A Celtic Chronology

AUSTRIA, RUSSIA, BAVARIA and POLAND

Still other countries were recipients of the Wild Geese, and as in France and Spain, they grew to levels of distinction impossible for the Irish to attain in Ireland. Fourteen Irishmen attained the rank of Marshall in the Austrian Army.

They had names like Plunkett, Maguire, Nugent, and O’Donnell. Nicholas Taafe was one of these. He later served as Chamberlain to Emperor Charles VI in 1769.

Count Edward Taafe was the Provincial Governor of Saltzburg in 1863-1867, and then of Tyrol and Voraberg 1874-1879. In 1879, he was President of the Austrian Council of Ministers.

A father and son team of Walsh’s commanded the Austrian Army in Turkey.

Thomas Baron Von Brady, a Cavan man, entered the Austrian service at the age of 17; in 1769, he rose to become the Governor of Dalmatia and Albania.

Count James Nugent, of Dublin, was the Austrian ambassador to Berlin in 1764.

Joseph O’Donnell was the Austrian Governor of Siebenburgen in 1768.

John Forbes founded the Austrian Navy in 1720.

Maximilian Ulysses von Browne was Commanding General of Bohemia in 1751, and Commandant of Prague in 1754.

James MacDonald of County Mayo, became an Austrian Count and later a Chamberlain. His son, Francis, succeeded him.

A Fitzjames also once held the post of Chamberlain in Austria.

Major General Baron Francis Patrick O’Neillan, born in Dysert, County Clare served in the Austrian army of Maria Theresa. He was the Commander of the citadel at Mantua 1733-1734. His sons, Eugene and Francis both were Counts under Maria Theresa. Francis died in the Battle of Hirschwald while demolishing the city gate with an axe.

General O’Neillan’s wife, Barbara was the sister of Maximilian Ulysses Browne cited above.

In Russia, Irishman Peter Lacy commanded 15,000 men. His father fought for Austria as a Field Marshall and his two brothers were in the Irish Brigade of France. Peter Lacy was later Governor of Livonia (1743).

A Browne in Russian service was Governor of Riga.

An Irishman named David Butler is credited with establishing the Russian Navy.

Peter Delap, an Irishman, was Commander of the Russian Navy under Peter the Great. In 1719, when Czar Peter wanted to invade Sweden he sent Delap to transport Lacy’s troops to Sweden. When they landed in Sweden they were repulsed by an Irish general in the service of Sweden named Hugh Hamilton.

Sidney Reilly was a part of Lenin’s revolution in Russia in 1917.

A Chamberlain of Poland was Marshall Maurice Kavanaugh, a Chamberlain of Bavaria was a Colonel Harold of Ireland.

BRITISH EMPIRE

The English too have had a healthy share of Irish in their service. In the British Army there were several Irish Brigades; the Leinster Regiment, the Royal Munster Fusiliers, the Royal Irish Regiment, and the Connaught Rangers to name a few. They were all disbanded in 1920 after the Connaught Rangers on duty in far away India, rebelled at the news from home (Ireland) of what the Black and Tan, an English unit quickly formed using a mixed uniform, was doing in Ireland. The Black and Tans acted brutally against the people, even murdered the Mayor of Cork, Tomas MacCurtain. When the Irish units were disbanded in 1920, they had more decorations for bravery than all the other comparable units in the British Army.

Among the more famous Irish in the military service of England were:

Sir Arthur Wellesley, better known as the Duke of Wellington, he was born of English parents in Ireland. He defeated Napoleon at Waterloo, and was later a Prime Minister of England (1828). Wellington once said in a speech delivered in 1829:

“It is mainly to our Irish Catholics that we owe our proud pre-eminence in our military career…I feel almost ashamed of the honors which have been lavished on me. I feel that the merit was theirs, what was so freely given to me was unjustly denied to them.”

A General Kavanaugh, who was Irish, commanded Queen Victoria’s Army in India.

Sir Bernard Law Montgomery, the WWII English Field Marshal who led the fight at El Alamein, North Africa, and then Sicily was Irish. He came from Ulster.

The Irish and other Celts also contributed to the government service of England.

Lord Palmerston the Prime Minister was Anglo-Irish.

Lord Aberdeen, also a Prime Minister, was born in Scotland.

James Ramsey MacDonald was the first Labour Party Prime Minister (1924).

Harold McMillan was Prime Minister 1957-1963, he was of Scottish ancestry.

As the British empire stretched around the world, we find Irish in high places in all the far flung places. Examples are:

Turkey – Sir Arthur Henry MacMahon was High Commander in 1914-1916.

