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Volunteer, often abbreviated Vol., is a term used by a number of Irish republican paramilitary organisations to describe their members. Among these have been the various forms of the Irish Republican Army (IRA) and the Irish National Liberation Army (INLA). Óglach is the equivalent title used in the Irish language.

18th century Irish Volunteers

The origins of Irish Republicanism lay with the both the American and French revolutions. The original use of the term 'Volunteer' in this context dates back to the 18th centry Irish Volunteers, an almost exclusively Protestant militia corps raised in 1778 to augment the army and to defend Ireland from foreign invasion. In late 1778, alarmed by the activities of French and Spanish privateers and the prospect of a French invasion, the inhabitants of Belfast were left to their own defence according to Lord Charlemount, the Lord Lieutenant of County Armagh who said that they had been abandoned by Government in the hour of danger. The date of the original muster-roll of the Belfast First Volunteer Company was 17 March 1778. It later adopted nationalist colours and called itself the Green Company. While the Chief Secretary in Dublin Castle John Hobart, Earl of Buckinghamshire said that he very much approved their formation, in reality according to A.T.Q. Stewart there was few things he approved of less, but dared not say so in public. The war with the American colonists having drastically reduced the number of troops in Ireland a matter of some importance for the stability in Irish society with the landed gentry reacting nervously.

Despite proclaiming their loyalty to the British Crown, many of its membership were just as concerned with securing Irish free trade and opposing English governmental interference in Ireland as they were in repelling the French. According to Liz Curtis the English regime in Ireland was vulnerable, and the Volunteers used this to press for concessions from England using their new found strength. In 1779 the Volunteers paraded through Dublin with cannons with placards attached reading 'Free Trade or this'.

In February 1782 at a Volunteer convention held in Dungannon, delegates from a number of Ulster Volunteer corps would pledge their support for resolutions advocating legislative independence for Ireland.

20th century Irish Volunteers

The Irish Volunteers' name in Irish was Óglaigh na hÉireann, literally translatable as "Warriors of Ireland". The original IRA, and subsequent organisations of the same name, all of which see themselves as inheritors of the original Irish Volunteers, continue to use Óglaigh na hÉireann as their Irish name. An alternative name, Fianna Fáil, also translatable as "Warriors of Ireland", is sometimes used, as in the Irish national anthem, Amhrán na bhFiann, and as the name of the Fianna Fáil political party, founded in 1926. The initials "FF" were incorporated into the Volunteer badge, and later the badge of the Irish Defence Forces.

The regular Irish Defence Forces also trace their descent back to the Irish Volunteers and the original IRA. Their Irish title is also Óglaigh na hÉireann. However, a new member is described as "recruit" (Irish earcach) or "cadet" (Irish dalta) rather than a "Volunteer" or Óglach. The Irish Army uses Saighdiúr Singil ("single soldier") as Irish for the rank of Private.

Definition

The term volunteer can be used to describe the entire membership of an Irish republican paramilitary organisation., but can be used to describe a "rank and file" member, similar to that of a private or a member that does not hold the role of an officer such as Chief of Staff or Quartermaster General. Use of the term is quite elastic, not only in its application to describe either all members or specifically lower ranks, but also over whether the 'v' is capitalised or not.

Sometimes the term volunteer is used specifically to refer to a low-ranking IRA member. For instance, Joe Cahill stated in a press conference, after the introduction of internment in 1971, that the British forces had arrested two "officers" in the Provisional IRA, "the rest are volunteers, or as they say in the British Army, privates".

However, in other cases, the term is used to refer to all IRA members. For example, Official IRA member Joe McCann, killed in 1972 was referred to in commemorations by his rank "Staff Captain" but also as a "Volunteer".

Most modern IRA memorials refer to the dead only as "Volunteer", "Vol." or "Óglach" rather than giving a specific rank.

