99-639: The Curragh incident of 20 March 1914, sometimes known as the Curragh mutiny , occurred in the Curragh , County Kildare , Ireland . The Curragh Camp was then the main base for the British Army in Ireland, which at the time still formed part of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland . Ireland was scheduled to receive a measure of devolved government , which included Ulster , later in
198-786: A lieutenant into the Gordon Highlanders in October 1881. He joined the 1st Battalion, Gordon Highlanders at Malta , and in 1882 went with them to Egypt, fighting at the Battle of Tel el-Kebir , the last battle in which the British Army fought in red coats . He stayed in Egypt, and in 1884 was appointed garrison adjutant and staff lieutenant of military police at Alexandria . In 1886, he married Sophia Geraldine Atkin (died 1931), an Irishwoman; they had two daughters and
297-530: A Cabinet document without Cabinet approval—was an honest blunder on Seely's part or whether he was encouraged to do so and then made a scapegoat. Gough insisted on adding a further paragraph clarifying that the Army would not be used to enforce Home Rule on Ulster , to which French concurred in writing. Wilson, Roberts and French had been leaking information to the press throughout the Incident. Gough promised to keep
396-600: A deterrent effect on those who may be detailed for future outrages." In December 1920 Macready informed the British Cabinet that the Military Governors of the martial law areas had been authorized to conduct reprisals. From December 1920 until June 1921 approximately 150 "official" reprisals were carried out. The new "Auxies" were following the bad example set by the local Irish police, the RIC, who had begun
495-720: A document from the Cabinet, stating that the Army Council were satisfied that the incident had been a misunderstanding, and that it was "the duty of all soldiers to obey lawful commands." Seely added two paragraphs, stating that the Government had the right to use "forces of the Crown" in Ireland or elsewhere, but had no intention of using force "to crush opposition to the Home Rule Bill." It is unclear whether this—amending
594-508: A family connection to Ulster but did not live there, that he could expect no mercy from " his old friend at the War Office " (John French). Richard Holmes wrote that in effectively offering his officers an ultimatum, Paget was acting foolishly, as the majority might simply have obeyed if simply ordered north. Paget ended the meeting by ordering his officers to speak to their subordinates and then report back. Fergusson collared Gough and one of
693-495: A good deal better than at present", he told Sir John Anderson . He advised that ad hoc reprisals by the Black and Tans were not stopping the "murders". After the killing of sixteen Black and Tans in an ambush at Macroom , County Cork , martial law was declared on 10 December 1920 in the four Munster counties of Cork , Tipperary , Kerry and Limerick . Three days later Auxiliary Cadet Peter Harte opened fire while on patrol at
792-565: A good reference for every one who asked. Macready disliked Ireland and the Irish. He had already written to Ian Macpherson on the latter's appointment as Chief Secretary for Ireland in January 1919: "I cannot say I envy you for I loathe the country you are going to and its people with a depth deeper than the sea and more violent than that which I feel against the Boche ". In April 1920, Macready
891-595: A large crowd. Donnelly had a famed reach and the remains of his arm were on show until recently in the Hideout Pub in the nearby town of Kilcullen . In 1866, a commission was appointed by the British Treasury to report into the use made of the Curragh and make recommendations on legislation. It reported in 1868, and led to the Curragh of Kildare Act 1868 ( 31 & 32 Vict. c. 60). On 2 January 1941
990-571: A monastery in Kildare, she asked the High King of Leinster for the land on which to build it. When he granted her as much land as her cloak would cover, she then placed her cloak on the ground to cover the entire Curragh plain. On 1 April 1234, The 3rd Earl of Pembroke lost a battle at the Curragh against a group of men loyal to Henry III of England . Lord Pembroke was wounded in the battle and died at his castle at Kilkenny on 16 April. It
1089-524: A month later, on 24 April the Ulster Volunteers covertly landed about 24,000 rifles at night in the " Larne gun-running " incident. Its leaders considered that raiding the army's Ulster armouries would have lessened the public's goodwill towards it in Britain. Labour and radical opinion was outraged that the Army, apparently happy enough to suppress industrial unrest, had been allowed to prevent
SECTION 10
#17327732695281188-535: A note for Hubert Gough to this effect. The King wrote to Asquith requesting that he be consulted before any further steps were taken. Gough, summoned to the War Office, confirmed (Sunday 22 March) that he would have obeyed a direct order to move against Ulster. When he saw the King that evening, French, advised by Haldane (Lord Chancellor) that Paget should not have asked officers about "hypothetical contingencies," also threatened to resign if Gough were not reinstated. Paget
1287-597: A number of senior retired British officers, to fight if necessary against the British government and/or against a future Irish Home Rule government as proposed by the bill. In September 1913, the Chief of the Imperial General Staff (CIGS), John French , had expressed his concerns to the government and to the King (who had also asked Asquith for his views) that the British Army , if ordered to act against