Egypt – Horatio Herbert Kitchner, who was born in Kerry, was Commander of British forces in Egypt, earlier he attempted to rescue Gordon in the Sudan. Later Kitchner was Governor of Suakin in Zanzibar. Kitchner was an important recruiter of men for WWI.

Hong Kong – For twenty years the men in charge of Hong Kong had names like MacDonnell, Kennedy, and Hennessy. One of the better place names in Hong Kong is Connaught Way.

India – In 1756 the Commander in Chief of British Forces in India was Irishman Eyre Coote. The first Viceroy of India was Irishman Charles J. Canning, another Irish Viceroy was Richard Bourke.

In 1918, Michael O’Dwyer ruled Punjab.

Natal – The Governor of Natal in 1901 was Sir Henry McCallum.

Burma – The Commanders in Chief of Burma from 1889 – 1892 were Anthony Patrick MacDonnell and Alex MacKenzie respectively.

Malta – John Vereker Gord was an Irishman and Governor.

Palestine – John Vereker Gord was High Commissioner.

Gibraltar – John Vereker Gord was Governor.

South Africa – John McBride led an Irish unit in the British Army in the Boer War.

Arctic Area – Francis L. McClintock and Robert J. McClure were early Arctic explorers.

Australia – Australia had many Irish leaders. Peter Lalor was at the Eureka Stockade fight at Ballarat, he later became Postmaster General, then Speaker of the House, 1880-1888. Governor General and Prime Minister. William McMahon was an Irishman. Other Irish include Stanley Melbourne Bruce, Joseph Benedict Chifley, John Curtin, Francis Forde, Joseph Lyons, Robert Menzes, John McEwen and Paul Keating. In addition other Celtic connections would include Andrew Fisher whose father was born in Scotland, John Malcolm Frase of Scottish descent, Robert James Lee Hawke of Cornish descent, William Morris Hughes of Welsh descent and George Houston Reid of Scottish descent.

New Zealand – The first Premier, John Edmond Fitzgerald was born in Ireland. William Ferguson Massey and John Ballance were both Prime Ministers who were of an Irish heritage. In 1984, Robert Muldoon was Prime Minister.

Iraq – The Provost Marshal of Baghdad, in 1916, was Victor McLaglen.

Sierra Leone – Thomas Babington Macauley, father of the writer Zachary Macauley was Governor in 1813.

Saudi Arabia – T. E. Lawrence, Lawrence of Arabia, was born in Ireland. He secured independence for this area.

Bermuda – Francis Hincks was Governor.

Bahamas – Milo Butler was Governor in 1973.

Grenada – George Macartney was Governor in 1779.

Montserrat- Alexander Brisket was Governor in 1637.

Leeward Islands – Irish born William Stapleton was Governor in 1671. He was an Irish Catholic Soldier of Fortune previous to his appointment.

CANADA

Canada – Like Australia, there have been many. The current Prime Minister Brian Mulroney is representative, he is from Quebec. Another is Edmund James Flynn in 1896. MacDonalds, MacKenzies, and Kings have been in high office though out Canada, throughout the years. Examples are the first Premier of Ontario, John Sandfield MacDonald. He was also Prime Minister of Canada 1862-1864. Sir John Alexander MacDonald was the first Premier of Canada (1867-1873). William Lyon MacKenzie led a rebellion to rid Canada of the British in 1837.

Andrew L. McNaughton was Commander of Canadian Forces in Great Britain in WWII.

OTHER

There are other Irish who left home to adopt other countries and become a part of their history. Examples are:

Philippines – The Governor General of the Philippines for the United States from 1933-1937 was Frank Murphy.

Israel – The President of Israel since 1983, Chiam Herzog, was born in Ireland.

Germany – Leader of the Green Party is appropriately Petra Kelly. She is not Irish, but carries the name of her step-father.

Zimbabwe – Robert Mugabe, the country’s first Prime Minister is not Irish, but credits an Irish priest, Father John O’Hara, for his revolutionary zeal that helped him declare his country independent.

Japan – Douglas MacArthur, who had both Irish and Scottish blood, effectively ruled Japan and wrote its constitution after WWII.

Greece – Richard Strong was a Commanding General of the Greek Army when Greece successfully separated from Turkey.

Cuba – Che Gueverra, was one of the leader’s of the Cuban Revolution, his mother was a Lynch.

Africa – Hugh Francis Flynn rode with Shaka the Zulu chief in 1827.

Vatican – Pope Pius IX organized the Irish Battalion of Saint Patrick to defend the Papal States against Girabaldi in the early 1800′s. The unit was led by Miles Keogh of County Carlow. Keogh was awarded a Papal medal for his valor. Keogh was killed as a member of the Seventh Cavalry serving as an officer under General George Armstrong Custer. Many years later when the victor of the Battle of the Little Big Horn, Sitting Bull, died, they found he was wearing Keogh’s medal.

