The Flight Of The Wild Geese And
The Irish Brigades
The ' Flight of the Wild Geese ' refers to the departure of an Irish Jacobite Army under the command of Patrick Sarsfield ( See famous Irish ) from Ireland to France, as agreed in the Treaty of Limerick on October 3rd 1691, following the end of the Williamite War in Ireland. More broadly, the term ' Wild Geese ' is used in Irish history to refer to Irish soldiers who left to serve in continental European armies in the 16th, 17th and 18th centuries.
Spanish Service
The first Irish troops to serve as a unit for a continental power formed an Irish Legion in the Spanish Army of Flanders in the Eighty Years' War in the 1580s. The regiment had been raised by an English Catholic, William Stanley, in Ireland from native Irish soldiers and mercenaries, whom the English authorities wanted out of the country. Stanley was given a commission by Elizabeth I and was intended to lead his regiment on the English side, in support of the Dutch United Provinces. However in 1585, motivated by religious factors and bribes offered by the Spaniards, Stanley defected to the Spanish with the regiment. In 1598 Diego Brochero de Anaya wrote the Spanish King Philip III
That every year Your Highness should order to recruit in Ireland some Irish soldiers who are people tough and strong, and nor the cold weather or bad food could kill them easily as they would with the Spanish, as in their island, which is much colder than this one, they are almost naked, they sleep on the floor and eat oats bread, meat and water, without drinking any wine.
The unit fought in the Netherlands until 1600 when it was disbanded due to heavy wastage through combat and sickness. In 1607 the " Flight of the Earls " occurred, with the defeat of the rebels of the Nine Year's War. The Earl of Tyrone Hugh O'Neill. the Earl of Tyrconnell, Rory O'Donnell and the Lord of Beare and Bantry, Donal O'Sullivan, along with many chiefs and their followers from Ulster, fled Ireland. They hoped to get Spanish help in order to restart their rebellion in Ireland, but King Philip III of Spain did not wish a resumption of war with England and refused their request.
Nevertheless, their arrival led to the formation of a new Irish regiment in Flanders, officered by Gaelic Irish nobles and recruited from their followers and dependents in Ireland. This regiment was more overtly political than its predecessor in Spanish service and was militantly hostile to the English Protestant government in Ireland. The regiment was led by Hugh O'Neill's son John. Prominent officers included Owen Roe O'Neill and Hugh Dubh O'Neill. A fresh source of recruits came in the early 17th century, when Roman Catholics were banned from military and political office in Ireland. As a result, the Irish units in the Spanish service began attracting Catholic Old English officers such as Thomas Preston and Garret Barry. These men had more pro-English views than their Gaelic counterparts and considerable animosity was created over plans to use the Irish regiment to invade Ireland in 1627. The regiment was garrisoned in Brussels during the truce in the Eighty Years' War from 1609-1621 and developed close links with Irish Catholic clergy based in the seminary there, creating the famous Irish Colleges, most notably, Florence Conroy.
Many of the Irish troops in Spanish service returned to Ireland after the Irish Rebellion of 1641 and fought in the armies of Confederate Ireland - a movement of Irish Catholics. When the Confederates were defeated and Ireland occupied after the bloody Cromwellian conquest of Ireland, around 34,000 Irish confederate troops fled the country to seek service in Spain. Some of them later deserted or defected to French service, where the conditions were deemed better. At the time of the Napoleonic Wars there were still three Irish Infantry regiments in the Spanish Army. Irlanda ( raised in 1698 ) Hibernia ( 1709 ) and Ultonia ( 1709 ). However in the later years of the existence of those units only the officers were Irish or of Irish descent, the men being predominantly Spanish or other foreigners. All three regiments were finally disbanded in 1815.
Nevertheless, their arrival led to the formation of a new Irish regiment in Flanders, officered by Gaelic Irish nobles and recruited from their followers and dependents in Ireland. This regiment was more overtly political than its predecessor in Spanish service and was militantly hostile to the English Protestant government in Ireland. The regiment was led by Hugh O'Neill's son John. Prominent officers included Owen Roe O'Neill and Hugh Dubh O'Neill. A fresh source of recruits came in the early 17th century, when Roman Catholics were banned from military and political office in Ireland. As a result, the Irish units in the Spanish service began attracting Catholic Old English officers such as Thomas Preston and Garret Barry. These men had more pro-English views than their Gaelic counterparts and considerable animosity was created over plans to use the Irish regiment to invade Ireland in 1627. The regiment was garrisoned in Brussels during the truce in the Eighty Years' War from 1609-1621 and developed close links with Irish Catholic clergy based in the seminary there, creating the famous Irish Colleges, most notably, Florence Conroy.
Many of the Irish troops in Spanish service returned to Ireland after the Irish Rebellion of 1641 and fought in the armies of Confederate Ireland - a movement of Irish Catholics. When the Confederates were defeated and Ireland occupied after the bloody Cromwellian conquest of Ireland, around 34,000 Irish confederate troops fled the country to seek service in Spain. Some of them later deserted or defected to French service, where the conditions were deemed better. At the time of the Napoleonic Wars there were still three Irish Infantry regiments in the Spanish Army. Irlanda ( raised in 1698 ) Hibernia ( 1709 ) and Ultonia ( 1709 ). However in the later years of the existence of those units only the officers were Irish or of Irish descent, the men being predominantly Spanish or other foreigners. All three regiments were finally disbanded in 1815.
