Irish Dominion questions

Just some things I need help clearing up. The Ireland I'm referig to is a United one (POD during the Famine, more Catholics in Ulster, less Secterianism which achieves Home Rule in 1912. There's some latent Republicanism in the south, and some hardcore Unionists in the north, but overall the country is satisfied with Dominion status. If you want to discuss the finer points then do so here. So:

1) What's likely to be the proper title of this new state? There's the Commonwelath of Australia/Canada and the Union of South Africa? So will this new creation simply be called Ireland, or will it have it's own funky little attachment? I like the name "The Irish State" but that's just me, and it's probably a little too close to Free State.

2) IOTL there was a great emphasis on the "Treaty Ports", deepwater ports in western Ireland that were deemed vital for the survival of Britain, though clearly not that vital as they survived WW2 without them, but I digress. Would this still be the case for an Irish Dominion, or would they come up with some alternative? Personally, considering the size and reach of the Royal Navy, and Irelands position with regards Britain and continental Europe, there may not even be a need for an Irish navy. A coastguard yes, but it's not like Ireland actually needs to waste money on a navy when Britain is perfectly willing to defend them. Same for an ariforce in later years.

Revolutionary Todyo said:

Just some things I need help clearing up. The Ireland I'm referig to is a United one (POD during the Famine, more Catholics in Ulster, less Secterianism which achieves Home Rule in 1912. There's some latent Republicanism in the south, and some hardcore Unionists in the north, but overall the country is satisfied with Dominion status. If you want to discuss the finer points then do so here. So:

1) What's likely to be the proper title of this new state? There's the Commonwelath of Australia/Canada and the Union of South Africa? So will this new creation simply be called Ireland, or will it have it's own funky little attachment? I like the name "The Irish State" but that's just me, and it's probably a little too close to Free State.

Click to expand...

Considering its past, I suspect that they'd just revert to the pre-union term 'Kingdom Of Ireland'.

Revolutionary Todyo said:

2) IOTL there was a great emphasis on the "Treaty Ports", deepwater ports in western Ireland that were deemed vital for the survival of Britain, though clearly not that vital as they survived WW2 without them, but I digress. Would this still be the case for an Irish Dominion, or would they come up with some alternative? Personally, considering the size and reach of the Royal Navy, and Irelands position with regards Britain and continental Europe, there may not even be a need for an Irish navy. A coastguard yes, but it's not like Ireland actually needs to waste money on a navy when Britain is perfectly willing to defend them. Same for an airforce in later years.

Click to expand...

With this Ireland more of a "true" Dominion like the others of its day, rather than an anomaly like the IFS, I'm not sure whether you'd even need a formal treaty to continue the Royal Navy's use of those ports. Although the OTL Dominions that were located further from Britain did acquire separate navies, this was something that developed over time rather than an automatic feature of Dominon status (for example, I'm fairly sure I remember reading that what New Zealand had was only "the New Zealand detachment of the Royal Navy" as recently as the outbreak of WW2, although they'd been a dominion since shortly after the turn of the century), so I agree that Ireland wouldn't necessarily have one. However if Ireland isn't building armed forces of its own then I'm petty sure there's going to have to be an inter-governmental agrrement whereby it contrbutes suitably towards financing the 'Imperial' forces instead: It wouldn't just get to 'free-ride' on Britain's self-defence.

