The Curragh Mutiny: When Ireland's Army Refused to Fight Ulster

The History of Ireland: Rebellion, Empire, and Independence — Fexingo History · Oct 2, 2026 · 8m · transcript

In 1914, just weeks before the outbreak of World War I, a crisis erupted at the Curragh Camp in County Kildare that nearly shattered the British Army and foreshadowed the partition of Ireland. This episode explores the Curragh Incident, where Colonel William Hickie and over two hundred officers threatened to resign rather than enforce martial law on Unionist counties in Ulster. We examine the political pressure exerted by Edward Carson and the Liberal government, the secret assurances given by Chief of the Imperial General Staff Sir Henry Wilson, and how this mutiny effectively guaranteed…