1386-404: A period of months or even years. He also abolished the shilling a day deduction made from the pay of men on sick leave. He had an intense dislike of trade unions, and never took the short-lived National Union of Police and Prison Officers seriously, which partly led to the strike of 1919 . Only a small percentage of the men went out on strike, and they were all dismissed, although Macready wrote
1485-476: A process of reprisal killings for IRA attacks, which gave Macready considerable cause for concern. "the RIC are not out of hand but are systematically left to reprise their officers." In Macready's view, shooting of suspects and dumping of bodies in the Liffey represented unavoidable "reprisals" for the death of a policeman. By 28 August, Macready knew that civil war was inevitable; as a consequence he would not tell
1584-572: A son. Macready remained in Alexandria until early 1889, when he returned to England to rejoin his regiment , and then served in Ceylon and India . Having been promoted to lieutenant in October 1889, he was promoted to captain in 1891. He was transferred to Dublin in 1892, and in 1894 became adjutant of the regiment's 2nd Volunteer Battalion in Aberdeenshire . In December 1899, he
1683-665: A special conference on 29 December along with Wilson, Tudor and Sir John Anderson , head of the Civil Service in Dublin, at which they all advised that no truce should be allowed for elections to the planned Dublin Parliament, and that at least four months of martial law would be required to "break the Terror". The date for the elections was therefore set for May 1921. In accordance with Wilson and Macready's wishes, martial law
1782-443: A strike by loyalist railwaymen). That evening, after Carson had stormed out of a Commons debate and departed for Ulster, where he was expected to declare a provisional government, Asquith, Seely, Churchill, Birrell, Field Marshal French, and General Paget had an emergency meeting at 10 Downing Street where Asquith insisted that extra infantry be sent to defend the artillery at Dundalk, which French wanted to withdraw. Seely claimed that
1881-719: A unionist coup was imminent in Ulster, although no trace of his intelligence survives. Paget travelled to Dublin that night in a state of high excitement, having been given no written orders (it is unclear whether this was because the politicians were reluctant to put anything in writing). The next morning (Friday 20 March), Paget addressed Generals Rolt , Cuthbert , Gough , and Fergusson (GOC 5th Infantry Division), and three staff officers, at his Parkgate Street H.Q. in Dublin . Three different accounts exist (written by Paget, by Fergusson, and by Gough in his memoirs Soldiering On ), but it
1980-467: A young man and an old priest, killing them both. Lloyd George was furious, calling for courts-martial and death by firing squad. But Macready stalled for time, and delayed justice, so that Harte eventually received a proper trial and was found guilty but insane . Mark Sturgis was angry because in the west, Sinn Féin was still very strong, so that the policy of shoot-to-kill was not working. On 23 December 1920, Irish Home Rule became law. Macready attended
2079-551: Is a flat open plain in County Kildare , Ireland. This area is well known for horse breeding and training. The Irish National Stud is on the edge of Kildare town, beside the Japanese Gardens . Pollardstown Fen, the largest fen in Ireland, is of particular interest to botanists and ecologists because of the numerous bird species that nest and visit there. There are also many rare plants that grow there. It
SECTION 20
#17327732695282178-696: Is a mixed school called St Catherine of Sienna. It has one secondary school which is scheduled to close in 2024 formally named the Curragh Post Primary School (PPS), which has been situated beside the parade ground since 1933. With the closure of the secondary school on the Curragh Camp the Curragh will no longer have a secondary school. Nevil Macready General Sir Cecil Frederick Nevil Macready, 1st Baronet , GCMG , KCB , PC (Ire) (7 May 1862 – 9 January 1946), known affectionately as Make-Ready (close to
2277-714: Is clear that Paget exacerbated the situation. By Gough's account, he said that "active operations were to commence against Ulster". Paget then claimed that he had obtained "concessions" from Seely, namely that officers who lived in Ulster would be permitted to "disappear" for the duration, and that other officers who refused to serve against Ulster would be dismissed rather than being permitted to resign. French, Paget, and Adjutant-General Spencer Ewart had indeed (on 19 March) agreed to exclude officers with "direct family connections" to Ulster, and to dismiss other officers who refused to participate. Paget told Gough, who queried whether "disappear" meant absence with or without leave, and who had
2376-499: Is composed of a sandy soil , formed after an esker deposited a sand load, and as a result has excellent drainage characteristics. Used as a meeting site during Pre-Christian societies, the Curragh is shrouded in mythology. The hill to the north of the Curragh is called the Hill of Allen (Almhain) and is the purported meeting place of the mythical Fianna . Legend has it that in about 480 AD, when St Brigid became intent on founding
