Ireland's past has been characterised by conflict and violence to a greater extent than that of many other countries. Perhaps for this reason military history has always been of particular interest to Irish people. 

For more than half a century the Military History Society of Ireland through its journal 'The Irish Sword' has encouraged and published research on the history of warfare in Ireland and of Irish involvement in foreign or international conflict. Its articles, based on primary sources are scholarly yet easily accessible to the general reader.

This collection brings together in a convenient format essays reprinted from the journal. They cover a time span of 200 years and range geographically from America to India. The core of this volume consists of writing on aspects of Irish military history before and after Independence. Their welcome republication will make them available to a wider audience.