THE ENGLISH ARMY AND ITS IRISH MEMBERS.

Thames Star, Volume XV, Issue 4691, 19 January 1884, Page 2

THE ENGLISH ARMY AND ITS IRISH MEMBERS.

The annual return of the British army for 1883 has just been issued, and a glance at it reveals some interesting particulars as to the composition of its forces. It informs us that the effective strength of the regular army on the first of December last was 189,229, of whom 120, 510 were infantry, 15,478 cavalry, and the remainder artillery, engineers, and army corps. The average strength of all arms maintained in Ireland during the year was 29,361; in England and Wales, 61 325,; and in S'cotlaud, 3,609 ; being a total for the home force of 94,29,2, while that maintained abroad numbered 94,936. The number of Irishmen returned as serving in the regular army on the Ist of January last was 36,003, but this is considerably under the mark, and the figures representing the number of Catholics in the forces, viz., 42,350, would more correctly approximate to the strength of the Irish element in the array, (if the Irish soldiers 27,555 belong to the line infantry, 5,47,6, to the artillery, 1,468 to the cavalry, 570 to the royal engineers, 355 to the foot guard, 327 to the transport ijorps, 150 to; the army hospit^. corps, 90 to the life guards, and 36j to the ordnance'store department. Toe number of E.nglisq soldiers of all arms on the Ist of January ,last:<was 128,548, and of Septch 14.520. A ■• comparison, of the nationalities represented in the army since I§6B shows that the number of Irish soldiers has declined since then by nearly 20,000., 1868 the Irishmen numbered 55;583, but steady yearly decrease has brought down the number to its present figure—36,2B7. The Scotch have also gone down from 17,011 in 1868 to at the present time, w'fljle the English haye mouotpdV up f?om 10&810 in 1.86 ato 1^8,,53l in-1883. :; :'" ',; i!.:-V\ :