The Irish brigade in the Pope’s army 1860

Faith, fatherland and fighting

Donal Corcoran

'The Irish Brigade in the Pope's army, 1860: faith, fatherland and fighting  by Donal Corcoran is the most recent published study of the 1,300 Irishmen who volunteered to defend the Papal States during the wars of Italian reunification ... for a general audience it will be a useful text, offering an accessible and ... informative ... introduction to this period ... The book also has the potential to be a useful starting point for genealogical research ... The book is very well-written, with a coherent narrative and clear structure and flow ... It is a commendable attempt to create not only a new but also a low-cost monograph on this subject of the Irish Brigade in the Papal army tin 1860, which brings this subject out of the Irish military and local history journals to a broader and popular audience.', Paul Huddie, Irish Historical Studies, (May 2019).

'Why did the Irish volunteers travel to Italy? Corcoran addresses this essential question, arguing that 'the men who went to Italy were motivated by a combination of religious fervour, nationalist patriotism, a desire to fight and a thirst for adventure' ... one f the first books on foreign volunteers who fought in the Italian Risorgimento.', Enrico Acciai, University of Copenhagen, War in History Vol.27.

“1860 was a crucial year in the Risorgimento, the creation of the modern Italian state. Pope Pius IX called for volunteers to expand his army and to defend his domain. Among those who responded to his call were 1,100 Irishmen – somewhat inaccurately known as the Papal Irish Brigade … the book will be of interest to readers who wish to learn of the Irish contribution to the Italian war of reunification.” Association of Papal Orders in Ireland, Newsletter Vol.1, Edition 6. February 2021.