Curragh incident facts for kids

The Curragh incident happened on 20 March 1914 at the Curragh Camp in County Kildare, Ireland. This camp was the main base for the British Army in Ireland. At that time, Ireland was still part of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland. The British government was planning to give Ireland some control over its own affairs, known as devolved government or Home Rule. This included the area of Ulster.

The incident is important because it was one of the few times the British military openly got involved in politics. Many people called it the Curragh mutiny. However, no direct orders were actually disobeyed.

As Home Rule was about to become law, the British government thought about using the army against the Ulster Volunteers. This group of people in Ulster threatened to fight against Home Rule. Many army officers, especially those with family ties to Irish Protestants, said they would rather resign than fight against the Unionists. A key officer was Hubert Gough. Senior officers in London, like Henry Wilson, quietly encouraged them.

Later, the government said the whole thing was a misunderstanding. But Secretary of State for War J. E. B. Seely and Chief of the Imperial General Staff (CIGS) Field Marshal Sir John French had to resign. This happened after they changed a document to promise the army would not be used against the Ulster loyalists.

The incident made Unionists feel stronger. It also convinced Irish nationalists that they could not trust the British Army in Ireland.

Why it Happened

In early 1912, the British government, led by H. H. Asquith, introduced a plan called the Third Home Rule Bill. This plan suggested creating an Irish Parliament in Dublin.

However, many people in Ireland, called Unionists, did not want to be ruled by a Dublin Parliament. Especially in Ulster, Unionists formed a group called the Ulster Volunteers (UVF) in 1912. This group was helped by some retired British army officers. They were ready to fight if needed against the British government or a future Irish Home Rule government.

By September 1913, the head of the army, John French, worried that the British Army might split if ordered to act against the UVF. Many officers shared the Unionists' view. They wanted to protect the Protestant British Empire. They believed Home Rule for mostly Catholic Ireland would threaten it. Major-General Henry Hughes Wilson, a top army leader, even talked regularly with politicians who opposed Home Rule.

Orders for the Army

To prepare for possible trouble from the UVF, Field Marshal Sir John French and J. E. B. Seely called General Sir Arthur Paget. Paget was the army's commander in Ireland. They met in London in October 1913.

Intelligence reports suggested the UVF, which now had 100,000 members, might try to take weapons from Carrickfergus Castle. Political talks were stuck. The Irish leaders wanted Ulster to be part of Home Rule for at least six years. But Ulster Unionists, led by Edward Carson, wanted to stay out of Home Rule forever.

Paget was told to get troops ready. Their job was to stop "evil-disposed persons" from taking weapons. He was also told to send troops to places like Newry and Dundalk. These areas were important for controlling Ulster, even though they were not likely to be attacked by the UVF. Some people later thought this might have been a plan by Seely and Winston Churchill to make the Unionists rebel.

On the evening of 18 March, Paget sent a message that troop movements would be finished by Sunday, 31 March. On 19 March, Seely said the government would go ahead with Home Rule. He suggested the UVF would be stopped if they tried to start a civil war. Churchill even said his ships could set Belfast on fire in 24 hours.

Officers Resign

On the morning of Friday, 20 March, General Paget spoke to his top officers in Dublin. These included Generals Rolt, Cuthbert, Gough, and Fergusson.

Paget told them that "active operations were to commence against Ulster." He also said that officers who lived in Ulster could "disappear" (take leave) during the operations. Other officers who refused to serve against Ulster would be dismissed, not allowed to resign.

General Gough, who had family in Ulster, asked about this. Paget told him he would get no special treatment. Historians say Paget was foolish to give his officers an ultimatum. Most might have just obeyed if simply ordered to go north. Paget told his officers to talk to their soldiers and report back.

Gough told the officers under his command at Marlborough Barracks (now McKee Barracks) that they could choose to resign rather than fight the Ulster Volunteers. This choice was then given to the rest of Gough's 3rd Cavalry Brigade at the Curragh Camp.

That evening, Paget sent a telegram to London. He reported that almost all officers of the 5th Lancers planned to resign. He feared the same for the 16th Lancers. He also reported that Brigadier-General Gough and 57 officers of the 3rd Cavalry Brigade would rather be dismissed than go North.

In total, 61 officers, including Gough, chose to accept dismissal. These officers were not technically guilty of mutiny. This is because they resigned before refusing a direct order.

What Happened Next

General Sir Charles Fergusson spoke to his units on Saturday, 21 March. He reminded them that soldiers must obey orders, no matter their private political views. Paget also spoke, but his speech was not as clear.

Gough was called to London. He confirmed that he would have obeyed a direct order to move against Ulster. Field Marshal French also threatened to resign if Gough was not put back in his job. French had been advised that Paget should not have asked officers about "what if" situations.

Prime Minister Asquith's government backed down. They said the incident was an "honest misunderstanding." Seely added two paragraphs to a government document. These paragraphs said the government had the right to use the army anywhere. But it had no intention of using force "to crush opposition to the Home Rule Bill." Gough insisted on adding another paragraph. It said the army would not be used to force Home Rule on Ulster.

The details of this agreement soon leaked to the newspapers. Asquith publicly rejected the extra paragraphs. As a result, French, another general named Spencer Ewart, and Seely all had to resign.

About a month later, on 24 April, the Ulster Volunteers secretly brought in about 24,000 rifles at night. This was known as the "Larne gun-running" incident.

Many people were angry that the army, which often helped stop worker strikes, was allowed to refuse orders in Ulster. The Curragh incident made Unionists more confident. It also made the Irish nationalist movement stronger. Nationalists realized they could not rely on the British army in Ireland. This led to more support for their own group, the Irish Volunteers.

The Home Rule Bill was approved in May. But fears of civil war in Ireland grew. The government started thinking about dividing Ireland. Discussions at the Buckingham Palace Conference could not solve the arguments about this division. The main Home Rule Bill became law on 18 September. However, it was put on hold because of the start of the First World War.

Gallery

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  General Fergusson around 1926

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  Field Marshal John French

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  General Gough around 1900

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  Sir Arthur Paget, Commander in Ireland in March 1914

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  General Henry Wilson