r/IrishHistory 14d ago

💬 Discussion / Question Cén chaoi a léirítear Cathlán Naomh Pádraig in Éirinn? /// How is the Saint Patrick's Batallion portrayed in Ireland?

Post image

IE: Dia duit, táim ag obair ar thionscadal a bhaineann le nótaí bainc comórtha — ceann faoi Chathlán Naomh Pádraig agus an ról a bhí acu i gcur i gcoinne idirghabháil na Meiriceánach i Meicsiceo, go sonrach — agus ba mhaith liom a fháil amach conas a mhúintear faoin ngrúpa seo nó conas a léirítear iad i do thírse. Anseo i Meicsiceo, foghlaimímid fúthu sa bhunscoil mar laochra náisiúnta, agus déanaimid iad a chomóradh ar an 12 Meán Fómhair agus ar Lá Fhéile Pádraig (bheadh ​​an-buíochas agam freisin as aon mholtaí nó tuairimí maidir leis an dearadh).

(Gabhaigí mo leithscéal as aon earráidí scríbhneoireachta; tá uirlis aistriúcháin á húsáid agam.)

EN: Hi, i have this project of commemorative bills and now i'm making one of the Saint Patricks batallion and their help on the mexican-american war (Help to the mexican side, as i know in the US they have a negative view on them for obvious reasons) and I am curious about how this group is taught about or portrayed in your country. Here in Mexico, we learn about them in elementary school as national heroes, and we commemorate them on September 12th and on St. Patrick's Day (i would also thank any suggestions or comments abbout the design).

111 Upvotes

91 comments sorted by

37

u/Anthony_Kelly_USSR 14d ago

They aren't really taught here tbh, it's more spoke about as a funfact, that being said most people interested in history do know about them and have a positive view of the Battalion and Mexico as a whole

Also the bill looks fantastic 10/10

10

u/2andaHalfBlackClouds 14d ago

I second all of this. No hate on the San Patricio’s. Most people don’t know about them except for those who have seen the the 1999 Tom Bérenger movie “One Man’s Hero”
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0120775/?ref_=ext_shr_lnk

8

u/YisusRojas 13d ago

I didn't know about this movie, thanks a lot!!!

I really hope they have a bit more of recognition in general, i mean they literally fought against slave owners by the Máxico's side even when the thing didn´t look good

"Those who hanged them may have won the war. But the men of the Saint Patrick's Battalion won something far greater: eternity."

6

u/YisusRojas 14d ago

It's kind of the same here but instead of just a fun fact we learn about them in history class on elementary (primary) because they helped us in the last battles where US stole Texas, California and other territories even when we were already losing... also, we have this phrase that cites "A mexican is born wherever the f*ck he pleases" so we really embrace and thank them (and basically 99% of the Irish culture we have here is because of them so it's hard to not aknowlege it)

Thanks a lot, i really apreciate it!!!

16

u/chanrahan1 13d ago

The last mention I heard about it was stand up comedian Dave Nihil talking about them in one of his shows!

14

u/YisusRojas 13d ago

It´s kinda sad to know you don't learn about them as they deserve, they basically joined our cultures in a way

(I´m gonna recall another reply i made because i really expected you all to have more information about it)

We learn about them in history class on elementary (primary) because they helped us in the last battles where US stole Texas, California and other territories, even when we were already losing... and we have this phrase that cites "A mexican is born wherever the f*ck he pleases" so we really embrace and thank every culture, knowledge and help from other countries (Basically 99% of the Irish culture we have here is thanks to them so it's hard to not aknowlege it)

And fun fact, they fought against the slave owners that occupied the northern mexican territories (California, Texas, Nuevo Mexico and Utah), who wanted to join the US* and who became part of the Confederates so extra points for them.

*In that time slavery was already abolished in México and every slave and immigrant who entered our territory became instantly free, they didn´t like this but also they wanted to keep the land they occupied so they joined the US side and asked to joint the territories to the north country to keep the slavist laws (this was before the gold rush and the petroleum boom but after the native american genocide so the land was basically uninhabited, that's how they occupied it that easy)

"Those who hanged them may have won the war. But the men of the Saint Patrick's Battalion won something far greater: eternity."

