ST PATRICK’S BATALLION 🇮🇪 🇮🇪
Especially for St Patrick’s Day, Peoples Eastbourne are commemorating the brave Irishmen who fought in the St Patrick’s Battallion and died for Mexico during the Mexican-American War of 1846-1848.
“Dubious about why they were fighting a Catholic country … hundreds of Irish, German and other immigrants deserted Taylor’s army and joined forces with Mexico. Led by Capt. John Riley of Co. Galway…. they fought against their former comrades in all the major campaigns of the war.In the words of one Mexican general, they “deserved the highest praise, because they fought with daring bravery.” But eventually, Mexico surrendered, ceding almost half its territory to the United States.
Each San Patricio who deserted from the US side was interned after the war and subsequently given an individual court-martial trial. Many of the Irish were set free, but some paid the ultimate price.
Roughly half of the San Patricio defectors who were executed by the US for desertion were Irish…..
In 1997, on the 150th anniversary of the executions, then Mexican president Ernesto Zedillo stated: ‘Members of the St. Patrick’s Battalion were executed for following their consciences. They were martyred for adhering to the highest ideals…we honour their memory. In the name of the people of Mexico, I salute today the people of Ireland and express my eternal gratitude’.”
St Patrick’s Battalion. A song by David Rovics. Note, David Rovics sang this song at Printers Playhouse as part of the Engels in Eastbourne Conference at The View Hotel in 2023.
A huge thank you to the LONDON CELTIC PUNKS WEB-ZINE, from which I have heavily borrowed. The site offers great details of Los San Patricios including film and song. See here.
“One Man’s Hero” Feature Film.