John Redmond MP inspects members of the Irish National Volunteers, the military wing of the Irish Parliamentary Party, the Phoenix Park, Dublin, Ireland, April 1915
2 comments on “John Redmond MP inspects members of the Irish National Volunteers, the military wing of the Irish Parliamentary Party, the Phoenix Park, Dublin, Ireland, April 1915”
What do you think of the National Volunteers. And also The likes of Irish men in the Royal Dubin Fus, Royal Irish Rifles and Connaught Rangers? During this period ASF?
Well some of the INV units in Dublin, Wexford and elsewhere offered to help the British Forces during the Rising. Rarely discussed, but INV men participated in policing actions during and after the insurrection. The INV remnants in Ulster also acted (violently) against the Irish Republican Army during the War of Independence.
I’ve written that the struggle between the IV and INV in 1914-16 was a foreshadowing of the Civil War struggle between the IRA and INA in 1922-23. The same republican versus nationalist forces, essentially. The INV and IPP became the Pro-Treaty IRA and Pro-Treaty Sinn Féin. Indeed many of the former Irish-born British soldiers who joined the Free State’s INA were ex-INV. Again, rarely discussed because such folk are usually just described as ex-British Army.
I would love to see a breakdown on membership of the Free State army 1922-23 versus the INV 1914-18. Unfortunately that data probably impossible to compile.
AN SIONNACH FIONN 
What do you think of the National Volunteers. And also The likes of Irish men in the Royal Dubin Fus, Royal Irish Rifles and Connaught Rangers? During this period ASF?
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Well some of the INV units in Dublin, Wexford and elsewhere offered to help the British Forces during the Rising. Rarely discussed, but INV men participated in policing actions during and after the insurrection. The INV remnants in Ulster also acted (violently) against the Irish Republican Army during the War of Independence.
I’ve written that the struggle between the IV and INV in 1914-16 was a foreshadowing of the Civil War struggle between the IRA and INA in 1922-23. The same republican versus nationalist forces, essentially. The INV and IPP became the Pro-Treaty IRA and Pro-Treaty Sinn Féin. Indeed many of the former Irish-born British soldiers who joined the Free State’s INA were ex-INV. Again, rarely discussed because such folk are usually just described as ex-British Army.
I would love to see a breakdown on membership of the Free State army 1922-23 versus the INV 1914-18. Unfortunately that data probably impossible to compile.
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