Why Irish Soldiers enlisted in World War One

In this extract from the 1966 documentary ‘And in the Morning’, men who served in the First World War give their reasons for enlisting.
Who were the Irish men who went to serve in the British Army during the First World War? What was their motivation?
In this extract the voices of some of those Irish men who survived the Great War outline why they joined up. The reasons vary from being a supporter of John Redmond, family tradition and belief in a duty to defend small nations.
This documentary was broadcast in 1966 which was also the 50th anniversary of the Easter Rising an event that was commemorated nationally by events countrywide and programmes on radio and television. ‘And in the Morning’ attempted to look at why so many Irish men served and died in the British army in a foreign war when other Irish men were rising against Britain in Dublin.

[@jbeausang5329]

Really like what your doing here. Your preserving history. Fair play.

[@cuchulainn5604]

Irish men whether they died at home or abroad are Irish men none the less and should be remembered as such.

[@thomasmooney5653]

Horse shit

[@stephenbyrneireland]

Correct.

[@CrazyMonkey679]

Exactly!

[@seamas6612]

@@thomasmooney5653 amen

[@gordonjamieson861]

Could it not occur to you that many of the men who enlisted did so because they felt Irish and British. They had family ties with The rest of the British Empire including Britain itself. Not all of Ireland’s people disliked being British some liked it NO they were not traitors to Ireland . The few Irish who actually faught for Independence had not occupied the post office yet while their fellow citizens were fighting the Germans in France. So they were very brave men who were victims of politics. Same as the Brave Irish soldiers in the Congo

[@anthonycosgrave8539]

Eight of my family fought in WW1. Three were KIA. My grandfather was wounded at Mons in 1914 with the 18th Regiment of Foot (The Royal Irish Regiment). He was taken prisoner and was released through the Red Cross prisoner exchange in 1917 and made it back to Tipperary. Whilst he was a prisoner in Zerbst Anhalt Saxony he was as pro British as when he joined the army in 1899. In Sept 1917 when he got home after being exchanged he changed his opinion and throughout 1919 to 1921 he was pro Michael Collins until that mans death. I think the 1916 executions affected my grandfather as he no longer thought of his home country as Britain. Out of the eight that served in WW1 only 1 joined up during the war. The rest were full time soldiers and joined up in the 1890's or early 1900's and were part of regular battalions of regiments.

[@vestty5802]

More Irish died in ww1 alone than the war of independence,1916 rising and the civil war combined

[@Icrshou]

Thanks for these uploads!

[@edwardgilson9891]

It's easy to be a revolutionary when you know where your next meal is coming

[@seanmcneill8899]

Thanks C.R your keeping history alive.

[@bobbythompson3544]

They fought bravely with their Ulster comrades and never an unfriendly word said! God rest their courageous Souls

[@user-lt3yg6kp6o]

Thank you 💕 Ireland

[@donalgaughan2478]

Fantastic uploads

[@patrickflynn8989]

It's very sad tht these lads have been ridiculed, forgotten and written out of our history.

[@henrysevern]

What would have happen to Ireland if Germany won?
These soldiers I think knew the answer.

[@shredder9536]

Speaking German instead of English.

[@jimmyjohnny3779]

@@shredder9536 one foreign language for another, that’s all.

[@henrysevern]

@@shredder9536 what about Irish Gaelic, do you think it would have been spoken. How do you think the Kaiser would have managed things as subjects of an enlarged German Empire.

[@henrysevern]

@S.K 123 what makes you think that I know it was a different war, but the German leader in the Second World War killed millions of people deliberately.

[@ccody-long6915]

The Germans would have created a 32 county unified Irish state (with a pro German government) if they won the war. There was some talk to install Prince Joachim of Prussia as the King of Ireland. The Prince didn't know English so they thought he would've been a good opportunity to promote the Irish language. The Kaiser wasn't some mad genocidal crackpot like Hitler.

[@paulmoloney4160]

We were under king and country

[@GerardoMcCabe]

I'm sure my grandfather joined so he could put food in his belly, it's so easy to criticize behind a keyboard.

[@mmjj1310]

What's with the "English War" blame them thing? So tedious.

[@macanbhairdeire6716]

I’d rather be speaking German than English

[@yottwr6108]

"We Serve Neither King nor Kaiser, but Ireland!"
As we are aware, there was never conscription in Ireland during WW1. Therefore, I find it incredulous that the Irish would fight for, out of all countries; Belgium. Given the Casement Report of 1904, written by Roger Casement, was a damning indictment of the brutal and genocidal policies of the Belgians in the Congo.

[@davidcarr3219]

Should have joined the IRB lads instead of fighting for the English..

[@glenvalley4326]

Can't change history however much we would like to change it.

[@davidcarr3219]

@Yahoo Mail u Wana learn some history!

[@chriscobern8718]

Those men weren’t fighting for Britain weren’t cowards.