2475-452: The 2nd Infantry Brigade at Aldershot . In June 1910 he returned to the War Office as director of personal services, responsible for a variety of personnel matters. Also having responsibility for military aid to the civil power, he played a large part in a series of labour disputes and in deploying troops to Ireland in anticipation of disturbances there. Unusually for an army officer of the time, he had marked liberal tendencies, believed in
2574-718: The Irish Oaks , the Irish 1,000 Guineas , the Irish 2,000 Guineas and the Irish St. Leger . On 2 July 1903, the Gordon Bennett Cup ran through the Curragh. It was the first international motor race to be held in what was then the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland . The Automobile Club of Great Britain and Ireland wanted the race to be hosted in the United Kingdom (as it existed then), and Ireland
2673-474: The (up to 60) women who lived there. Whilst many women were sex workers, others had common-law marriages to soldiers but were barred from living within the camp itself. The women's presence is no longer reported after the 1880s. The Curragh Racecourse on the plain is Ireland's Premier Flat Racecourse. Every year, it hosts all five classic races in the racing calendar: the Irish Derby Stakes ,
2772-541: The 16th Lancers. Fear men will refuse to move. Regret to report Brigadier-General Gough and fifty-seven officers 3rd Cavalry Brigade prefer to accept dismissal if ordered North. At the date of the incident, 70 officers were serving with the 3rd Cavalry Brigade. The officers were not technically guilty of mutiny , as they had resigned before refusing to carry out a direct order. As all were in Gough's brigade, and as they were informed of his reservations about Seely's orders, he
2871-640: The 1926 General Strike , when he served as a staff officer to the Chief Commandant of the Metropolitan Special Constabulary . He died at his home in Knightsbridge , London, in 1946, aged 83. His son, Lieutenant-General Sir Gordon Macready (1891–1956), was also a distinguished soldier and inherited the baronetcy on his father's death. His character appears very briefly in the film Michael Collins (1996); he
2970-665: The 23 March Treaty confidential, but it soon leaked to the press—it appears that both Gough and French leaked it to Gwynne of the Morning Post , while Wilson leaked it to Leo Amery and Bonar Law. The matter was debated in the Commons at length on 23 and 25 March. Asquith (25 March) publicly repudiated the "peccant paragraphs" which had been added to the Cabinet statement, and French, the Adjutant-General Spencer Ewart and Seely had to resign. About
3069-615: The Admiralty ). Churchill, who spoke at Bradford (14 March) to say that there were "worse things than bloodshed, even on an extended scale" and "Let us go forward together and put these grave matters to the proof", and Seely appear to have been courting some kind of confrontation with the UVF. Paget was ordered to prepare to deploy troops to prevent "evil-disposed persons" seizing weapons, and summoned to London for further instructions. Seely obtained French's compliance by repeatedly assuring him of
Curragh incident - Misplaced Pages Continue
3168-499: The Army Council, telling Paget to suspend any senior officer who had offered to resign, and ordering Gough and two of his three colonels (the attitude of the third was unclear) to report to the War Office. A second telegram just before midnight confirmed that 57 officers preferred to accept dismissal (it was actually 61 including Gough): Officer Commanding 5th Lancers states that all officers, except two and one doubtful, are resigning their commissions today. I much fear same conditions in
3267-526: The Army. Macready, commander-in-chief, was in disagreement; Macready argued that escalation of violence would only unite the two factions of IRA and alienate the moderates. Britain pressurised Dublin to arm the National Army of Ireland ( Free State Army ) with British guns, giving an ultimatum for the rebels to leave on 28 June. In the event it was agreed with Richard Mulcahy that they should receive two 18-pounder field guns. These were used to pound
3366-805: The Boers. He was mentioned in dispatches twice and promoted to the brevet rank of lieutenant-colonel in 1900, and in June 1901 headed a commission investigating cattle-raiding in Zululand . He stayed in South Africa in a series of staff posts, including assistant provost marshal at Port Elizabeth (1901), deputy assistant adjutant-general (DAAG) of the district west of Johannesburg (December 1901–1902), assistant adjutant general (AAG) and chief staff officer of Cape Colony (1902–1905), and assistant quartermaster-general (AQMG) of Cape Colony (1905–1906). He
3465-621: The British Army in Ireland. In early 1912, the Liberal British government of H. H. Asquith had introduced the Third Home Rule Bill for Ireland , which proposed the creation of an autonomous Irish Parliament in Dublin . Unionists had objected to being under the jurisdiction of the proposed Dublin Parliament, and Ulster Unionists founded the Ulster Volunteers (UVF) paramilitary group in 1912, aided by
3564-553: The Cabinet issued a document claiming that the issue had been a misunderstanding, Secretary of State for War J. E. B. Seely and Chief of the Imperial General Staff (CIGS) Field Marshal Sir John French were forced to resign after amending it to promise that the British Army would not be used against the Ulster loyalists . The event contributed both to unionist confidence and to the growing Irish nationalist movement, convincing Irish nationalists that they could not expect support from
