Irish joining the British Army, wtf?

luckat

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/7749793.stm

The British military is experiencing a large rise in recruits from the Irish Republic, figures obtained by BBC Radio 4's PM programme have shown.

They reveal a four-fold increase in military personnel from the Irish Republic during the past three years.

Between 2005 and 2006, just 3% of recruits entering the military through its recruitment centres in Northern Ireland came from the Republic.

The figure so far this year is 14%, and officers believe it will rise further.

<snip>

WTF???

Ste.phen

Does it pay better than the Irish army?
Maybe it's seen as more exciting than guarding securicor vans?

Irish people have always joined the UK army, we have plenty of monuments to Irish dead in the UK armies in WWI and WWII, as well as earlier wars (although since we were part of the UK then, it's more understandable)

Ross_Mahon

Join the British army and save the Galaxy. Service guarantees citizenship. Would you like to know more?

mikemac

In the Napoleanic wars, up to one third of the army came from Ireland. Of course it was our army too since 1801
It's nothing new

And there were Irish battalions in the French and Spanish armies at the time too
Why the surprise, this has was going on even before this

seamus

Tonnes of Irish and Britons also join the French foreign legion each year too.

Why are you WTF out of you? The UK has a large, well-funded, well-equipped army.

The Irish army aren't rock-throwers by comparison, but if you're more interested in the experience and opportunities as opposed to the nationalism, then you'd do better in the British army.

Mena

seamus wrote: »

but if you're more interested in the experience and opportunities as opposed to the nationalism, then you'd do better in the British army.

This.

Not sure where the "WTF" comes from.

Irlbo

In my opinion,anyone that does,is a traitor and should be shot for treachery,call me backwards or living in the past or whatever,but I dont care,I still remember the brutality of the Bristish army against our fellow Irishmen and women up North

Mr. Incognito

Lets face it the only thing the Irish army does is guard the bank's vans, follow the president around playing the national anthem and get drunk on cheap pints in the barracks.

35,000 Irish men dies in the first world war for instance fighting in the british army. At least they pick real wars.

Ste.phen

Irlbo wrote: »

In my opinion,anyone that does,is a traitor and should be shot for treachery,call me backwards or living in the past or whatever,but In dont care,I still remember the brutality of the Bristish army against our fellow Irishmen and women up North

And many others remember the brutality of the IRA against our fellow Irishmen and women up North. Totally not the issue.

Besides, didn't the army initially arrive as peacekeepers, regardless of how that turned out after the first year or so?

chin_grin

Welcome to the past, population? You.

Mitch Connor

Irlbo wrote: »

In my opinion,anyone that does,is a traitor and should be shot for treachery,call me backwards or living in the past or whatever,but In dont care,I still remember the brutality of the Bristish army against our fellow Irishmen and women up North

How can you be a traitor without doing anything against your country?

Carturo

Irlbo wrote: »

In my opinion,anyone that does,is a traitor and should be shot for treachery,call me backwards or living in the past or whatever,but In dont care,I still remember the brutality of the Bristish army against our fellow Irishmen and women up North

I can think of more appropriate things to call you than backwards.

So you're against it because of the brutality against Irish in the North yet you're on for shooting Irish people that want to join the British Army?

That makes sense! :rolleyes:

biko

It probably beats living in some flats in Ballymun on the dole.

jhegarty

Go on home British Soldiers Go on home
Have you got no ****ing homes of your own
For 800 years we've fought you without fear
And we will fight you for 800 more

If you stay British Soldiers If you stay
You'll never ever beat the IRA
For the 14 men in Derry
Are the last that you will bury
So take a tip And leave us bloody be

So Go on home British Soldiers Go on home
Have you got no ****ing homes of your own
For 800 years we've fought you without fear
And we will fight you for 800 more

We're not British, we're not Saxon we're not English
We're Irish and proud we are to be
So **** your Union Jack We want our country back
We want to see old Ireland free once more

So Go on home British Soldiers Go on home
Have you got no ****ing homes of your own
For 800 years we've fought you without fear
And we will fight you for 800 more

We'll fight them British Soldiers for the cause
We'll never bow to Soldiers because
Troughout our history We were born to be free
So get out British bastards leave us be

So Go on home British Soldiers Go on home
Have you got no ****ing homes of your own
For 800 years we've fought you without fear
And we will fight you for 800 more

Go on home British Soldiers Go on home
Have you got no ****ing homes of your own
For 800 years we've fought you without fear
And we will fight you for 800 more
Yes, we will fight you for 800 more!

Asok

Sazza razza frazzin.... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3eRxPDLYM9Q tis a lil nsfw ....

Ste.phen

Asok wrote: »

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3eRxPDLYM9Q

We're sorry. This Video is no longer available.

luckat

I'd find it equally strange if they were suddenly rushing to join the French or German army.