Above left, Uniform and Colonel's flag of the Hibernia Regiment, mid 18th century: Above right picture displaying the uniform of the Regimiento de Infanteria Irlanda.
French Service
From the mid-17th century or so, France overtook Spain as the destination for Catholic Irishmen seeking a military career. The principle reason for this was that France was an ascendant power, rapidly expanding its armed forces, whereas Spain was a power in decline. France recruited many foreign soldiers: Germans, Italians, Walloons and Swiss. Andre Corvisier the authority on French military archives, estimates that foreigners accounted for about 12% of all French troops in peacetime and 20% of troops during war. The Irish regiments earned more than their French counterparts and wore the redcoat of the British army.
The crucial turning point came during the Williamite War in Ireland ( 1688-91 ) when Louis XIV gave military and financial aid to the Irish Jacobites. In return for 6,000 French troops, Louis demanded 6,000 Irish recruits for use in the Nine Years War against the Dutch. These men led by Justin McCarthy, Viscount Mountcashel formed the nucleus of the French Irish Brigade. Later when the Irish Jacobites under Patrick Sarsfield surrendered at the Treaty of Limerick, they were allowed to leave Ireland for service in the French Army. Sarsfield's ' exodus ' included 14,000 soldiers and 10,000 women and children. This is popularly known in Ireland as the ' Flight of the Wild Geese '
Initially, these units were not integrated into the French Army, but were assigned to the court in exile of JamesII, desposed in the Glorious Revolution, whom Louis deemed the legitimate King of England, Ireland and Scotland. They were later incorporated into the Irish Brigade of the French Army. Like the earlier Irish units in Spanish service, the French Irish regiments were quite politicised, being composed of dispossed Irish Catholics, who were committed to a Stuart restoration in Britain and Ireland. Famously, the Irish Brigade distinguished themselves in the Battle of Fontenoy against British troops in 1745.
The crucial turning point came during the Williamite War in Ireland ( 1688-91 ) when Louis XIV gave military and financial aid to the Irish Jacobites. In return for 6,000 French troops, Louis demanded 6,000 Irish recruits for use in the Nine Years War against the Dutch. These men led by Justin McCarthy, Viscount Mountcashel formed the nucleus of the French Irish Brigade. Later when the Irish Jacobites under Patrick Sarsfield surrendered at the Treaty of Limerick, they were allowed to leave Ireland for service in the French Army. Sarsfield's ' exodus ' included 14,000 soldiers and 10,000 women and children. This is popularly known in Ireland as the ' Flight of the Wild Geese '
Initially, these units were not integrated into the French Army, but were assigned to the court in exile of JamesII, desposed in the Glorious Revolution, whom Louis deemed the legitimate King of England, Ireland and Scotland. They were later incorporated into the Irish Brigade of the French Army. Like the earlier Irish units in Spanish service, the French Irish regiments were quite politicised, being composed of dispossed Irish Catholics, who were committed to a Stuart restoration in Britain and Ireland. Famously, the Irish Brigade distinguished themselves in the Battle of Fontenoy against British troops in 1745.
The Battle of Fontenoy, 11th May 1745
The Battle of Fontenoy, May 11th, 1745 was a French victory over the Anglo-Dutch-Hanoverian " Pragmatic Army" in the War of Austrian Succession. It was fought in the Austrian Netherlands in present day Belgium. The French forces, under Marshal Maurice de Saxe had outmaneuvered the Allies by feinting an advance on the city of Mons which diverted the Allied forces. De Saxe then marched his main army on Tournai, defended by a Dutch garrison of 7,000 and invested it. With the French besieging Tournai, the Allies were compelled to come to its relief as the city was the gateway to Flanders. The Angl-Hanovarian Dutch and Austrian army under the Duke of Cumberland advanced to Tournai. The Allied army was known as the Pragmatic Army because it was a confederation of states that supported the Pragmatic Sanction of 1713 agreements to recognise Maria-Theresa as Empress of the Holy Roman Empire.
De Saxe had deployed the French on a slight rise in a strong position designed to compensate for the somewhat lesser quality of his infantry compared to the British Foot regiments. The King of France, Louis the XV, was present on the field. The French line ran at a right angle with the village of Fontenoy as its apex and fortified linchpin. To either side of Fontenoy were positions that were defensively enhanced with redoubts and field fortifications. The French right was in the village of Antoing and rested on the River Scheldt, their left on the woods, Le Bois de Barry. De Saxe chose and designed the position to channel the Allies attack into the clear area between Fontenoy and the woods. The Pragmatic Army obliged him with Marshall Koningseck leading the Austrian contingent against Antoing. Prince Waldeck assaulted Fontenoy with the Dutch and Cumberland, leading the main attack force of British and Hanoverians advanced into the funnel between Fontenoy and...
De Saxe had deployed the French on a slight rise in a strong position designed to compensate for the somewhat lesser quality of his infantry compared to the British Foot regiments. The King of France, Louis the XV, was present on the field. The French line ran at a right angle with the village of Fontenoy as its apex and fortified linchpin. To either side of Fontenoy were positions that were defensively enhanced with redoubts and field fortifications. The French right was in the village of Antoing and rested on the River Scheldt, their left on the woods, Le Bois de Barry. De Saxe chose and designed the position to channel the Allies attack into the clear area between Fontenoy and the woods. The Pragmatic Army obliged him with Marshall Koningseck leading the Austrian contingent against Antoing. Prince Waldeck assaulted Fontenoy with the Dutch and Cumberland, leading the main attack force of British and Hanoverians advanced into the funnel between Fontenoy and...
