Genealogy Chat

Does anyone know how I could find out more about the Irishmen who went to fight in the Spanish civil War? Family rumour is that they fought for the unfashionable side!

I am not sure how you find out specific information, but I assume that the unfashionable side were the Nationalists. The nationalists were as much of a mix as the republicans. They included monarchists, Carlists, most Catholics, conservatives and fascists. Most foreigners fought for the Republic under the International Brigades. I assume that the Irishmen were catholic and were fighting more in support of the catholic church rather than in support of fascism. The Imperial War Museum had an exhibition some time ago about the Spanish Civil War including details on british deaths. Maybe they are able to provide you with some guidance so that you can track Irish volunteers. Maybe the Spanish Embassy could point you in the right direction.

Hi Helen, I had a look on the 'Google' and found this, it's packed with info....I'm sure you'll find what your looking for here, well I hope so!!! http://www(.)Spartacus.schoolnet(.)co(.)uk/Spanish-Civil-War.htm Your e-message caught my eye because my Father in Law was one of the Basque children sent to Russia, along with his brother & sister, during the Spanish Civil War. I wish you luck with your researching.....by the way, the Irish would of been on the Basque side, not Franco's - if that helps. Take Care, Dawn.

The Irish were fighting for Franco, purely because he was Catholic. The number of Irishmen who were there at any one time was about 1000. They did suffer a pretty high casualty rate (most of the foreign volunteer groups could expect to lose one man in four).

Hello Helen & Kathryn, I apolozise, Kathryn is totally right......reading through (on the page on Ireland, those who helped to fight in the Spanish Civil War, which you'll find at the very bottom of the home page, of the web site that I suggested). You will see that, around 1000 Irish men went and fought in the War. I hope you find what you are looking for anyway and sorry for my mishap. Dawn.

Hi everyone, thank-you for your replies. Yes we had thought that father-in-law fought for Franco but didn't realise so few went from Ireland. He was a mechanic who went with his friends - and returned, -but spoke very little about it. He didn't marry 'til his late 40's and all we ever heard him say was that he carried a 60lb gun up the mountains. We read 'For Whom the Bell Tolls' and have been to Ronda which was involved in the 'guerrilla' warfare but pa-in-law is dead now so we may never know about his experiences. Certainly he didn't want to relive them.