Today, in 1691, the Flight of the Wild Geese marked a pivotal moment in Irish history. 12,000 Irish Jacobite soldiers fled to France. These vanquished warriors were bound to the Treaty of Limerick, following their crushing defeat at the Battle of Aughrim on the 12th of July that year.
The treaty, co-signed on the 3rd of October 1691 by Jacobite commander Patrick Sarsfield, formally ended the Williamite War in Ireland. The defeated Jacobite soldiers were given a choice: swear allegiance to King William III and remain in Ireland, or leave for France to continue serving the deposed James II.
Those who chose exile became known as the Wild Geese. Once in France, they were absorbed into all-Irish regiments of the French Army under Louis XIV. By 1697, these Irish brigades had become a notable force in French military campaigns, fighting valiantly in battles across Europe, distinguishing themselves in engagements like the Battle of Fontenoy in 1745.
Thus, Ireland haemorrhaged another generation of soldiers and leaders, leaving her immeasurably weakening against English rule and forever changing the course of history on our island. That poignant term “Wild Geese” has since been used to describe Irish emigrants, our diaspora forced abroad for work.
Source: Repost X @RobLooseCannon