3663-716: The Cabinet, which Macready chaired, opposed the recruitment of the Black and Tans and Auxiliary Division , and he continued to be a strident critic of these bodies. The government pressed ahead with recruiting auxiliaries, whose numbers would eventually peak at 1,500 in July 1921. Macready had been initially impressed by Tudor and thought he was getting rid of "incompetent idiots" from senior police positions. According to Tudor's Weekly Summary Joseph Byrne and Macready were concerned about frequently drunk on duty policemen. Macready and Wilson became increasingly concerned that Tudor, with
3762-579: The Curragh since 1856. The Curragh Camp is now home to the Defence Forces Training Centre of the Irish Defence Forces . Records of women, known as Wrens of the Curragh , who were paid for sex work by soldiers at the camp, go back to the 1840s. They lived in 'nests' half-hollowed out of banks and ditches, which were covered in furze bushes; their lifestyle was communal – money and resources were shared amongst
3861-527: The Curragh was bombed by the Luftwaffe , the air force of the Third Reich , causing slight damage. One SC250 bomb remains unaccounted for. The earliest mention of the Curragh in legal documents was 1299 , when an act was passed, to prevent swine from feeding on the Curragh plains to the detriment of the sward. In 1865 Parliament set up a commission to examine the Curragh. The findings of this led to
3960-479: The Curragh, Kildare , Monasterevin , Stradbally , Castledermot , Carlow , and Athy. The 528 km (328 mi) race was won by the Belgian racer Camille Jenatzy , driving a Mercedes. After The Emergency both motor cars and motorcycle racing took place on occasions drawing crowds up to 30,000. For eight years from 1947 until 1954 cars competed, while motorcycle racing continued until 1967. The first race
4059-699: The Curragh. On the establishment of the Irish Free State in 1922, the lands of the Curragh passed from the Crown to the Minister for Finance of the Irish State. The Curragh of Kildare Act 1961 repealed the 1868 Act and sections of the 1870 Act. It also abolished the office of the Ranger and transferred its duties to the Department of Defence . There has been a permanent military presence in
Curragh incident - Misplaced Pages Continue
4158-792: The Four Courts garrison into surrender but they missed; the officers were so inexperienced that Emmet Dalton , the Chief of Staff required artillery training from Macready's men. Macready retired on 1 March 1923 and was created a baronet . He had been sworn of the Privy Council of Ireland in 1920. In 1924, he published his two-volume memoirs, Annals of an Active Life . Macready destroyed his own diaries and private papers after completing his memoirs, but 400 letters between Wilson and Macready survive, only ten of which predate his Irish appointment. He briefly returned to police service during
4257-586: The Great War. The two were quickly captured and hanged. The murder precipitated a policy of "Official Reprisals", sparked by Rory O'Connor 's anti-Treaty IRA occupation of the Four Courts, home of the Provisional Government's ministry. From 22 June 1922 there were six Cabinet meetings in 72 hours. They concluded that the Four Courts was a centre of "seditious activity". On 24 June the Cabinet ordered an assault for 25 June, to be carried out by
4356-643: The Prime Minister (24 October) about the potential use of General Nevil Macready , who had experience of crowd control during the Tonypandy riots in 1910, and had been consulted by Birrell about the use of troops in the Belfast riots of 1912. In October 1913, Seely sent Macready to report on the police in Belfast and Dublin. Intelligence reported that the UVF (now 100,000 strong) might be about to seize
4455-639: The Truce rendered the matter academic. Following the Anglo-Irish Treaty and creation of the Irish Free State in 1922, he withdrew the troops without great incident before the onset of the Irish Civil War . It has been suggested that Collins had a hand in the assassination of Sir Henry Wilson . This has never been confirmed. Wilson was shot dead at the doorstep of his London home by two Irishmen, former British Army soldiers who had served in
4554-451: The UVF were to be crushed if they attempted to start one. Prince Louis of Battenberg ( First Sea Lord ) was also at the meeting, as that day the 3rd Battle Squadron was ordered to steam to Lamlash on the Firth of Clyde . The following night Churchill told French that his ships would have Belfast in flames in 24 hours, while other vessels were ready to help deploy troops to Ulster (in case of
4653-502: The UVF, might split, with some serving officers even siding with the Ulster Unionists, given that many shared the same view of preserving and defending a Protestant British Empire and believed Home Rule for mainly Catholic Ireland would threaten it. Major-General Henry Hughes Wilson , Director of Military Operations, was in regular contact with Opposition leaders (including Bonar Law ) and with retired officers who supported
4752-458: The Volunteers. To deal with the threat of violence from the UVF should the Home Rule Bill be passed in the British Parliament, Chief of the General Staff (CIGS) Field Marshal Sir John French and Secretary of State for War J. E. B. Seely summoned General Sir Arthur Paget , Commander-in-Chief in Ireland , for talks at the War Office in October 1913. Paget's letter (19 October) suggests that he wanted "partial mobilisation" while Seely wrote to
4851-442: The accuracy of intelligence that the UVF might march on Dublin. The plan was to occupy government buildings, to repel any assaults by the UVF and to guard the armouries at Omagh , Enniskillen , Armagh , Dundalk and Carrickfergus to prevent thefts of weapons. Six different contingencies were discussed, including armed resistance to the troops as they moved to protect the arms depots. Seely also promised Paget reinforcements "... to
