Like other European countries, there were foreign mercenary units in the Spanish Army of early XIX century. Some infantry regiments of Swiss, Wallonian and Irish origin. The Regiment of Hibernia, created at 1709, was one of the three Irish regiments at 1808. The other two were the Irlanda and the Ultonia. They fought through the War of Independence of 1808-1814 (Peninsular War for you, anglosaxon people ;) and suffered the same hard conditions, drawbacks and (sometimes) victories, like the rest of the Spanish Army. An army that fought in an occupied homeland (occupied by the most powerful army of the era, the Napoleonic French), with its Corps dispersed around the periphery, without the lead of a central government and bad supplied both in materials and reinforcements. An army defeated by the French on most of the battles they fought, but that kept coming back to fight on another day, bleeding the French Army and keeping tens of thousands of French troops, with the help of the guerrilla, out of the way of the Wellington’s Allied Army.
Apart of that, I love Ireland, I do. I’ve been there near a dozen of times and I had very good moments and memories: hiking at the countryside, travelling around a big part of the island and, of course, enjoying the people, the music, countless Guinness and pub craic.
So it was impossible for me not to make this little homage to those Irish fellas who fought for my country 200 years ago. These are seven grenadiers with the colours of the Hibernia Regiment, from the classic Front Rank 28mm range.
I know that the filigree in the sleeve is missing... but I'm not brave enough and still haven't got the skill to paint something like this or even more dreadful:
They are the last addition to my 1808 Spanish Army project. Closing ranks with their eighth fellow countryman (painted before the challenge), the grenadier comrades of the Valencia Line Infantry Regiment and the Volunteers of Catalonia 1st Light Infantry Battalion.
So 7x28mm figures plus 50 theme bonus = 85 points.
See you soon
