Sorry, slight thread drift, no musical content in this post.

Keith & Santa,

One point which many people miss is that both Redmond (National Volunteers) and Carson (UVF) offered their organisations to the Government at the begining of the war and encouraged their members to join.
Redmond, in the hope that the Government would honour its pledges and grant Home Rule at the end of the War
Carson to prove that Ireland should remain part of the Kingdom.
I suspect that both also hoped to gain some combat training for their respective forces, just in case matters 'went sour' - remember, in 1914, it was going to be a very short war.
Whatever the reasons, Ireland gave three full Infantry Divisions:
10th (Irish) Div
16th (Irish) Div
36th (Ulster) Div
as well as men serving in other formations throughout the Forces.

I seem to recall reading that the Irish Republican Brotherhood (which became the IRA of 1916) stems largely from those who refused Redmonds appeal.

Walrus