4950-558: The ammunition at Carrickfergus Castle . Political negotiations were deadlocked as John Redmond 's Irish Parliamentary Party was only willing to offer Ulster an opt-out from Home Rule for up to six years (i.e., until after the next general election), whereas the Ulster Unionists, led by Edward Carson , wanted a permanent opt-out. Asquith set up a five-man Cabinet Committee, chaired by Lord Crewe (who soon fell ill), and consisting of John Simon , Augustine Birrell ( Chief Secretary for Ireland ), Seely, and Winston Churchill ( First Lord of
5049-419: The choice of resignation rather than fighting against the Ulster Volunteers. The ultimatum was passed on to the rest of Gough's 3rd Cavalry Brigade 25 miles away at the Curragh Camp . On the evening of 20 March, Paget sent a telegram to the War Office in London announcing that almost all the officers of 5th Lancers intended to resign and the same was probably true of 16th Lancers. Seely replied, on behalf of
SECTION 50
#17327732695285148-470: The connivance of Lloyd George , who loved to drop hints to that effect, was operating an unofficial policy of killing IRA men in reprisal for the deaths of pro-Crown forces. However, Macready also told Wilson that the Army was arranging "accidents" for suspected IRA men, but did not tell the politicians as he did not want them "talked and joked about after dinner by Cabinet Ministers". Commenting on official reprisals, Macready stated that such actions "must have
5247-422: The correct pronunciation of his name), was a British Army officer. He served in senior staff appointments in the First World War and was the last British military commander in Ireland, and also served for two years as Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis in London. Macready was the son of the prominent actor William Charles Macready . His father was 69 years old at Nevil's birth. His paternal grandfather
5346-399: The deployment of two extra divisions to Iraq , and the threatened coal strike in September 1920, Macready warned that the planned withdrawal of ten battalions would make peacekeeping in Ireland impossible (unless the Army was given a free hand to conduct purely military operations, which the politicians did not want) and large portions of the RIC would probably change sides. Macready opposed
5445-485: The enactment of the Curragh of Kildare Act 1868 ( 31 & 32 Vict. c. 60). This created the honorary position of a Ranger tasked with the care, management and preservation of the Curragh for the purpose of horseracing and training of horses. The 1868 act also provided for a second commission to report on the use of the Curragh for common pasture. This report is detailed in the Curragh of Kildare Act 1870 ( 33 & 34 Vict. c. 74). This act specifies sheep grazing rights for
5544-439: The end of the year, but the total exceeded this. The BEF suffered an alarming rise in drunkenness, desertions and psychological disorders; reports were gathered of soldiers returning from the front grumbling about "the waste of life" at Ypres. In September 1918 Macready was promoted full general and appointed Knight Grand Cross of the Order of St Michael and St George (GCMG). He had been mentioned in despatches four times during
5643-494: The first half of 1921, with deaths of pro-Crown forces running at approximately double the rate of those in the second half of 1920 but with the IRA running desperately short of funds and ammunition and later described by one of its leaders Michael Collins as "dead beat" and within "six weeks of defeat". Macready backed a policy of "deterrent effects" against the IRA; houses were ordered to be destroyed, tenants evicted to remove those who shot at patrols. The British were slowly getting
5742-413: The formation of the Ulster Special Constabulary , announced by London on 20 October. The Specials were subsumed totally by Protestants clubs, such as the Cromwell Clubs. Dublin Castle wrote to Bonar Law , the Conservative Party leader, urging that the coalition government ban any recruitment from the Ulster Volunteer Force , an unreliable gang of paramilitaries. A military committee of review appointed by
5841-446: The government considering some form of partition of Ireland in July 1914 by an amending Bill; further discussions at the Buckingham Palace Conference could not solve the arguments about partition. The main Bill received the Royal Assent on 18 September, but was also suspended for the duration of the First World War . Curragh The Curragh ( / ˈ k ʌr ə / KURR -ə ; Irish : An Currach [ənˠ ˈkʊɾˠəx] )
5940-422: The infantry brigadiers, and warned that the Army must hold together at all costs, and that he himself would obey orders. Gough said that he would not, and went off to speak to the officers of the 5th Lancers (one of the regiments under his command) and also sent a telegram to his brother Johnnie, Haig's Chief of Staff at Aldershot. Gough did not attend the second meeting in the afternoon, at which Paget confirmed that
6039-412: The last man ..." to uphold the law in Ireland. In the event of a railway strike, or other obstacle, Churchill offered transport of forces by the Royal Navy . The politicians later claimed that at the meeting when Paget arrived in London, they merely gave verbal amplification to orders which he had already received from the War Office , but Asquith later admitted that this was untrue; at the meeting Paget
