.
The Irish Brigade was a brigade in the French army composed of Irish exiles. 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.
These five Jacobite regiments, named after their colonels: Lord Mountcashel, Butler, Feilding, O'Brien and Dillon, were largely inexperienced and the French immediately disbanded Butler's and Feilding's, either incorporating their men into the remaining three regiments or sending them back to Ireland. The remaining three regiments, Mountcashel's, O'Brien's and Dillon's, formed the Irish Brigade which served the French during the remainder of the Nine Years War (1689-97).
Following the Treaty of Limerick in 1691 which ended the war between King James II and VII and King William III in Ireland, a separate force of circa 12,000 Jacobites had arrived in France in an event known as Flight of the Wild Geese. These were kept separate from the Irish Brigade and were formed into King James's own army in exile, albeit in the pay of France.
With the Treaty of Ryswick in 1697 King James's army in exile was disbanded, though many of its officers and men were reformed into new regiments, and having been merged into the original Irish Brigade these units served the French well until the French Revolution. Others - such as Peter Lacy - proceeded to enter the Austrian service.
Irish regiments served at virtually every major land battle fought by the French between 1690 and 1789, particularly Steenkirk (1692), Neerwinden (1693), Marsaglia (1693), Blenheim (1704), Malplaquet (1709), Fontenoy (1745), Lafelt (1747) and Rossbach (1757).
They also remained strongly attached to the Jacobite cause, taking part in the rising of 1715 and the rising of 1745, with a composite battalion of infantry and one squadron of cavalry seeing action, particularly at the second Battle of Falkirk (where they cemented the victory by driving off the Hanoverians causing the clans to waver) and Culloden, alongside the regiment of Royal Scots (Royal Ecossais) which had been raised the year before in French service. Many other exiled Jacobites in the French army were captured en route to Scotland in late 1745 and early 1746, most particularly the Charles Radcliffe, 5th Earl of Derwentwater, a captain in Dillon's regiment who was executed in London in 1746.
Irish regiments served in the Seven Years' War, both in Europe and India, and during the American War of Independence, though after the late 1740s the number of Irishmen serving in the regiments had begun to markedly decline. Orders were always given in English so many Irish-speaking Irishmen probably learnt their first English while serving in the French army.
The regiments wore red coats and most of their flags were representative of their British Jacobite origins, with every regimental colour carrying the cross of St George and the four crowns of England, Ireland, Scotland and France (Fitzjames's cavalry regiment was an exception in that it had a French design). Nearly all the regiments' flags carried an Irish harp in the centre, exceptions being the regiment of former Foot Guards (whose official title in the 1690s was the King of England's Foot Guards) whose flag was just a cross of St George with a crown in the centre surmounted by a lion.
Some officers of the Irish Brigade are believed to have cried out "Remember Limerick and Saxon Faith" or "Remember Limerick and Saxon perfidy" at the battle of Fontenoy in 1745, though modern research by Eoghan Ó hAnnracháin has shown that it is very doubtful if the regiments would also have been chanting in Irish, a language unknown to possibly a majority of the brigade at the time. For further details see his article "Casualties in the Ranks of the Clare Regiment at Fontenoy" in the Journal of the Cork Historical and Archaeological Society, Number 99, 1994.
Literature
The most detailed book yet published is John O'Callaghan's 19th century work Hisory of the Irish Brigades in the Service of France. The (sometimes innacurate) modern summary is contained in Mark McLaughlin's The Wild Geese, published by Osprey in 1980 as part of their Men at Arms series.