The Cork Militia was an auxiliary military force in County Cork in Ireland. From their early existence in the 16th and 17th Centuries and then their formal organisation in 1793, the Militia regiments of the county served in home defence in most of the major wars involving Britain and Ireland. After service in South Africa during the Second Boer War they trained thousands of reinforcements during World War I. They were formally disbanded in 1922 following Irish Independence.
Early units The earliest record of militia units in County Cork is from 1584, when they were organised as follows: Hay, pp. 390–3. City of Cork: 300 'shot' (musketeers), 100 billmen Baronry of Muskerry: 20 shot, 300 bills Baronry of Imokilly: 12 shot, 80 bills Baronry of Condons: 8 shot, 60 bills 'Lord Barry's County' (Baronry of Carbery): 30 shot, 200 bills 'Mac-Carty More' (the lands of the MacCarthy Mor dynasty): 8 shot, 400 bills
After the Stuart Restoration of 1660 more formal militia forces were organised in Ireland. In August 1666 the Lord Lieutenant, the Duke of Ormond, made a 'progress' through County Cork and was accompanied by the horse militia of each barony. The following year the militia of the City of Cork consisted of 600 foot and 60 horse; in 1681 they were 500 foot and 'two gallant troops of horse'. During the Williamite War in Ireland the Governor of Cork, Sir Richard Cox, increased the militia of the county in 1691 to three regiments of foot (6000 men) and 26 independent troops of horse. They held several garrisons for King William III, took part in numerous skirmishes, and assisted at the capture of Sligo. During the Siege of Limerick 1000 of the Cork Militia held the pass of Killaloe for which they were thanked by William's commander General Godert de Ginkel. It was not until 1715 that the Irish Militia came under statutory authority. In 1746 during the War of the Austrian Succession the militia of County Cork consisted of 3000 foot and 200 horse; by 1760 in the Seven Years' War this had dwindled to two foot regiments of 8 companies each, totalling 960 men.Hay, pp. 197–8.
By the War of American Independence, with a serious threat of invasion by the Americans' allies, France and Spain, Ireland had no national militia. The Parliament of Ireland passed a Militia Act, but this failed to create an effective force. However it opened the way for the paramilitary Irish Volunteers to fill the gap. The Volunteers were outside the control of either the parliament or the Dublin Castle administration. When the invasion threat receded they diminished in numbers but remained a political force. On the outbreak of the French Revolutionary War In 1793, the Irish administration passed an effective Militia Act that created an official Irish Militia. The new Act was based on existing English precedents, with the men being conscripted by ballot to fill county quotas (paid substitutes were permitted) and the officers having to meet certain property qualifications.Hay, pp. 146–7.McAnally, pp. 1–31.Richey, pp. 3–6.
Cork Militia In March 1793 County Cork was given a quota of 1464 men to find, to be organised into three regiments each of 488 men in 8 companies:Frederick, p. 167.McAnally, Appendix VI. North Cork Militia at FermoyFrederick, p. 243. South Cork Militia at RathcormacFrederick, p. 275.Hay, pp. 427–8.South Cork LI at Regiments.org (archived at the Wayback Machine) Royal Cork City Militia at CorkFrederick, pp. 983–5.Litchfield, pp. 56–8.Royal Cork City Militia at Regiments.org (archived at the Wayback Machine)
The new militia was widely unpopular, and Cork was one of the slower counties to fill its quota. The order to embody the three regiments for service was not issued until 30 September and it was not carried out until 15 October.McAnally, pp. 41, 43, 48. In 1795 the Irish militia was augmented, and each of the County Cork regiments was raised to an establishment of 612 men.
The French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars saw the British and Irish militia embodied for a whole generation, becoming regiments of full-time professional soldiers (though restricted to service in Britain or Ireland respectively), which the Regular Army increasingly saw as a prime source of recruits. They served in coast defences, manned garrisons, guarded prisoners of war, and carried out internal security duties.Knight, pp. 78–9, 111, 255, 411.
Anxiety about a possible French invasion of Ireland grew during the autumn of 1796 and preparations were made for field operations. A large French expeditionary force appeared in Bantry Bay on 21 December and troops from all over Ireland were marched towards the threatened area. Soon afterwards news arrived that the French fleet had been scattered by the winter storms. Several ships had been wrecked and none of the French troops succeeded in landing; there was no sign of a rising by the United Irishmen. The invasion was called off on 29 December, and the troop concentration was dispersed in early 1797.McAnally, pp. 96–102; Appendix III.
In 1797 the light companies of the militia were detached to join composite battalions drawn from several militia and regular regiments. The light companies of the three Cork regiments joined 1st Light Battalion. The militia regiments were each issued with two light six-pounder 'battalion guns', with the gun detachments trained by the Royal Artillery. When the militiamen of 1793 reached the end of their four-year enlistment in 1797, most of the Irish regiments were able to maintain their numbers through re-enlistments (for a bounty).McAnally, pp. 102–9, 121–6.Richey, pp. 18–9; Appendices IV & V.