The role of a volunteer

The Green Book defines the role of a new volunteer as follows:

• General Order number 1: "The duties of a Volunteer shall be at the discretion of a unit commander ... A Volunteer who for any reason, ceases to maintain contact with his or her unit for a period of three months shall automatically cease to be a member of the army."

• General Order number 2: "Volunteers when making the Army Declaration promise; to obey all orders and regulations issued by the Army Authority and any superior officers. Where an order issued by a duly accredited officer has been disobeyed, the Volunteer in question must be suspended immediately, pending investigation of the case."

References

1. See for example Belfast brigade 25th Anniversary of H-Block Hunger Strike 1981 - 2006 from a Republican Sinn Féin website
2. Llwelyn, Morgan (2001). Irish Rebels. O'Brien Press. p. 29. ISBN 0 86278 857 9.
3. Cronin, Sean (1980). Irish Nationalism: A History of its Roots and Ideology. The Continuum Publishing Company. pp. 1–2. ISBN 0 8264 0062 0.
4. ^ Duffy, Sean (2005). A Concise History of Ireland. p. 132-133. ISBN 0717138100.
5. Stewart, A.T.Q. (1998). A Deeper Silence: The Hidden Origins of the United Irishmen. Blackstaff Press. pp. 3–4. ISBN 0 85640 642 2.
6. Stewart, A.T.Q. (1998). A Deeper Silence: The Hidden Origins of the United Irishmen. Blackstaff Press. p. 4. ISBN 0 85640 642 2.
7. Stewart, A.T.Q. (1998). A Deeper Silence: The Hidden Origins of the United Irishmen. Blackstaff Press. pp. 4–5. ISBN 0 85640 642 2.
8. Duffy, Sean (2005). A Concise History of Ireland. p. 133-134. ISBN 0717138100. Quote: We know our duty to our Sovereign, and are loyal. We know our duty to ourselves, and are resolved to be free. We seek for our rights and no more than our rights
9. Curtis, Liz (1994). The Cause of Ireland: From the United Irishmen to Partition. Beyond the Pale Publications. p. 4. ISBN 0 9514229 6 0.
10. F.X. Martin, T.W. Moody (1994). The Course of Irish History. Mercier Press. p. 233. ISBN 1 85635 108 4.
11. Ó Dónaill, Niall (1977). Foclóir Gaeilge-Béarla / Irish-English Dictionary. Dublin: An Gúm. ISBN 1857910389. óglach: 1. (lit.) a young man (a) (young) warrior 2. Lit. Attendant, servant or vassal. 3. Mil: Volunteer; Óglaigh na hÉireann, the Irish Volunteers.
12. The Earl of Longford and Thomas P. O’Neill, Eamon de Valera, Dublin 1970, ISBN 978-0-09-104660-6, chapter 21
13. "The Army Recruit". Irish Defence Forces. Retrieved 11 February 2007.
14. "Earcach an Airm" (in Irish). Irish Defence Forces. Retrieved 11 February 2007. (Irish-language version of the preceding page)
15. "Defence Forces Cadetships". Irish Defence Forces. Retrieved 11 February 2007.
16. "Óglaigh na hÉireann: An Struchtúr Céime". Irish Defence Forces. Retrieved 11 February 2007.Template:Ga icon (Defence Forces ranks in Irish)
17. Bell, J. Bowyer. The Gun in Politics: An Analysis of Irish Political Conflict, 1916-1986. ISBN 088738126X.
18. Moloney, Ed (2002). A Secret History of the IRA. p. 571. ISBN 0-71-399665-X.
19. YouTube - The Ulster Troubles (Part 17 of 24)
20. "South Belfast - Plaques". CAIN. Retrieved 11 February 2007.
21. "West Belfast - Memorials". CAIN. Retrieved 11 February 2007.
22. "West Belfast - Murals". CAIN. Retrieved 11 February 2007.
23. Dillon, Martin (1990). The Dirty War. Hutchinson. p. 468. ISBN 0-09-984520-2.

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• Irish Republican Army
• Irish National Liberation Army