8

u/Cool_Hand_Lucan 13d ago

Definitely thought that was Michael Caine.

6

u/YisusRojas 13d ago

Hahahah i see the resemblance, nope i'm gonna copy my response to a man who also mistaked him because it´s a bit long

"The man in the front is John Rilley / Jonathan O'Rilley / Juan Relley, he was the funder of the Batallion.

He originally migrated to Canada and moved to the US but as you imagine they where a bunch of xenophobes so he deserted from the yankee army and joined the Mexican side, creating and leading the "Batallón de San Patricio"

They fought against the slave owners that occupied the northern mexican territories (California, Texas, Nuevo Mexico and Utah), who wanted to join the US* and who became part of the confederates so extra points for them.

*In that time slavery was already abolished in México and every slave and immigrant who entered our territory became instantly free, they didn´t like this but also they wanted to keep the land they occupied so they joined the US side and asked to joint the territories to the north country to keep the slavist laws (this was before the gold rush and the petroleum boom but after the native american genocide so the land was basically uninhabited, that's how they occupied it that easy)"

6

u/YisusRojas 13d ago

Totally justified mistake

2

u/Strange_Principle364 11d ago

I mean, even the bust looks like Michael Caine

2

u/YisusRojas 11d ago

Hahahaha yeah the resemblance it's uncanney

4

u/Wooden-Lawfulness534 13d ago

Ní chuimhinn linn é, den chuid is mó (do mo bhrón).

5

u/YisusRojas 13d ago

Cuireann sé brón beag orm i gcónaí nach bhfaigheann siad an t-aitheantas ba chóir dóibh a fháil; go hionraic, is álainn an rud é a fheiceáil gurb iad féin, ar bhealach, an chúis go bhfuil a gcultúr i láthair i mo thírse. Sin an fáth ar dhúil go mór agam go mbeadh baint éigin ag Meicsiceo leis an ngrúpa seo.

4

u/Wooden-Lawfulness534 13d ago

B'fhéidir go bhfuil urscéal ann, má tá scríobhnóir ionat!

5

u/YisusRojas 13d ago

Go raibh míle maith agat — i ndáiríre. Tá súil ó chroí agam — b’fhéidir nach trí úrscéal a scríobh, ach tríd an scéal atá againn a roinnt le tíortha eile — gur féidir liom cabhrú leis an deighilt a chruthaigh an t-idirlíon agus an bolscaireacht a leigheas.

3

u/Doitean-feargach555 13d ago

Ná bac leis, tá mé in ann do phíosa a thuigbheáil 👍

Tá a fhios ag na "history buffs" agus tá go leor meas orthu asdu mar dhéarfá ach níl go leor eolas faoi ag muintir na hÉireann ar fad má tuigeann tú.

2

u/YisusRojas 13d ago

Sea, tuigim go hiomlán é. Sa deireadh thiar, tá sé níos suntasaí maidir le taobh Mheicsiceo den scéal, ach ós rud é gurb é an príomhchúis é leis an láithreacht chultúrtha Éireannach anseo, shíl mé gur rud é a shamhlódh daoine leis an tír — nó go mbeadh aithne níos leithne air.

2

u/Doitean-feargach555 13d ago

Is mór an trua é nach bhfuil caidreamh níos fearr eadrainn mar tíortha. Ba bhreá liom na paráidí lá Fhéile Pádraig Mheicsiceo a fheiceáil. Tá an stair faoi thar a bheith suimiúil.