Are there no better jobs than soldiering to be had? Never mind soldiering for the British.

javaboy

Asok wrote: »

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3eRxPDLYM9Q

Embedding disabled. It works from this link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3eRxPDLYM9Q


Great video btw Asok.

Fratton Fred

jhegarty wrote: »

Go on home British Soldiers Go on home
Have you got no ****ing homes of your own
For 800 years we've fought you without fear
And we will fight you for 800 more

If you stay British Soldiers If you stay
You'll never ever beat the IRA
For the 14 men in Derry
Are the last that you will bury
So take a tip And leave us bloody be

So Go on home British Soldiers Go on home
Have you got no ****ing homes of your own
For 800 years we've fought you without fear
And we will fight you for 800 more

We're not British, we're not Saxon we're not English
We're Irish and proud we are to be
So **** your Union Jack We want our country back
We want to see old Ireland free once more

So Go on home British Soldiers Go on home
Have you got no ****ing homes of your own
For 800 years we've fought you without fear
And we will fight you for 800 more

We'll fight them British Soldiers for the cause
We'll never bow to Soldiers because
Troughout our history We were born to be free
So get out British bastards leave us be

So Go on home British Soldiers Go on home
Have you got no ****ing homes of your own
For 800 years we've fought you without fear
And we will fight you for 800 more

Go on home British Soldiers Go on home
Have you got no ****ing homes of your own
For 800 years we've fought you without fear
And we will fight you for 800 more
Yes, we will fight you for 800 more!

1982 called, they want to know if you'll be back in time for dinner?

Lockstep

Mr. Incognito wrote: »

35,000 Irish men dies in the first world war for instance fighting in the british army. At least they pick real wars.

God forbid we get involved in a real war.

arybvtcw0eolkf

Mr. Incognito wrote: »

Lets face it the only thing the Irish army does is guard the bank's vans, follow the president around playing the national anthem and get drunk on cheap pints in the barracks.

35,000 Irish men dies in the first world war for instance fighting in the british army. At least they pick real wars.

I was going to debate this with you, but I seen your sig. now I won't.

prendy

Irlbo wrote: »

In my opinion,anyone that does,is a traitor and should be shot for treachery,call me backwards or living in the past or whatever,but I dont care,I still remember the brutality of the Bristish army against our fellow Irishmen and women up North

lol:D
your backwards, living in the past and a complete f00l.

so your against the violence up north but would shoot these "traitors".

seamus

luckat wrote: »

I'd find it equally strange if they were suddenly rushing to join the French or German army.

Are there no better jobs than soldiering to be had? Never mind soldiering for the British.

What makes you think being a soldier is an horrific job?

It's more of a vocation than anything like being a teacher or a Garda. Although I would concede that many people "end up" there because they either have no other prospects or can't decide what to do with themselves.

But plenty of well-educated people with otherwise great prospects go off an join the army for their own reasons. Joining any army doesn't mean that you're going to spend the rest of your life getting up at 6am in a dormitory bunkbed and taker orders all day.

KTRIC

jhegarty wrote: »

Go on home British Soldiers Go on home
Have you got no ****ing homes of your own
For 800 years we've fought you without fear
And we will fight you for 800 more

Wow, thats a catchy jingle.

I'll be humming that for the day now.

Professey Chin

Gotta shoot people from the desert legally somehow

javaboy

KTRIC wrote: »

jhegarty wrote:

Go on home British Soldiers Go on home
Have you got no ****ing homes of your own
For 800 years we've fought you without fear
And we will fight you for 800 more

Wow, thats a catchy jingle.

I'll be humming that for the day now.

It's catchy all right.

I know the guy who wrote it. I wonder if it would disillusion any of the "taking the King's shill=treason" crowd if they knew he supports an English football team?

arybvtcw0eolkf

luckat wrote: »

Are there no better jobs than soldiering to be had? Never mind soldiering for the British.

You see, this is something a civilian can't understand.

No one person I know had joined the military for 'a job', they joined because inside there was a calling to arms for them. They wanted to be soldiers, they didn't want the cushy civilian life - the 'nine to five'.

The Defence Forces recruitment slogan 'A life less ordinary' is brilliant, because thats exactly what soldiering is.

What exactly does the French Foreign Legion do?

andrewh5

micmclo wrote: »

In the Napoleanic wars, up to one third of the army came from Ireland. Of course it was our army too since 1801
It's nothing new

And there were Irish battalions in the French and Spanish armies at the time too
Why the surprise, this has was going on even before this

Absolutely! They always have and they always will - get over it!

Ross_Mahon

Deleted User wrote: »

What exactly does the French Foreign Legion do?

