Irish Identities in the British Army during the First World War

Abstract

This chapter places the Irish identities in the British Army during the First World War within the context of centuries-long traditions closely related to both national politics and mobilization. It looks at the trope of Irish soldiers, which were considered as brave and valuable as shock troops but lacking in discipline and reliability. It also discusses traditions that created ideas that would inform service in the First World War: one was a Protestant military narrative of service, while the other is a story of service for foreign nations in an “Irish Brigade.” The chapter highlights the Irish involvement in the British Army, which formally manifested itself in the Irish infantry regiments. It refers to the infantry units that went into action in the First World War that were organizationally the product of the 1881 Childers Reforms.