Appointment of Macready as Commander-in-Chief of the British Army in Ireland

Introduction from Chronology

General Nevil Macready made commander-in-chief of British forces in Ireland replacing General Frederick Shaw (and takes up duty on April 14^th). Macready, who was at the time was Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police in London, did not want the post. In his memoirs he said that it was only out of a sense of loyalty to his ‘old Chief, John French’ (Lord Lieutenant) that he was persuaded to take up the job.

More Detail on Macready

Macready had written to Macpherson when he was made Chief Secretary for Ireland as follows: “I do not envy you for I loathe the country that you are going to and its people with a depth deeper than the sea, and more violent than that I feel against the Boche”.

However, it should be pointed out that Macready held somewhat ‘equal-opportunity’ anti-Irish prejudices and did not confine his dislike of the Irish to Irish nationalists. Shortly after he took up his appointment, he wrote to Frances Stevenson saying that “ever since my days in Ulster in 1913-1914, I have always looked upon the leaders of that [Ulster Unionist] movement as rebels”.

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