I don't know what they do now now, But they fought in all French wars including the Franco-Prussian War and both World Wars. They are probably just for show now!:D Interesting uniform

andrewh5

Deleted User wrote: »

What exactly does the French Foreign Legion do?

Exactly the same as any other army. They were in Gulf War 1. They have always been in Chad. etc, etc. Google them FFS!

senordingdong

Mr. Incognito wrote: »

Lets face it the only thing the Irish army does is guard the bank's vans, follow the president around playing the national anthem and get drunk on cheap pints in the barracks.

35,000 Irish men dies in the first world war for instance fighting in the british army. At least they pick real wars.

Yeah sure, nevermind all that peace keeping work they do.
It's not like they sent a huge force to Chad a few monhs ago or anything.

Can't you see, it's not me, it's not 19-16,
in your head, in your head.....

mountainyman

luckat wrote: »

I'd find it equally strange if they were suddenly rushing to join the French or German army.

Are there no better jobs than soldiering to be had? Never mind soldiering for the British.

Thank God a few of thema re getting killed anyway. I am all for Irish people joining the British army

1 Only treasonous scum would do it
2 The Brits will find them a nice grave to lie in hopefully weeding the genes for treason out of the Irish population.

andrewh5

andrewh5 wrote: »

Exactly the same as any other army. They were in Gulf War 1. They have always been in Chad. etc, etc. Google them FFS!

Ah.

I always thought it's where people went to just get away from their problems. Sorta like Rehab. But with more sand.

pwd

I think the French Foreign Legion does the worst bits of French military operations, so that French people don't have to.

Irish people join the British military because it offers good career opportunities. Some probably join for idealogical reasons too. There are a lot of Irish people of English descent.

I wonder if any of them get posted in Northern Ireland. And I wonder how Irish-friendly the culture of the British armed forces would be.

luckat

Mairt wrote: »

You see, this is something a civilian can't understand.

No one person I know had joined the military for 'a job', they joined because inside there was a calling to arms for them. They wanted to be soldiers, they didn't want the cushy civilian life - the 'nine to five'.

The Defence Forces recruitment slogan 'A life less ordinary' is brilliant, because thats exactly what soldiering is.

Maybe. But I used to meet an awful lot of ex-soldiers when giving soup to the homeless guys living on the streets.

arybvtcw0eolkf

The French Foreign Legion isn't all glamour.

I've served along side them three times, and they were only providing camp security & logistical duties like kitchen and mess (canteen) staff.

But I've no doubt their a tough military force.

Nodin

luckat wrote: »

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/7749793.stm

The British military is experiencing a large rise in recruits from the Irish Republic, figures obtained by BBC Radio 4's PM programme have shown.

They reveal a four-fold increase in military personnel from the Irish Republic during the past three years.

Between 2005 and 2006, just 3% of recruits entering the military through its recruitment centres in Northern Ireland came from the Republic.

The figure so far this year is 14%, and officers believe it will rise further.

<snip>

WTF???

Bugger all new there......

James Connolly, 1898 wrote:

We gather from the American newspapers that our countrymen in the United States army and navy have been highly distinguishing themselves in the cause of the war with Spain.
This is as it should be and in consonance with all our Irish traditions. We are a fighting race, we are told, and every Irishman is always proud to hear our politicians and journalists tell of our exploits in the fighting line – in other countries, in other climes and in other times.
Yes, we are a fighting race. Whether it is under the Stars and Stripes or under the Union Jack; planting the flag of America over the walls of Santiago or helping our own oppressors to extend their hated rule over other unfortunate nations our brave Irish boys are ever to the front.

http://eprints.cddc.vt.edu/marxists//archive/connolly/1898/08/fightgrc.htm

Dudess

Irlbo wrote: »

In my opinion,anyone that does,is a traitor and should be shot for treachery,call me backwards or living in the past or whatever,but I dont care,I still remember the brutality of the Bristish army against our fellow Irishmen and women up North

jhegarty wrote: »

Go on home British Soldiers Go on home
Have you got no ****ing homes of your own
For 800 years we've fought you without fear
And we will fight you for 800 more

If you stay British Soldiers If you stay
You'll never ever beat the IRA
For the 14 men in Derry
Are the last that you will bury
So take a tip And leave us bloody be

So Go on home British Soldiers Go on home
Have you got no ****ing homes of your own
For 800 years we've fought you without fear
And we will fight you for 800 more

We're not British, we're not Saxon we're not English
We're Irish and proud we are to be
So **** your Union Jack We want our country back
We want to see old Ireland free once more

So Go on home British Soldiers Go on home
Have you got no ****ing homes of your own
For 800 years we've fought you without fear
And we will fight you for 800 more

We'll fight them British Soldiers for the cause
We'll never bow to Soldiers because
Troughout our history We were born to be free
So get out British bastards leave us be

So Go on home British Soldiers Go on home
Have you got no ****ing homes of your own
For 800 years we've fought you without fear
And we will fight you for 800 more

Go on home British Soldiers Go on home
Have you got no ****ing homes of your own
For 800 years we've fought you without fear
And we will fight you for 800 more
Yes, we will fight you for 800 more!

