Amazing, A Mexican Baja in Irish National Tartan

[macwilkin]

There is an Irish-Mexican connection. Consider the San Patrico Battalion during the Mexican-American War. It was made up predominantly of Irishmen and was the best artillery battalion in the Mexican Army.

To add to Doc's post, many of the San Patricios were deserters from the US Army; some were Irish immigrants, who later claimed to have a sense of soldidarity with their Mexican opponents, but others were not Irish at all -- English, Scots, Poles, etc. -- members of the foreign community of Mexico City who were conscripted into the Mexican Army to fight the Norteamericanos.

Robert Miller's "Shamrock & Sword" is the best history of the San Patricio Battalion.

There were many Irish expats who served in the Spanish Army in the American colonies, such as the founder of the Presidio at Tucson, Hugo O'Connor (the Spanish called him Oconor).

Cheers,

Todd