SECTION 60
#17327732695286138-451: The loyalists into a rebellion which would then be put down, although this view is not universally held. On the evening of 18 March, Paget wired Major-General Lovick Friend that the troop movements were to be completed by dawn on Sunday 31 March. Paget was summoned to another meeting on 19 March at which Seely declared that the government was pressing ahead with Home Rule and had no intention of allowing civil war to break out, suggesting that
6237-494: The police and Army. Major-General Hugh Tudor , a distinguished artilleryman, was appointed Police Advisor in May 1920, then Chief of Police in November 1920. A month after taking up official duties, Macready came to London to demand eight extra battalions of infantry and 234 motor vehicles. Sir Henry Wilson only learned of the request the evening before the Cabinet meeting and thought Macready "a vain ass" for not seeking his advice first. The cabinet agreed on 11 May 1920 to supply
6336-454: The police and to the Home Office and not answerable to the panicking local magistrates . This policy probably helped to avert serious unrest in 1910 and again in a similar situation in 1912. A civil CB was added to his military CB in 1911 and, in 1912 he was appointed Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath (KCB). After the Curragh incident in Ireland in March 1914, Macready was made general officer commanding (GOC) Belfast District and
6435-446: The purpose of the move was to overawe Ulster rather than fight. No provision was made for enlisted men who had conscientious objections. The deployment orders were headed "'Duty as ordered – Active Operations in Ulster", and Gough later suggested that "active operations" sounded as if it were much more than a cautionary protective deployment. Gough offered the officers under his command at nearby Marlborough Barracks (now McKee Barracks )
6534-443: The right to strike , and supported Irish home rule . He was contemptuous of politics, socialism , communism , pacifism and capitalism (unless the employers treated their employees very well). He was promoted major-general in October, and in November he took direct command of troops deployed to deal with a possible miners' strike, in the Rhondda Valley in South Wales , insisting that his troops remained subordinate both to
6633-407: The side of any one political party. It was our duty to obey orders, to go wherever we were sent and to comply with instructions of any political party that happened to be in power. There was no sloppy sentiment; it was good stuff straight from the shoulder and just what we wanted. Paget did the same, but his speech was described by a colonel as "absolutely unconvincing and inconclusive." However, Paget
6732-411: The time, although largely stripped of executive power in the spring of 1920) made him accept. Macready and Greenwood insisted on restoring proper authority, which was lax and enfeebled. Macready was experienced at crisis management. He demanded a higher pension than his predecessor and an increase in "table money" (entertainment expenses) from £500 to £1,400 as well as £5,000 "disturbance allowance". He
6831-399: The unionist Ulster Volunteers who threatened to rebel against it. Many officers, especially those with Irish Protestant connections, of whom the most prominent was Hubert Gough , threatened to resign or accept dismissal rather than obey orders to conduct military operations against the unionists, and were privately encouraged from London by senior officers including Henry Wilson . Although
6930-409: The upper hand. In April 1921, the cabinet decided to withdraw four of Macready's 51 battalions to meet the possible Triple Alliance strike. Macready believed Ireland could be suppressed in the summer of 1921 with the elections out of the way, not least as troops would otherwise need to be replaced after the strain of guerrilla war. In May 1921, Lloyd George announced a surge of manpower; but Macready
7029-448: The use of force in Ulster. The event contributed both to unionist confidence and to the growing Irish separatist movement, convincing nationalists that they could not expect support from the British army in Ireland. In turn, this naturally increased nationalist support for its paramilitary force, the Irish Volunteers . While the Home Rule Bill was approved by the House of Commons on 25 May, the growing fear of civil war in Ireland led on to
7128-459: The vehicles and as far as possible the extra technical personnel requested, but on Wilson's advice agreed only to hold the extra battalions "in readiness". In July an argument with Catholic Archbishop Gilmartin, led him to exclaim that men could not be tried in Tuam , because nobody was willing to come forward for Jury service, "the people at least indifferent". With the army stretched very thinly by
7227-595: The victims of the Lismore bombings not to resist. He was worried that release of political prisoners would anger the police; hanging became a matter of credibility. He rejected calls to spare the life of a young medical student, Kevin Barry , caught red-handed in the murders of several soldiers as young or younger than Barry was, in Dublin. Macready recruited Major Ormonde Winter , an intelligence expert, as head of police detectives, to train sergeants to build networks; but it
7326-778: The war, been made a Grand Officier of the Légion d'honneur of France (1915), and a member of the Order of the Crown of Belgium, the Order of the Crown of Italy, and the Order of the Sacred Treasures of Japan. In August 1918, Macready somewhat reluctantly took the post of Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis, head of the London Metropolitan Police , to which Prime Minister Asquith had intended to appoint him before war broke out in 1914. Morale