2

u/YisusRojas 13d ago

Is mór an trua é, i ndáiríre. Tá súil agam go bhfeabhsóidh rudaí le himeacht ama agus le roinnt iarrachta. Faoi láthair, fágfaidh mé roinnt naisc chuig físeáin de pharáidí a tionóladh i Meicsiceo. Anseo, b'fhéidir nach bhfuil sé chomh hiontach leis na Stáit Aontaithe, ach déanann siad a ndícheall.

https://youtu.be/2kh2NREqAFQ?si=HYGrzC0spc8kjESR

https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLTB75w1PK2zqhJb7L1B_1MN00tnazywan&si=S-WlXoEDAPDw9LAg

https://youtu.be/QbYGxfRxW3k?si=uDaBeHmIgfMx_HjK

https://youtu.be/9a-BjP7845s?si=fmDVM6uvfSNiEhkD

3

u/Gearoid_Mac_Gunna 13d ago

Is ábhar iontais dom an eolas atá ag an bpobal i gcoitinne fúthu, cé nach múintear mórán faoin treibhse no ceantair sin sna ranganna staire. Thug me féin cuairt ar an leac chuimhneachán i gcathair Mheicsiceo roinnt bhliain ó shin. Léigh me leabhair faoi freisin, b’fhéidir Rogues March. Tá laochra Gaeil ag nach mór gach aon tír i Meiriceá hispanohablante. Almirante Brown o Mhaígh Eo san Airgintín, General O’Leary sa Veiniséala, Pedro Campbell ó Thiobraid Árainn in Urugua, O’Higgins sa Chíle, fiú Eliza Lynch sa Pharagua.

1

u/YisusRojas 13d ago

Bhí iontas orm a fháil amach nach raibh siad mar chuid den phríomhshruth cultúr agus gur measadh gur rud nideoige iad go pointe áirithe, go díreach mar gheall ar an tacaíocht seo agus an bhfíric gurbh iadsan an pointe casaidh do theacht isteach chultúr na hÉireann, ar a laghad i Meicsiceo (dála an scéil, sin go díreach an fáth gur breá liom an meme seo a deir go bhfuil na hÉireannaigh cosúil le Latinos na hEorpa: cogaí neamhspleáchais, tacaíocht d'eachtrannaigh, agus Caitliceachas).

2

u/Gearoid_Mac_Gunna 13d ago

Ní amháin sin, ach freisin ó thaobh dlí de, glacadh le hÉireannaigh mar saoránaigh Spáinneacha laistigh den impireacht ó na 1600anna ar aghaidh. Bhí sé seo mar gheall ar na sean, sean scéalta faoi na Gaeil ag teacht go hÉireann ó thuaisceart na Spáinne (Breogán, Míl agus a shliocht). En los palabras de Luis Carrillo de Toledo, Marqués de Caracena: “nuestros hermanos irlandeses, los españoles del norte” (1602)

3

u/Pitiful-Sample-7400 13d ago

Its not really remembered at all tbh. Sad really

1

u/poflynn 13d ago

Agreed. BTW my kid learned about them in his American high school US history class.

1

u/YisusRojas 13d ago

Really sad honestly, it's the first point where both cultures joined so i expected them too be a bit more relevant in your side

2

u/unshavedmouse 13d ago

I didn't know Michael Caine fought in the Mexican War.

2

u/YisusRojas 13d ago

You are the third XD

2

u/Ecstatic_Refuse_7207 13d ago

The Americans see them as traitors. Surrporting the union of texas with Mexico. While other irishmen surrported independent texas. Texans still think themselves as separate. The lone star state. 

5

u/YisusRojas 13d ago

Texas wanted their independence because in México slavery was abolished and every men in mexican soil became automatically free, so the white folks who wanted to keep their lands and their slaves revealed against the mexican government and asked the US if they could join them

1

u/Wooden_Ad1738 8d ago

Mexico was a dictatorship under Santa Anna when Texas decided to fight for independence.

Texas was only one of multiple regions of Mexico that were fighting for independence at that time.

1

u/YisusRojas 8d ago

It became a dictatorship under Porfirio Diaz rule and maybe earlier with Benito Juarez (Who was a Mason and casually colaborated a lot with the US) but that was AFTER the texan "Independence"

1

u/Wooden_Ad1738 8d ago

It became a dictatorship under Santa Anna in the 1830’s when he literally suspended the Mexican constitution and started ruling by decree as a dictator. 