re more Catholics in Ulster meaning the 9 county province. Rural ulster catholic population is a natural entity but a large proportion of urban catholics came form other provinces, mainly connaught, to work in the linen factories of Belfast after the famine, both due to this and an increase of Presbyterian emigration to the USA. This would not change in your alternate time line, however during the civil war that followed independance 90% protestant, (dissenters, that basically were republican, & Ecumentialists, basically royalists) were ethnically cleansed from the new state. Many of these people emigrated to the island of Great Britain, though some did move north.
If common sence could've prevailed, instead of escalating into a secterian powder keg the benefits would've by far out weigh what is reality today.
Given dominion status would have resulted in internation protection by HM armed forces but allowed the "Irish Army" to evolve from the Irish Regiments.
4th Royal Irish Dragoon Guards
5th Royal Irish Lancers
6th Royal Inniskilling Dragoons
8th Royal Irish Hussars
The Royal Irish Regimment
The Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers
The Royal Irish Rifles
The Royal Irish Fusiliers
The Connaught Rangers
The Leinster Regiment
The Royal Munster Fusiliers
The Royal Dublin fusiliers
This would given a reasonable defence force of 4 cavalry regiments and 8 Infantry regiments centering on a downsized 10th, 16, & 36 divisions.
Maritime and airborne defence provide to WW2 by RAF & RN. With greater wealth generated (see below) a naval force of 3-4 frigates and up to a dozen corvettes could be raised. Air power for maritime survellance and RAF surplus or skyhawks etc for air defence may even be possible.
Politically the protestant 'industerialists' would have a greaster say in the running of the country to pre EEC could have generated the island as a whole to greater wealth so lowering the emigration rate. (during the 1980's there were more Irish pasport holders in England than in Ireland.)
This would have also more benefit in the sports arena.
No ira death threat to George Best, possibly Ireland qualifying for the world cups in 1970, 1974 & 1978. Maybe even winning the thing
The brain drain would've been halted keeping the more accademic on the island resulting in better economy and resulting again in raising the standard of living. Who knows Ireland could've returned to its pre 1170's Anglo- Norman invasion position, that of 'The Land of Saints & Scolars'.

Simreeve said:

With this Ireland more of a "true" Dominion like the others of its day, rather than an anomaly like the IFS, I'm not sure whether you'd even need a formal treaty to continue the Royal Navy's use of those ports. Although the OTL Dominions that were located further from Britain did acquire separate navies, this was something that developed over time rather than an automatic feature of Dominon status (for example, I'm fairly sure I remember reading that what New Zealand had was only "the New Zealand detachment of the Royal Navy" as recently as the outbreak of WW2, although they'd been a dominion since shortly after the turn of the century), so I agree that Ireland wouldn't necessarily have one. However if Ireland isn't building armed forces of its own then I'm petty sure there's going to have to be an inter-governmental agrrement whereby it contrbutes suitably towards financing the 'Imperial' forces instead: It wouldn't just get to 'free-ride' on Britain's self-defence.

Click to expand...

New Zealands situation sounds about right. A section of the Royal Navy with mostly Irish officers, docking in Irish ports and working in the north Atlantic. And of course, there would need to be Irish payment into this.

Considering how close it is, and without any nasty wars to divide them, I'd say this Ireland will be much closer to Britain, probably retaining sterling as its currency, or as the reserve currency at the very least.

re simreeve
"Kingdom of Ireland" would be correct as the 'British' royal family can trace its roots back through the kings of Scotland to the kings of Dalriada to the ancient kings of Ireland.

re Revolution Toydo
up until the eurpoean exchange rate mechinism the 'Irish Punt' was equal to sterling and exchanges as equals in the 'north'. Remember during the '70's setting aside all the penies with the 'cockeral' aside and changing them at the post office for ones with the 'queens head' when going to Scotland for a holiday.

Lord Wyclif said:

If common sence could've prevailed, instead of escalating into a secterian powder keg the benefits would've by far out weigh what is reality today.
Given dominion status would have resulted in internation protection by HM armed forces but allowed the "Irish Army" to evolve from the Irish Regiments.
4th Royal Irish Dragoon Guards
5th Royal Irish Lancers
6th Royal Inniskilling Dragoons
8th Royal Irish Hussars
The Royal Irish Regimment
The Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers
The Royal Irish Rifles
The Royal Irish Fusiliers
The Connaught Rangers
The Leinster Regiment
The Royal Munster Fusiliers
The Royal Dublin fusiliers
This would given a reasonable defence force of 4 cavalry regiments and 8 Infantry regiments centering on a downsized 10th, 16, & 36 divisions.
Maritime and airborne defence provide to WW2 by RAF & RN. With greater wealth generated (see below) a naval force of 3-4 frigates and up to a dozen corvettes could be raised. Air power for maritime survellance and RAF surplus or skyhawks etc for air defence may even be possible.
Politically the protestant 'industerialists' would have a greaster say in the running of the country to pre EEC could have generated the island as a whole to greater wealth so lowering the emigration rate. (during the 1980's there were more Irish pasport holders in England than in Ireland.)
This would have also more benefit in the sports arena.
No ira death threat to George Best, possibly Ireland qualifying for the world cups in 1970, 1974 & 1978. Maybe even winning the thing
The brain drain would've been halted keeping the more accademic on the island resulting in better economy and resulting again in raising the standard of living. Who knows Ireland could've returned to its pre 1170's Anglo- Norman invasion position, that of 'The Land of Saints & Scolars'.