7425-493: The year. The incident is important in 20th-century Irish history, and is notable for being one of the few occasions since the English Civil War in which elements of the British military openly intervened in politics. It is widely thought of as a mutiny, though no orders actually given were disobeyed. With Irish Home Rule due to become law in 1914, the British Cabinet contemplated some kind of military action against
7524-563: Was William Macready the Elder (1755–1829), a famous Irish actor from Dublin . He was born in Cheltenham in May 1862 and was brought up in the bohemian circles frequented by his parents (his mother, Cecile, was the granddaughter of the painter, Sir William Beechey ), and was educated at Marlborough College (for two years, before falling ill) and Cheltenham College . He later claimed that he
7623-552: Was a common site for mustering the armies of the Pale (see Essex in Ireland ). During the 1798 Rebellion there was a massacre in the Curragh at Gibbet Rath . The Curragh Camp is now located there, where the Irish Defence Forces undergo training. At a natural bowl-shaped amphitheatre on the Curragh known locally as Donnelly's Hollow the Irish champion boxer Dan Donnelly defeated the English champion George Cooper in 1815, before
7722-473: Was abandoned on 3 June 1921. Macready had no answer to the attacks on soft Unionist targets. Macready was instrumental in negotiating the truce in July 1921 , although he suggested, perhaps in jest, that the entire Irish Dáil could be arrested whilst in session. He suffered the irritation of being found in contempt of court for refusing to obey an order of habeas corpus in the Joseph Egan case; but
7821-445: Was able to conduct the precautionary moves planned on 18 and 19 March. The elderly Field Marshal Roberts , who had recently exchanged "epithets" with French on the telephone over what he saw as French's collaboration with the government's "dastardly" plans, learned that Paget, in talking of "active operations" and in giving officers a chance to discuss hypothetical orders and threaten to resign, had been acting without authority and left
7920-519: Was adamant that military jurisdiction in the Martial Law Area (MLA) trumped the civil courts. In a number of civil rights cases King's Bench writs were issued to reclaim bodies and damages. But Macready dismissed the conflict in actions, as an "anomaly". As the violence escalated he had suspended civilian jurisdictions by Proclamation in April. The Irish War of Independence reached a climax in
8019-424: Was also told to send troops to Newry (an old, empty barracks with no stores) and Dundalk, both in Irish nationalist areas and so unlikely to be seized by the UVF, but of strategic importance in any move to bring Ulster under military control. It was later suggested (a claim believed by Sir James Fergusson, Charles Fergusson 's son) that the move to deploy troops may have been a "plot" by Churchill and Seely to goad
8118-500: Was concerned about low morale, and lack of specific training. An extra seventeen battalions were sent in June and July, bringing British strength up to 60,000, but the politicians drew back from the brink and opened secret talks with James Craig and Éamon de Valera (who had been born in New York of Spanish descent and whom Macready called Wilson's "Cuban Jew compatriot"). The policy of Official Reprisals proved counter-productive and
8217-483: Was extended over the rest of Munster (Counties Waterford and Clare ) and part of Leinster (Counties Kilkenny and Wexford ). Macready felt under a great deal of pressure. The officer class were not prepared and contemptuous of the enemy's intelligence network; they did not take the need to adapt to gathering seriously. By 1921, Macready had lost confidence in Tudor and thought the RIC had become unreliable. Macready
8316-485: Was far too lazy to pursue an artistic career himself, and although he expressed an interest in a stage career, his father, who loathed his own profession, expressly forbade it (although he continued to be involved in amateur dramatics all his life and was also a talented singer). He therefore joined the British Army , passing out from the Royal Military College at Sandhurst , and being commissioned as
8415-407: Was low, and many men were currently on strike over pay and trade union recognition. Macready got them back to work by granting a pay rise and promising the introduction of machinery for collective bargaining . He was popular among the constables and sergeants , whom he got to know far more than his predecessors had done. He abolished the system of punishment by deducting fines from men's pay over
8514-652: Was no cause for concern in Nationalist Ireland: "I do not believe leaders mean insurrection," wrote Sir Matthew Nathan, "or that the Volunteers have sufficient arms to make it formidable if the leaders do mean it." The British underestimated the intent of the Irish leaders. Macready advised General Maxwell (whose courts-martial condemned the leaders of the Easter Rising to death) not to delay, and not to be afraid of overstepping authority. He
8613-724: Was nominated as military governor-designate of Belfast in the event of civil war breaking out , something averted by the outbreak of the First World War in August 1914. On the outbreak of war in August 1914, Macready was immediately sent to France as Adjutant-General of the British Expeditionary Force (BEF). In 1915, he was appointed Knight Commander of the Order of St Michael and St George (KCMG). In February 1916, having carried out this job efficiently, he
