20th March 1914: The Curragh Incident. This is a very BIG ISSUE – and I can’t cover it properly here. Basically the Government were pushing through Home Rule for Ireland. The Protestant minority were worried about being part of a Catholic Ireland. The British Army had a large number of officers who were strong supporters of the Protestants. Sir Arthur Pagent – CinC Ireland – was in Dublin and discussed moving troops into the north to deal with any rebellion by Ulster Protestants. Officers of the 3rd Cavalry Brigade – 25 miles away at Curragh – sent word that Brigadier Gough and 57 officers would prefer dismal than obey orders north. As the orders had not been given they were, technically, not guilty of mutiny. You cant help feeling if 60 private soldiers had said we would rather resign then go suppress an industrial dispute they would have been more harshly dealt with. This was a direct threat by leading army officers to the will of the civil power.
Posted on: Thu, 20 Mar 2014 06:47:44 +0000
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