Sigh... when it comes to the North, I'm a nationalist, perhaps a moderate republican... then I realise I'm in the same company as ^^^

Makes me sad....

arybvtcw0eolkf

luckat wrote: »

Maybe. But I used to meet an awful lot of ex-soldiers when giving soup to the homeless guys living on the streets.

Yes, thats true. We let a huge amount slip through the net, one of my best friends died homeless on the streets (I have a photo of him and me in Lebanon on boards.ie somewhere, I can post again if you'd wish - you might know him, he froze to death in Dublin).

Now we've got organisations like the Organisation for National Ex-service men and woman (ONE) and the UN vets organisation, both of who try to look out for ex-service personnel who fall on hard times.

Fratton Fred

pwd wrote: »

I think the French Foreign Legion does the worst bits of French military operations, so that French people don't have to.

Irish people join the British military because it offers good career opportunities. Some probably join for idealogical reasons too. There are a lot of Irish people of English descent.

I wonder if any of them get posted in Northern Ireland. And I wonder how Irish-friendly the culture of the British armed forces would be.

The French Foreign Legion fight on behalf of the French. God forbid they would actually stand up and fight anybody.

I believe Irish nationals joining the British Army had/have the option of not going to Northern Ireland if they don't want to.

The last Irish guy killed in Afghanistan was apparantly an exceptional soldier who was selected to apply for the SAS.

http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/world-news/tributes-to-irish-marine-killed-in-afghanistan-14064531.html

luckat

Mairt - what would be good would be what the French police do. They have a very early retirement age, and in the last few years of service, they train people in the trade of their choice, and give them time off to work in that trade.

Then when they retire they have a pension, and also a trade - an awful lot of plumbers and electricians and carpenters and plasterers and builders in France are ex-gendarmes.

Can't see why the Irish Army and the Gardai couldn't do the same. It results in well-qualified artisans and a good landing for people who've served their country.

Maybe you'd suggest it to the ex-service assoc?

loz

jhegarty wrote: »

So **** your Union Jack

Is the Union Flag unless flown on a ship you thick mick

vibes23

mountainyman wrote: »

Thank God a few of thema re getting killed anyway. I am all for Irish people joining the British army

1 Only treasonous scum would do it
2 The Brits will find them a nice grave to lie in hopefully weeding the genes for treason out of the Irish population.

Probably the best statement on this tread so far......

I am of the opinon that it is wrong for an irish man to join any foregin army and yes specially the brits, Why ? The troubles !

I know a few dopes will come on saying IRA did this IRA did that, we were at war. People from both sides were effected, thats what happens in a war.

I have a feeling alot of the responces we have seen "livin in the past..." etc are coming from a majority who dont know what there talking about. Also if they new in detail what the british army got up to in the north (Its not that long ago!) you wouldnt be so quick to sign up.

Just my opinon.

arybvtcw0eolkf

luckat wrote: »

Mairt - what would be good would be what the French police do. They have a very early retirement age, and in the last few years of service, they train people in the trade of their choice, and give them time off to work in that trade.

Then when they retire they have a pension, and also a trade - an awful lot of plumbers and electricians and carpenters and plasterers and builders in France are ex-gendarmes.

Can't see why the Irish Army and the Gardai couldn't do the same. It results in well-qualified artisans and a good landing for people who've served their country.

Maybe you'd suggest it to the ex-service assoc?

Thanks, some of us are blue in the face asking for this to be implimented.

The British army do the same, the retrain their soldiers to better enter civilian life.. I mean, who the fvck in civie street is looking for a qualified 120mm mortar gunner, or someone who topped their 'Battle sgts course!.

Nodin

loz wrote: »

Is the Union Flag unless flown on a ship you thick mick

....Don't you mean "Butchers Apron"?

jhegarty

loz wrote: »

Is the Union Flag unless flown on a ship you thick mick

I didn't write the song

arybvtcw0eolkf

loz wrote: »

Is the Union Flag unless flown on a ship you thick mick

I know you probably said it tongue in cheek, but "Thick Mick" really fvcking riles me and no doubt others too.

4zn76tysfajdxp

vibes23 wrote: »

Probably the best statement on this tread so far......

I am of the opinon that it is wrong for an irish man to join any foregin army and yes specially the brits, Why ? The troubles !

Why, did something happen?

Caoimhín

Some say the divils dead, the divils dead, the divils dead.

Caoimhín

Caoimhín wrote: »

Some say the divils dead, the divils dead, the divils dead.

Well according to Gareth37 he's very much alive ...