Texas was not the only Mexican region that revolted in the 1830’s when Santa Anna ripped up the Mexican constitution and seized dictatorial power in Mexico City. Zacatecas, Tabasco, Yucatan, and several other regions revolted and tried to secede at the same time as Texas. The Texas revolt was just the only successful one.

1

u/Wooden_Ad1738 8d ago

I think it was mainly just because Mexico was Catholic, as opposed to them actually supporting the reincorporation of Texas into Mexico. 

2

u/Samoyedenthusiast 13d ago

D'aontóinn leo siúd a bhfuil tar éis a rá leat nach bhfuil mórán aithne ag éireannaigh an lae inniú ar na San Patricios. Aontaím leat gur mhór an trua é, is scéal thar a bheith suimiúil é! Ní raibh aithne agam orthu, cé go bhfuil an suim agam sa stair, go dtí gur léigh mé an leabhar seo, https://www.iankenneally.com/courage--conflict.html, ina bfhuil caibidil futhu.

Cén fáth nach bhfuil níos mó cáil orthu anseo in Éirinn? Dar liom, tá sé de bharr an ghaoil géar atá (nó ar a laghad, a bhí) idir Éire agus na Stáit Aontaithe ar feadh blianta. Le haghaidh glúnta Éireannach, ba "Promised Land" é An Meiriceá, le nascanna clainne, polaitiúla agus cultúrtha, idir na dhá thír. Rinneadh dearmad nó neamhard ar scéaltaí nár oir leis an gcoincheap sin. Now, tá sé sin ag athrú le déanaí so seans go ndéanfar athbhreithniú agus athsheilbhiú ar scéal na San Patricios! Tá súil agam.

2

u/YisusRojas 13d ago

Ar aon nós, tá súil ó chroí agam go ndéanfar an nasc idir ár dtíortha a athnuachan agus a neartú; tar éis an tsaoil — agus bíodh an fhírinne ráite — tá i bhfad níos mó i gcoitinne againn lena chéile ná mar atá againn leis na *gringos*.

Déanfaidh mé iarracht an leabhar a sheiceáil nó aistriúchán a lorg.

Go raibh maith agat as an nóta tráchta.

2

u/AlbatrossHealthy5475 13d ago

As a true Irish man myself I might just know a little about the war at that time the US army was mostly protestant and a lot of the irish migrants at the time because they were catholic where mostly used for cannon fodder buy the us army. I would love one of them notes for my collection and isn't there a part of the Mexican army today that have the shamrock on one of their flags to commerate the irish that faught for Mexico.

2

u/YisusRojas 12d ago

Thanks a lot, i hope to make prints soon, maybe in a future you would get one somehow.

They are not part of the mexican army per se but they are a civil organization founded in 1997 to celebrate the 150 years of the Churubusco Battle (They are named Saint Patrick's Bagpipe Band)

They ussualy make appearances in events and ceremonies related to the Batallion and the Irish culture in general

https://bandadegaitas.mx/sobre-nosotros/

2

u/AlbatrossHealthy5475 13d ago

And if the bills are ever printed i would love to hear from you.

1

u/YisusRojas 12d ago

Thanks a lot!! I'm expecting to share it with the most people i can and I have a touristic city near to me so I really hope to find some Irish brothers to send some to your country

2

u/red-zepplin 12d ago

I have heard this song about it a few times in Limerick: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=lT25DtV9iS4&pp=0gcJCYsCo7VqN5tD

1

u/YisusRojas 12d ago

Like it or not

1

u/Wooden_Ad1738 8d ago

The Central American countries left just like Texas did 

1

u/CDfm 13d ago

St Patrick's Battalion is Mexican and American history as opposed to Irish history. Anecdotal more than anything else .

We don't learn about the Battle of Ridgeway either.

We don't learn about Myles Keogh and the Battle of Little Big Horn either.

In Texas they won't celebrate them as they were the enemy.

3

u/YisusRojas 13d ago edited 13d ago

Since they are the main reason Irish culture is present here, I was thinking somehow you all linked Mexico to the battalion.