Monsignor Hugh O’Flaherty helped conceal thousands of escaped Allied POW’s during WWII.

Father John Magee was the Private Secretary to Pope John Paul in 1978.

SOUTH and LATIN AMERICA

In South America many Irish were associated with Simon Bolivar who liberated Venezuela, Columbia, Ecuador, Bolivia, and Peru from Spain during the years 1810-1826. His chief Aide de Camp was General Daniel Florence O’Leary who later became Foreign Minister for first Columbia and then Venezuela. General Thomas Charles James Wright was an Irishman who became an official in Columbia, then Ecuador, and finally Venezuela. Arthur O’Connor was Chief of Staff to Jose San Martin.

John D’Evereaux raised the Irish Legion for Bolivar. About 2,000 Irish served in the Unit.

The Spanish Viceroy to Peru was Ambrose O’Higgins. His son, Bernado O’Higgins, like Bolivar helped to free parts of South America with Irish help. A province of Chile is named O’Higgins.

Thomas Cochrane organized the Chilean Navy for O’Higgins.

William Brown, of Ireland, organized the Argentine Navy, he was later Governor of Buenos Aires.

Just prior to the ascendancy of Juan Peron, the President of Argentina in 1944-1946 was Admirilo J. Farrell.

The President of Peru in 1983 was named Terry. He offered a Peace Plan to end the Malvinas/Falkland dispute of that year to the leaders of England and Argentina that was accepted. Two of the other major players in that drama was the Foreign Minister of England, a man named Callahan; and the President of the United States, who was a Reagan.

In Mexico during the war with the United States in 1846 there was in its army a battalion known as the San Patricio’s, made up of many Irishmen.

MORE OTHER

The Republic of Texas had as its first President, Sam Houston of an Irish family.

There were three Irish Brigades in South Africa during the Boer War.

Irish born “Mad” Mike Hoare of South Africa, a derring-do mercenary who led a band called the “Wild Geese” in the Katanga revolt in the Belgian Congo of the 1960′s, attempted in 1981 to take over the Seychelles Islands.

Her Serene Highness Princess Grace Kelly of Monaco, was an Irish girl from Philadelphia who went to Hollywood and became a star, before marrying the Prince of Monaco Her children Prince Albert, Princess Caroline (who has a carnation named for her), and Princess Stephanie, are of course as Irish as Monacoan.

And then there was His Majesty O’Keefe, who ruled Yap Island in the South Pacific as his personal kingdom for thirty years (1871-1901).
There was another less known King whose reign was not as long. He was Irishman John Davis Murray, King of the Christmas Islands in 1891.

THE UNITED STATES of AMERICA

There is not enough room to give the many examples of men and women with an Irish heritage who played a part in the history of the United States of America. See the Celtic Chronology in the Appendices for some information. Suffice to say they include twelve U.S. presidents who were Irish on the paternal side: President Buchanan’s father was born in County Donegal and both President Jackson’s parents were born there, Polk, Arthur, McKinley, Wilson, Kennedy, Nixon, Ford, Carter, Reagan and Clinton; and nine United States presidents: Adams, his son John Quincy; Madison; Johnson (Andrew); Grant; Cleveland; Harrison; Teddy Roosevelt, Lyndon Johnson who were Irish in the maternal side. In addition President Clinton’s mother’s family traces their roots to County Fermanagh, Ireland. Twenty-three U. S. Presidents had an Irish connection. The Presidents George Bush are related to the Irish Shannon’s.

Expanding that to include other Celtic connections, we can add Jefferson who was of Welsh descent, and Monroe and Hayes of Scottish descent. President Garfield stated he believed he was of Welsh descent. Genealogical records show him to be of Scottish descent. That brings the total number of U. S. Presidents with a Celtic connection to twenty four. More than half of the U. S. Presidents had a Celtic connection. Two other presidents who may have had a Celtic connection were George Washington and Zachary Taylor. George Washington had very close ties to a McCarthy family (cousins). George Washington is descended in the paternal line from families in the west of England (North Lancashire), Celtic country. Taylor is another President whose ancestors are from the west of England in country that still has many Celtic families. Many historians list Lincoln as Irish through his maternal line (Moore). President McKinley in a St. Patrick’ Day speech included Lincoln in his list. My research has not been able to substantiate that claim.

“Like the seeds of the shamrock, Ireland has scattered its sons and daughters to the four winds, and everywhere they have taken root they’ve made a unique contribution to their adopted country.” – Ronald Reagan

The point of this digression is to show you the Irish left and gave some of their best work on behalf of freedom to countries other than Ireland. The legacy of the Wild Geese has been felt world over. Let us return now to the chronology and you will see why they left.

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