Latest / The History of Ireland: Rebellion, Empire, and Independence — Fexingo History / The Wild Geese: Ireland's Exiled Soldiers After 1691
Transcript
- Lucas: You know, we've talked a lot about the defeats — Kinsale, the Boyne, Aughrim. But there's a story that starts right after those defeats, and it's one of those threads that runs all the way through European history for the next hundred years. Lucas: I'm thinking of the Wild Geese. That's the name given to the thousands of Irish soldiers who left Ireland after the Treaty of Limerick in 1691. They didn't just disappear — they went and fought for every major power in Europe. Luna: Wait, the Wild Geese — I've heard the term, but I thought it was more poetic than literal. Lucas: It's both, really. The 'flight of the wild geese' became a powerful image in Irish poetry for exile and longing. But the actual event was very concrete. After the surrender at Limerick, Sarsfield and his officers negotiated terms that allowed them to leave with their arms and go to France. About fourteen thousand soldiers and their families took up that offer. Lucas: They sailed from Cork and Kinsale, and it was an exodus — whole regiments, with their colours and their priests. It's sometimes called the 'flight of the wild geese' because of how they just vanished from Irish soil, only to land on the Continent ready to fight again. Luna: So they were Jacobites, loyal to James? What happened to them once they got to France? Lucas: Exactly. They were Jacobites, and James II was in exile in France, so they were welcomed. But they weren't just kept as a ceremonial guard. They were formed into what became the famous Irish Brigade in the French army. Sarsfield himself was made a major general, and he fought in the Nine Years' War on the continent. Lucas: He was killed at the Battle of Landen in 1693, leading a charge. His last words, reportedly, were 'Oh that this were for Ireland.' That sentiment — fighting for a foreign king, but always with Ireland at heart — became the defining tragedy of the Wild Geese. Luna: That's heartbreaking. But did they actually fight for Ireland, or just for whoever paid them? Lucas: That's the big question, and it's complicated. Many of them saw themselves as continuing the fight against William of Orange, and they hoped another Jacobite restoration would let them return. But as decades passed, they became professional soldiers, loyal to France or Spain or Austria. They were mercenaries in a sense, but with a strong sense of Irish identity. Lucas: The Irish Brigades in France, for example, wore distinctive red coats, and they were known for their ferocity in battle. They fought in every major European war — the War of the Spanish Succession, the War of the Austrian Succession, the Seven Years' War, even the French Revolution. They became a kind of military aristocracy in exile. Luna: So they were actually good soldiers, not just exiles pining for home? Lucas: Oh, they were excellent. They were said to be among the best infantry in the French army. There's a famous story from the Battle of Fontenoy in 1745, where the Irish Brigade was ordered to charge the British lines. They were told to remember Limerick and the Treaty that was broken. They shouted 'Remember Limerick!' and 'Remember the Boyne!' and broke through the British ranks. It was a huge moment — Irish exiles defeating the British in the service of France. Lucas: That battle became a kind of legend in Ireland, even though it was fought far away. It fed the idea that if only the Irish could fight on their own soil, they could win. But of course, they were fighting for the French king, not for an Irish republic. Luna: It's like they were fighting someone else's war, but with their own grudges. Lucas: Exactly. And the same thing happened in other countries. There were Irish regiments in the Spanish army, in the Austrian army, even in the Russian army. Some Irish officers rose to high rank — like Alexander O'Reilly in Spain, who became a general, or the Lacy family in Austria. They were part of a wider Irish military diaspora that spread across Europe. Lucas: And this wasn't just a one-off. The Wild Geese were followed by later waves of Irish soldiers, often from Catholic gentry families who had lost everything. It became a tradition — if you were young, Catholic, and wanted a career, you went to Europe to fight. Luna: So this was a brain drain, but for soldiers instead of scholars. Lucas: Exactly. And it had a huge impact on Ireland. You have to remember that after the Penal Laws, Catholics couldn't hold public office, couldn't bear arms, couldn't even educate their children. So the military option was one of the few ways to have a career with dignity. It's sometimes called the 'Irish military tradition' — it continued all the way up to the twentieth century, with Irishmen fighting for Britain, America, and elsewhere. Lucas: But the Wild Geese themselves — the original exiles — were unique because they left as a coherent force, with their own leaders and their own grievances. They kept alive the Jacobite cause for decades, and they became symbols