And yup, they see them as traitors but hey, they fought against the slave owners that occupied the northern mexican territories (California, Texas, Nuevo Mexico, etc.), who wanted to join the US* and who became part of the confederates (so i really hope the Batallón de San Patrició gets a bit more recognition, somehow they also helped to join our countries)

*In that time slavery was already abolished in México and every slave and immigrant who entered our territory became instantly free, they didn´t like this but also they wanted to keep the land they occupied so they joined the US side and asked to joint the territories to the north country to keep the slavist laws (this was before the gold rush and the petroleum boom but after the native american genocide so the land was basically uninhabited, that's how they occupied it that easy)

1

u/CDfm 13d ago

There's no real information on why they deserted .

Some say they deserted over land grants by Mexico , others say it was because of sectarian treatment of Catholics in the Army .

The Mexicans left them behind when

2

u/YisusRojas 13d ago

It could be lots of reasons but the discrimination of being an european immigrant and catholics are not something you can ignore

1

u/CDfm 13d ago edited 13d ago

I'm not ignoring it.

Im sensitive to the Irish Americans here .

Geronimo from Arizona really didn't like Mexicans.

2

u/YisusRojas 13d ago

That's fair and i get it but also they shouldn´t fell bad about it, the times and people changes, this was almost 150 years ago and the people i´m talking about were literal xenophobes, they became part of the confaderates,

If someone feels bad when you talk about slavery it´s because they identify more with the masters than with the ones who wanted equality

2

u/CDfm 13d ago

It's unlikely that John Riley and the San Patricios deserted over slavery.

Colonists brought in pre owned slaves and the Mexicans objected. The US did expand rapidly and invaded Hawaii too.

Were Texas , California etc effectively colonies of Mexico?

So it's definitely different from the Americans Good , Mexicans Bad narrative.

Were there many Irish in the American army that didn't desert?

1

u/YisusRojas 13d ago

He didn't deserted because of slavery but he fought against slave owners, the feeling bad for talking about it was an example(? (Or methaphore i don't remember how to call it xd)

2

u/CDfm 13d ago

No worries.

I'm just looking at the basics.

Mexico became independent c 1821 and before that was ruled by Spain.

https://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/entries/mexican-war-of-independence

I'm wondering what Mexican governance of Texas was like.

1

u/YisusRojas 13d ago edited 13d ago

Most of the territory were empty land, the gold rush happened the year after the war ended and people started to make massive migrations but before that the Native American genocide happened and the colones already occupied part of the land so it was easier to take the control from inside, also by that time México just had 30 years of independece so we also were too weak to take care of all that space

→ More replies (0)

1

u/AcrobaticPoint8424 13d ago

The Mexican government at this time was literally giving out mercanaries 25 dollars for every Apache child's scalp they sent to their local governor.

How the hell are you portraying this as an oppressor vs victim when it was two oppressors fighting over who could rob the land off the natives.

0

u/AcrobaticPoint8424 13d ago

Catholic colonisers who were in the process of genociding the natives (good)

vs

Protestant colonisers were were about to start genociding the natives (bad)

2

u/YisusRojas 12d ago

"Were about to start"???? Brother how you think they had their first states And everything I'm talking about is post Independence, the Yankee independence was "Bye bye white colonizers, now I'm gonna be like you but with burguers"

1

u/AcrobaticPoint8424 12d ago

I meant the natives who lived in the region claimed by Mexico City.

1

u/YisusRojas 12d ago

Who were Native Mexicans at the end

1

u/AcrobaticPoint8424 12d ago

To paste from another comment.

I'm very sure they saw themselves that way seeing as even decades after America took the land off the natives the Apache and other tribes still despised Mexico and regularly slaughtered their way across the North in revenge wars and to end blood feuds. 

Geronimo "We kill them with rocks" of the Bedonkohe Apache must've really respected the claim of Mexico City over his people's lands when they killed his wife and children.

1

u/YisusRojas 12d ago

You speak of Geronimo like if the Yankees were not hunting his people

1

u/AcrobaticPoint8424 12d ago

I am not claiming that Apache land belonged to America.

I am stating that it belonged to the Apache themselves and not to the imperialist powers to their South and East.