8712-495: Was ordered to report to London, Macready was sent out to Belfast (but without official announcement) while Asquith informed the King that Paget had indeed exceeded his instructions, that only safeguarding of ammunition stores had been intended, that the naval deployment had been cancelled, and that there would be no further troop movement without consulting the King. Asquith 's Liberal government backed down, claiming an "honest misunderstanding." At French's suggestion Seely obtained
8811-519: Was portrayed as central to the whole incident. Chetwode was nominated to take Gough's place if necessary. Up to 100 other officers of Irish Command threatened to resign. General Sir Charles Fergusson , then commanding the 5th Division in Ireland, toured units on the morning of Saturday 21 March to ensure their future compliance with government policy. One of his officers said later that He [Fergusson] reminded us that although we must naturally hold private political views, officially we should not be on
8910-487: Was probably too slow a decision, and too little too late to win the war. The Barry case was thoroughly investigated at Macroom Station by Lt Crake of C company, of whom Macready thought well. Macready came to support martial law as he was worried that army and police discipline might otherwise collapse. "They are hopelessly out of date", he warned "We are sitting on a volcano . If they were turned into an unarmed police force they would fulfill their functions in time of peace
9009-452: Was promoted lieutenant-general in June 1916 (although he was already temporarily in that rank). Macready was an enthusiastic proponent of the employment of female labour to free men to go to the front. He also abolished the compulsory wearing of moustaches by British soldiers, and immediately shaved off his own, which he had hated. On 8th October, 1916, the order allowing all ranks to grow or not to grow moustaches according to their fancy
9108-559: Was promoted major and returned to India to join the 2nd Battalion, which was sent to South Africa in September. Macready saw active service in the Second Boer War , serving in the besieged garrison at Ladysmith from October 1899 to February 1900. As a captain, returning from bringing in wounded, he first met Major-General John French on the battlefield of Elandslaagte , giving him a cup of coffee which he had looted from
9207-870: Was promoted to colonel in November 1903. He was appointed Companion of the Order of the Bath (CB) in 1906 and returned to Britain in October of that year. In March 1907, Macready was appointed assistant adjutant general in the directorate of personal services at the War Office in London, taking over from Colonel Colin Mackenzie , and helped to form the Territorial Force (TF). He was then promoted to temporary brigadier general in August 1909 and succeeded Henry Rawlinson, 1st Baron Rawlinson in command of
9306-469: Was recalled to London as Adjutant-General to the Forces , one of the most senior staff appointments in the British Army. In December 1915, Macready was warned by Special Branch of the impending violence and (Irish Nationalist) volunteer recruitment in Ireland, and from March 1916 was receiving warnings from daily police reports. At the War Office, civil servants as late as 10 April 1916, still believed there
9405-494: Was run by the Leinster Motor Club on 12 July 1947 over a 2.69 km (1.67 mi) course known as the "Short circuit" but eight years later the death of Don Beauman during at a different Irish venue plus other fatal racing accidents in 1955 brought an end to motor car racing at the Curragh. The 1951 Wakefield Trophy was won by the then 22-year-old Stirling Moss . The Curragh Camp has one primary school which
9504-528: Was sent to command the troops in Ireland as General Officer Commanding-in-Chief (GOC-in-C) British forces operating in the counter-insurgency role against the Irish Republican Army in the Irish War of Independence (alongside Hamar Greenwood as the new Chief Secretary ). He later stated in his memoirs that only loyalty to his "old Chief" Lord French (still Lord Lieutenant of Ireland at
9603-457: Was signed... I dropped into a barber's shop and set the example that evening, as I was only too glad to be rid of the unsightly bristles to which I had for many years been condemned by obedience to regulations. During the final stages of the Battle of Passchendaele , Macready warned (4 October 1917) that the BEF could be kept up to strength if it suffered no more than a further 50,000 casualties before
9702-479: Was suggested as the venue because racing was illegal on British public roads. Following a lobbying campaign, local laws were adjusted, and Kildare was chosen on the basis of the straightness of its roads. As a compliment to Ireland, the British team chose to race in Shamrock green which later became known as British racing green . The route consisted of several loops of a circuit that passed-through Kilcullen ,
9801-490: Was unimpressed by the administrative chaos in Dublin and the "crass stupidity which is so often found among police officers who have not been carefully selected". Nevertheless, he was a good and dynamic commander, increasing morale, improving policy and securing additional troops and equipment. He refused to also take command of the Royal Irish Constabulary (RIC), however, which reduced coordination between
#527472