"Irish flags for 30yw?" Topic

Good day all,
Does anyone know a link or book that shows what the Irish Mercenaries flag who fought for the Catholic league or Imperialist looks like? Looking for 1620s to 1630s period.
Thank you
David

There are some designs reported for the Catholic Confederate forces in the 1640s but I don't know anything about the 30YW era Irish.

Very few Irish soldier in Imperial or Leaugist service, it is often a question of inviduals rather than entire units as the Spanish had close to an monopoly on Irish troops. Even supposed "Irish" units such as the Butler regiment was predominantly German though it did contain irish soldiers as well. (In fact regiment Butler is designated as a German units in the Imperial records.)

Butler's regiment was effectivly destroyed and it's flags captured when the Swedes stormed Frankfurth an Oder in 1631, none of the captured flags from that period show Irish symbols so it is likely that the regimental flags followed standard Imperial design.

For distinctly Irish troops I would suggest looking at the Spanish and their armies such as the army of Flanders.

Thanks Daniel S! I thought I had read there were some Irish mercenaries regiments in Imperial service thank you for clarifying.

Do you have any info on the Irish in Spanish armies? Do you know if the Spanish equipped their mercenaries?

I read Gustav equipped his Scottish mercenaries is this correct? I think Osprey has them using gray?

For the Irish I recomend Eduardo de Mesa's book "The Irish in the Spanish Armies in the Seventeenth Century" Well worth the price IMHO link

@DGT123 – As I understand it (entirely from reading the Ospreys, I hasten to add), the Swedes completely clothed and equipped recruits from England, Scotland and Ireland as quickly as they could, and almost all of these men served in distinct units. Again, from fairly basic reading, I believe that the clothing that the Spanish provided for each of their tercios was not uniform, as it was felt that allowing the individual soldier his own choice of colours inspired pride and valour.

Supercilius Maximus is correct though it should be noted that the supply of cloth or rather the lack of such supplies could make the reclothing process anything but quick. Particularly during the 1625-1629 war with the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth the supply process was uneven. Two companies of "Irish" (actually Scots highlanders)went into action in their traditional dress which was outlandish enough for the local Prussians that the even got recorded. In comparison the ex-Danish Scots regiments caused no such reaction as they had been given new clothes at least once in Danish service. (IIRC MacKays got two issues of "Danish" clothes.)
Most likely colours for the Scots in Swedish service would be grey or blue if you want to portray the most famous regiments dressed in new Swedish "uniforms" as they took part in the invasion of Germany 1630. Sadly we don't know the colours used when the army was issued new clothing post-Breitenfeld using Catholic Leauge stores of cloth and clothing.

Thanks Supercilius Maximus & Daniel S, great info. Good to know I can plan to paint one of my Scots units in the brigade blue instead of gray!
Daniel S when is your book coming out?

Also I just ordered "BANNERS AND STANDARDS: From the time of the Thirty Years' War Vol. 2 – The Catholic League and the Imperial Army" anyone have opinions on this book? Looking for sources of Imperial Flags hope this is worth it.