Click to expand...

Thank you for the excellent points, though with regards your points on Northern industry. Basically the backstory involves Patrick Pearse leading a Mussolini-esque coup d'état in 1919 due to government inefficiency and fears of some sort of Socialist revolution (without Northern Secterian divisions to hold it back the Labour movement grows quite impressively, and with James Connolly and 'Big Jim' Larkin at the helm things are quite militant). In response to this, a lot of Unionist landowners mobilise their own militia, which is essentially a woeful imitation of OTLs UVF, and in turn get their businesses confiscated and nationalised by Pearse.

Revolutionary Todyo said:

1) What's likely to be the proper title of this new state? There's the Commonwelath of Australia/Canada and the Union of South Africa? So will this new creation simply be called Ireland, or will it have it's own funky little attachment? I like the name "The Irish State" but that's just me, and it's probably a little too close to Free State.

Click to expand...

I agree the good old fashioned "Kingdom of Ireland" does seem like a good bet

Revolutionary Todyo said:

2) IOTL there was a great emphasis on the "Treaty Ports", deepwater ports in western Ireland that were deemed vital for the survival of Britain, though clearly not that vital as they survived WW2 without them, but I digress. Would this still be the case for an Irish Dominion, or would they come up with some alternative? Personally, considering the size and reach of the Royal Navy, and Irelands position with regards Britain and continental Europe, there may not even be a need for an Irish navy. A coastguard yes, but it's not like Ireland actually needs to waste money on a navy when Britain is perfectly willing to defend them. Same for an ariforce in later years.

Click to expand...

Provided relations between the Irish Dominion and Britain are more like those between Britain and the rest of the dominions than those between Dublin and Westminster at the time of the Free State then I doubt the Irish government will put up much opposition to the Royal Navy basing out of the Treaty Ports.

A Royal Irish Navy will probably come along sooner or later though, for prestige reasons if nothing else. It'll likely start out similarly to New Zealand's WWI era New Zealand Division of the Royal Navy and it probably won't be large - probably mostly some destroyers or frigates and a couple of cruisers, though that's not a certainty (I mean even New Zealand bought itself a battlecruiser, though admittedly they did immediately hand it over to the Royal Navy). Simreeve makes a good point that while their proximity to Britain makes relying on them for defence perfectly logical the British won't be at all keen to keep paying for the Irish when they should now be "pulling their weight" as it were. By the 1930s Ireland will probably have its own military, albiet a small one (a couple of divisions of soldiers, a rather small navy and RAF cast-off fighters for the air force)

Ulster said:

some destroyers or frigates and a couple of cruisers

Click to expand...

I think you may be vastly overestimating the economic capacity of even a 32-county Ireland in the inter-war period. Half a dozen corvette sized ships and a frigate for a flagship would be tops IMHO.

During the time pweiod in question industerialisation was undergoing another revolution. The ideas of Taylor and Faylor were being replaced by new thinkers such as Mayo & Dickson etc. With their new radical approach of HR bring more wealth to the presbyterian industerialists and therefore to their employees this would stave your revolutionaries of support. Their effect on their catholic counterparts in Dublin would unite these pregiously opposed factions. The ecumentalist gentry would be further alienated from 'protestant' cause by the wealth generated by the industerialists and therfore their UVF type army would come to nothing.
History shows that every armed grouping in Ireland has ended up killing more of its own that anyone whom it was fighting against.
Irish militant mentality, drink bushmills, get paranoid, fight your enemy, get more booze fall out with your mates & fight him.
Better to support the Irish accademic, win the game because you have a brian that thinks faster that your opponent.

JimTheB said:

I think you may be vastly overestimating the economic capacity of even a 32-county Ireland in the inter-war period. Half a dozen corvette sized ships and a frigate for a flagship would be tops IMHO.

Click to expand...

Pre WW2 to keep the army equiped with WW1 surplus, lee enfields and the cavalry equiped with possibly RR armoured cars would be the best the fledgling state could afford. Navy? a couple of rowing boats with lewis guns max.

Post WW2 maybe a couple of old 'flower class' kept from the breakers with Irish crews in gratitude for services rendered on the convoys.

JimTheB said:

I think you may be vastly overestimating the economic capacity of even a 32-county Ireland in the inter-war period. Half a dozen corvette sized ships and a frigate for a flagship would be tops IMHO.

