Irish History Corner

The U.S. Navy in Ireland - Almost forgotten by history is the United States Navy’s presence in Ireland. In 1914, the British entered World War I, and as part of the British Empire, so did Ireland. By 1917, the Allies were in peril of losing the war. However, in April, the United States entered the “Great War”. German submarines had been causing havoc with Allied shipping, so the US quickly sent a destroyer division to Queenstown (now called Cobh, a small town located in Cork Harbor). Five destroyers were sent to Cork to destroy enemy subs with roving patrols.  Later, their mission was changed to escorting merchant ships. This duty was tough and brutal, with the ever-present danger of sudden attack, collision, and dangerous seas. The Irish Atlantic coast is legendary for its fierce winter storms. The sea itself inflicted great damage on the ships and men.  In January of 1918, seven submarines arrived in Cork to better deal with the German U-boats. An unusual naval craft also arrived, small wooden boats with gasoline engines called sub-chasers. The powerful Atlantic took its toll on these small craft. The Navy also stationed seaplanes throughout Ireland at bases in Lough Foyle, Wexford, Aghde, and Whiddy Island. 

Many of the American sailors were appalled by the abject poverty in Ireland. Paid very well compared to the local Irish, the sailors quickly became targets of beggars and street children. Some found the constant attention overwhelming, and tensions developed. Yet, American/Irish friendships did form, romances developed, and marriages occurred. 

World War I ended in November 1918. The Navy’s withdrawal from Ireland began immediately. By May 1919, most of the Navy Hospital huts in Cork were dismantled. All the destroyers, seaplanes, and submarines had also departed. Statistics show that over 190 Navy personnel lost their lives while based in Ireland. In November 1919, a US Navy ship stopped in Queenstown. The remains of US personnel interred in Clonmel Old Graveyard were exhumed, and 32 bodies were then taken back to the USA for re-burial.

Irish history moved on, through the bitter War of Independence from Britain, the even more bitter Irish Civil War, and finally the founding of the Republic of Ireland. The US presence in Ireland is but a footnote in history…but it should not be forgotten.

– Bill Burke.  Sources:  Shipwrecks of Cork Harbour corkshipwrecks.net,  History Hit Podcast M.Macmillan 2018,  bureauofmilitary history.ie/reels/bmh/BMH,WS1737pdf