The Irish Volunteers

[Stanley_C_Jenkins]

Is there ony reliable figure for the number of Irish Volunteers (ie members of the Irish Volunteer Force) who served in the army during World War I? I know that, when the movement split in September 1914, 168,000 IV members followed Redmond and, (by implication) supported the war effort, whereas only 12,000 opposed the war - the latter being the hard-line separatists.

[tony paley]

Stanley,

Quoting from Myles Dungan's, 'They Shall Not Grow Old', published by four Courts Press. As soon as war was declared 7,500 members of the Volunteers, (National Volunteers) who were reservists were obliged to rejoin their units, but by 1916 the Force had contributed more than 24,000 to the British Army. Most of these men formed the 16th Irish Division. the book does go on to say that although the National Volunteers were not allowed to form their own units, as had the 36th (Ulster)Division, who reflected their UVF. connections, the 16th Irish Division was, effectively, the equivelant of the 36th. the 10th Irish division, the first Irish Division to be formed, reflected the religous mix of the South contaiining far more protestants and unionists than the 16th Division. hope this is of some help.

Tony P