Irish Regiments
The Irish military diaspora refers to the many people of either Irish birth or extraction (see Irish diaspora) who have served in foreign military forces, regardless of rank, duration of service, or success.
Many foreign military units were primarily made of Irish people or those of Irish military diaspora and had the word 'Irish', an Irish place name or an Irish person in the unit's name. 'Irish' named military units took part in numerous conflicts throughout world history. The first military unit of this kind was in the Spanish Netherlands during the Eighty Years' War between Spain and the Dutch. A notable example would be that of Owen Roe O'Neill.
Read more about Irish Regiments: Austria and Austria-Hungary, Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Latin America, Papal States, Portugal, Russia, Spain, United States of America
Famous quotes containing the word irish:
“For generations, a wide range of shooting in Northern Ireland has provided all sections of the population with a pastime which ... has occupied a great deal of leisure time. Unlike many other countries, the outstanding characteristic of the sport has been that it was not confined to any one class.”
—Northern Irish Tourist Board. quoted in New Statesman (London, Aug. 29, 1969)