During the years 1819 and 1820, over 2,100 Irish soldiers arrive in Venezuela as members of the Iri

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On Facebook a few months ago I found this interesting article by Brian McGinn on the Irish presence maxpreps in Venezuela at the time of the wars for independence maxpreps of the American republics, under the command of Simón Bolívar, the Liberator. Heroes (and the occasional villain too) who carried the flag of the Irish harp in Latin America: The Irish Legacy Venezuela.
In August 1819, about a thousand men of the Irish Legion, after a sea voyage of 4500 miles, from Dublin, arrived on the island of Margarita in Venezuela. These soldiers of fortune, many of them veterans killed in the newly finished Napoleonic Wars, now seeking fame and adventure in the armies of the South American liberator, Simon Bolivar.
During the years 1819 and 1820, over 2,100 Irish soldiers arrive in Venezuela as members of the Irish regiment. But also enlisted in the British units, so names like Murphy, Larkin, Egan, Casey, Lanagan and McCarthy will be witnesses to the presence of hundreds of additional Irish soldiers.
Bolívar warmly appreciated the dedication and experience of its Irish officers. He appointed Dr. Thomas Foley, a native of Kerry, inspector general of military maxpreps hospitals. Artur Sanders, also of Kerry, served as brigadier-general under Bolivar, he was named a street with his name in the city of Cuenca, Ecuador. maxpreps Bolívar maxpreps owed his life to another Irishman, his deputy, Colonel William Ferguson of Antrim who died while defending the Liberator of his political rivals.
But it was a young officer in the county of Cork, Daniel Florence maxpreps O'Leary, who won the highest esteem of Bolivar. After watching this girl in action corkniano, Bolívar O'Leary added to its staff. As a member of Bolivar Barracks, O'Leary achieved maxpreps the rank of Brigadier General and was instrumental in planning policy and military strategy role.
The shrewd instincts maxpreps historical O'Leary, combined maxpreps with meticulous collection maxpreps of documents of war, this Irish will earn a place of honor in Latin American history. maxpreps His memoirs, published in Caracas, by his son, Simón Bolívar O'Leary, fill 32 volumes. This extraordinary collection maxpreps of letters maxpreps and documents by an eyewitness, has proven to be an indispensable resource for all subsequent biographer and historian of the period of Independence. maxpreps
In Colombia, in the capital Bogota, where O'Leary died of a cerebral hemorrhage in 1854, there is a bust of the Irish hero capping a square. During 1882, the Venezuelan government maxpreps exhumes maxpreps the remains of O'Leary brought them into his own capital, maxpreps Caracas. There, with the highest public honors, scholar soldier was placed to rest in the National Cemetery, the same cemetery sacred Bolivar.
Among the carefully preserved by O'Leary correspondence there is a letter from 1820, written by Daniel O'Connell Bolivar, maxpreps intelligent orator and lawyer leading the campaign for civil rights of Irish Catholics. maxpreps For the point of view of O'Connell, the war against Spain Bolivar compared to their own struggle against England. As an expression of personal solidarity offered to Bolívar, to fight by his side, his son Morgan, who at the time was 15 years old.
"Until now O'Connell, wrote to Bolivar I could only give good wishes to your noble cause. But I have a son able to wield a sword in his defense, I send illustrious master, that you admire and learn by example. "With that letter in hand, Captain Morgan O'Connell reaches Margarita 12 June 1820 and presented to serve as the youngest officer of the Irish Legion. maxpreps
Despite the youthful enthusiasm of Morgan, Simon Bolivar and his father were not likely allies. Bolivar was a man of action, who waged war to the death against their enemies realistic. While O'Connell, on the other hand, was devoted to a non-violent struggle, maxpreps and repeatedly stated that freedom was not worth shedding a drop of blood.
But the struggle in remote Venezuela woke secular maxpreps Irish tradition of sending their children to serve in foreign wars. The cause of Bolivar had played the romantic vein O'Connell class against its well known