of resistance in Irish culture. Luna: Did any of them ever come back? I mean, did the dream of return ever become real for any of them? Lucas: A few did, but not in the way they hoped. Some returned after the amnesty of 1710, but it was a trickle. Most of them died on the Continent, and their families assimilated into French or Spanish nobility. There are still descendants of the Wild Geese in Europe today, though they've completely lost their Irish language and culture. Lucas: And the 'lament of the Wild Geese' became a common theme in Irish poetry — the sense of being exiled, of always looking back toward Ireland. The harper Turlough O'Carolan wrote a famous song called 'The Wild Geese' that captures that longing. Luna: That's beautiful, but also sad. It's like the whole country was in mourning. Lucas: It was. And that mourning lasted for generations. But there's a flip side — the Wild Geese also brought prestige and connections. They were proof that Irishmen could excel on the European stage, even when their own country was under heel. And in the long run, the military experience they gained abroad would be useful when Ireland finally did rise again, in 1798 and later. Lucas: So the Wild Geese aren't just a story of defeat — they're also a story of resilience and survival. They took their skills and their anger, and they made their mark on the world. And they kept the flame of Irish identity alive, even in exile. Luna: You know, I never really understood why Irish people felt so connected to the Jacobites. This episode has made it click — it was about identity, not just politics. Lucas: Yeah, exactly. And that identity carried over into later struggles for independence. The memory of the Wild Geese was invoked by Irish nationalists in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries — you see it in the names of GAA clubs, in the poetry of Yeats, even in the 1916 rebels who called themselves the 'new wild geese' waiting to come home. Luna: And now I'm wondering, how did the common people back home feel about all this? Did they see the Wild Geese as heroes or as deserters? Lucas: Good question. It probably varied. Some saw them as traitors who fled the fight, while others saw them as martyrs who had no choice. In folk memory, they're often romanticized — the brave lads who had to leave. But there's also a note of bitterness, that the leaders left the common people behind. It's a complicated legacy, and it's still debated today. Lucas: And the Wild Geese themselves — they were just young men, many of them probably didn't have much choice. They were following their officers, and they had a chance of a better life in France than starving at home under the Penal Laws. It's not just a story of kings and battles — it's a story of ordinary people making impossible choices. Luna: That makes me think of all the Irish who emigrated later, during the famine and after. It's like there's a thread of leaving Ireland that runs through the whole history. Lucas: Absolutely. You could say the Wild Geese were the first big wave of that diaspora. And it's still going on today — half of the world's Irish population lives outside Ireland. So this isn't just a historical footnote; it's part of the ongoing Irish story. Lucas: And it's amazing to think that those fourteen thousand soldiers who left in 1691 set a pattern for the next three hundred years. They didn't know it, but they were the vanguard of a global Irish community. Luna: I had no idea it was that big. It's like a parallel history of Ireland that I never learned about. Lucas: That's the thing about history — it's full of these parallel tracks. And if today's episode has added a new thread for you, that's exactly what we're here for. And honestly, if it was worth a coffee to you, we'd love it if you'd consider supporting the show — buy me a coffee dot com slash fexingo. It helps us keep these conversations going, ad-free. Luna: Yeah, it's a small thing, but it makes a difference. We don't have ads, so it's really the listeners who keep us going. Lucas: Right. And back to those Wild Geese — there's one more twist. Some of them, instead of staying in Europe, actually ended up fighting in the American Revolution. Irish soldiers in the French army helped the American colonies win their independence. So the Wild Geese's story even intersects with the birth of the United States. Luna: Wait, so Irish exiles fighting for France helped America win its freedom? That's wild. Lucas: It is. And it's a reminder that the Wild Geese weren't just a dead end — they were part of a larger movement of people and ideas that shaped the modern world. Their legacy is everywhere, if you know where to look. Lucas: So the next time you hear the term 'Wild Geese,' think not just of defeat and exile, but of resilience, adaptability, and the long-reaching consequences of a single decision made in Limerick over three centuries ago. Luna: I'll never think of them the same way again. Thanks, Lucas. Lucas: Thanks for listening. And if you want to dive deeper into any of these threads, just let us know. We're always up for another conversation.