The experience of soldiering in Ireland in the eighteenth century

The experience of soldiers on the Irish Army Establishment has been largely ignored in the existing histories of eighteenth-century Ireland. Between its formal establishment as a distinct military body in 1699 to its absorption into the British army as part of the Act of Union of 1800, the army in Ireland functioned as a separately funded and commanded branch of the British army. It operated as an ancien régime force for an ancien régime kingdom and was committed to preserving the status quo of the Irish elite. Tens of thousands of men partook in Irish service and the exploration of their experience is the central research objective of this dissertation. The traditional perception of this military force is overwhelmingly negative, created by the application of selective case studies to a century of service. While the army in Ireland certainly had periods of poor performance, these must be located within the history of both eighteenth-century Ireland and the British army more broadly. This thesis provides a comprehensive account of the army in Ireland, examining the experience of the soldiers which filled its ranks in three parts. The first explores the army’s place in military history, its organisation, and structure. This is followed by a comprehensive examination of the life of a soldier, from recruitment and training to daily routine. It also details the living conditions of the soldier, as the barracks network in Ireland provided one of the most unique elements of the soldier’s experience. The final part considers the functioning of the military in Ireland and explores the army-societal relationship from the soldier’s perspective, offering a new insight into this complicated relationship. These parts offer a multi-faceted account of the soldier’s experience and present a novel, measured interpretation of the army in Ireland in the eighteenth century