North Cork Militia
The expected Irish Rebellion finally broke out in May 1798, with large rebel forces active in County Wexford, where the North Cork Militia was stationed. A detachment of the regiment was overwhelmed at the Battle of Oulart Hill, after which several small garrisons were withdrawn into the town of Wexford. A detachment of the North Cork helped to defend Enniscorthy against a fierce attack, but were obliged to withdraw from the burning town after nightfall. After sacking the town the rebels concentrated at an encampment on nearbyVinegar Hill. The commanders at Wexford decided that without reinforcements the town was indefensible and ordered a retreat to Duncannon Fort. The North Cork had got to within of Duncannon after dark when they were attacked in the rear and suffered heavy casualties at Taylorstown Bridge.McAnally, Appendix VIII.Maxwell, pp. 94–7.Maxwell, pp. 104–8. Other detachments of the regiment served in the successful defence of Carlow, the defeat of a rebel force at Ballycanew, and in the Battle of Arklow where the rebel advance was halted.Maxwell, pp. 130–9. The Light Company served in the decisive Battle of Vinegar Hill that broke the Wexford Rebellion, though the regiment was engaged in several subsequent actions.Maxwell, pp. 139–46.Maxwell, pp. 183–4. Over the following weeks the remaining rebel groups in other part of Ireland were largely destroyed before a French force arrived on 22 August, too late to effect the outcome, and after initial success was forced to surrender on 8 September.Maxwell, pp. 223–43.
After the rebellion the Irish Militia settled down to garrison duty once more. With the diminishing threat of invasion after 1799, the strength of the militia could be reduced, and the surplus men were encouraged to volunteer for regiments of the line.McAnally, pp. 148–53. The light battalions were reformed in 1800, with the Cork companies once more in 1st Light Bn.Richey, Appendix X.
The Treaty of Amiens brought a halt to hostilities in 1802, but the peace was short-lived and preparations to re-embody the militia began in November 1802. Early in 1803 the regiments were ordered to begin re-enrolling former militiamen and new volunteers as well as using the ballot. The proclamation to embody the militia was issued on 15 March and carried out on 25 March.McAnally, pp. 172–8.
Anti-invasion preparations were now put in hand and the reconstituted militia regiments underwent training, although most were not considered well enough trained to go into camp during the summer of 1804. The light battalions were reformed in September 1803 but were discontinued in 1806. Over the following years the regiments carried out garrison duties at various towns across Ireland and attended summer training camps.McAnally, pp. 179–94, 198–9, 216.Hay, pp. 148–56.
The Napoleonic Wars were brought to an end by the Battle of Waterloo in 1815, and the Cork Militia was disembodied on 1 April 1816.
After Waterloo there was a long peace. Although ballots were still held until they were suspended by the Militia Act 1829, the regiments were rarely assembled for training and the permanent staffs of sergeants and drummers (who were occasionally used to maintain public order) were progressively reduced, though the statutory establishment of the disembodied regiment was still eight companies. Officers continued to be commissioned sporadically; in 1845–46 there was an effort to replace elderly members of the permanent staff and to appoint a few younger officers from the county gentry, though they had no duties to perform. At some point before 1850 the North Cork Militia became a rifle corps, adopting a Rifle green uniform.Sleigh, pp. xv–xvii.Sleigh, p. 155.Hart's, various dates.
The Militia of the United Kingdom was revived by the Militia Act 1852, enacted during a period of international tension. As before, units were raised and administered on a county basis, and filled by voluntary enlistment (although conscription by means of the Militia Ballot might be used if the counties failed to meet their quotas). Training was for 56 days on enlistment, then for 21–28 days per year, during which the men received full army pay. Under the Act, Militia units could be embodied by Royal Proclamation for full-time home defence 'in case of national danger or pressing necessity'. Militia units now had a large cadre of permanent staff (about 30) and a number of the officers were former Regulars. Around a third of the recruits and many young officers went on to join the Regular Army.Dunlop, pp. 42–5.Grierson, pp. 27–8.Spiers, pp. 91–2.
When the regiment was revived in 1852 it was designated as the North Cork Rifles. The Crimean War having broken out in 1854 and a large expeditionary force sent overseas, the militia were called out for home defence. The North Cork Rifles spent the last months of its embodiment at Aldershot Camp in England, until it was stood down in August 1856.Edinburgh Gazette, 8 January 1856. There was a partial mobilisation of the militia when large forces were sent to suppress the Indian Mutiny in 1857. The North Cork Rifles crossed to England again, taking up various stations, and including a year at Aldershot. In late 1859 it moved to Scotland before being disembodied early in 1860.Edinburgh Gazette, 2 November 1858.Edinburgh Gazette, 1 November 1859.
Annual training for the Irish Militia was suspended from 1866 to 1870 at the time of the Fenian crisis. The Militia Reserve introduced in 1867 consisted of present and former militiamen who undertook to serve overseas in case of war. Some of these were called out in 1878 during the Balkan Crisis.Grierson, p. 29.Spiers, pp. 195–6.
South Cork Militia
The regiment was one of those that took part in the forced march from Limerick to repel the invasion at Bantry Bay in 1796, and its Light Company served with the 1st Light Battalion at Vinegar Hill.Sleigh, p. 124. The Interchange Act 1811 passed in July allowed Irish militia regiments to serve in England and vice versa for up to two years. The South Cork was one of the regiments that volunteered and served in England from June 1812 to October 1814.