Click to expand...

Well the cruisers might be stretching it. But if New Zealand can to afford operate half a dozen cruisers in the inter-war period (admittedly not all simultaneously) then I'm assuming Ireland - presumably a great deal better off economically thanks to the lack of trade wars with Britain, silly civil wars and the possession of the industry in the north (including, let's not forget, Belfast's not inconsiderable shipbuilding capacity), plus whatever butterflies the POD (which, remember, gives us about fifty years of them to play with) throws up, it doesn't seem implausible for Ireland to operate, say, a few of the dozens of destroyers the Royal Navy has floating about after the end of WWI whose fate is otherwise to do nothing except wait for the breakers to get to them in the early 20s and some of the two hundred or so Flowers and Hunts. They aren't going to be forming Carrier Strike Groups or battlecruiser squadrons, but something even smaller than the New Zealand navy (though it didn't go by that name at the time) doesn't seem beyond the realms of possibility

Ulster said:

Well the cruisers might be stretching it. But if New Zealand can afford operate half a dozen cruisers in the inter-war period (admittedly not all simultaneously) then I'm assuming Ireland - presumably a great deal better off economically thanks to the lack of trade wars with Britain, silly civil wars and the possession of the industry in the north (including, let's not forget, Belfast's not inconsiderable shipbuilding capacity), plus whatever butterflies the POD (which, remember, gives us about fifty years of them to play with) throws up, it doesn't seem implausible for Ireland to operate, say, a few of the dozens of destroyers the Royal Navy has floating about after the end of WWI whose fate is otherwise to do nothing except wait for the breakers to get to them in the early 20s and some of the two hundred or so Flowers and Hunts. They aren't going to be forming Carrier Strike Groups or battlecruiser squadrons, but something even smaller than the New Zealand navy (though it didn't go by that name at the time) doesn't seem beyond the realms of possibility

Click to expand...

appriciate your view, but for consideration.
The new state could rely on the RN to protedt its coasts. After WW1 RN is the most powerful fleet in the world. Ireland is an island therfore its trade has to be maritime. Belfast produces merchant shipping to creat wealth. Warships cost to build and operate. Up to WW2 Ireland builds up it own merchant fleet and trades primarily with other commonwealth nations so RN can still provide protection in areas wher French, Italian, American & Japanese fleet operate.
Realistically only after WW2 does the question arise of maritime protection. A few flower class can meet this. With trade & commerce comes wealth. This bring responsibility to which by now the state could afford a navy. Ex WW2 US & RN destroyers become affordable in the 50's. by the end of the 60's these vessels could be replaced with purpose built ships such as the vosper designed Saar class any by late 80's early 90's possibly tpye 23's or similar. But it all depends on need. If continuing in a global maritime trade then naval global reach is required if affordable.

"Kingdom of Ireland" if they can get away with it, though it may be a wee bit controversial. I suspect "Dominion" would be considered too insulting (much as the British establishment has often lacked respect for the Irish people, they are still acknowledged as an ancient people, not some upstart colony) even if the actual status is pretty much the same as a Dominion. Commonwealth or Union might be a compromise.

Revolutionary Todyo said:

1) What's likely to be the proper title of this new state? There's the Commonwelath of Australia/Canada and the Union of South Africa? So will this new creation simply be called Ireland, or will it have it's own funky little attachment? I like the name "The Irish State" but that's just me, and it's probably a little too close to Free State.

Click to expand...

Note that unless things are different in your timeline, which would mean a pre-1900 POD, Canada's long name was "Dominion of Canada", not commonwealth. Its actualy where the name (in this particular sense) come from. It was never seen as particularly demeaning so it might apply the same. Otherwise, "Realm" ?

Lord Wyclif said:

Given dominion status would have resulted in internation protection by HM armed forces but allowed the "Irish Army" to evolve from the Irish Regiments.
4th Royal Irish Dragoon Guards
5th Royal Irish Lancers
6th Royal Inniskilling Dragoons
8th Royal Irish Hussars
The Royal Irish Regimment
The Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers
The Royal Irish Rifles
The Royal Irish Fusiliers
The Connaught Rangers
The Leinster Regiment
The Royal Munster Fusiliers
The Royal Dublin fusiliers
This would given a reasonable defence force of 4 cavalry regiments and 8 Infantry regiments centering on a downsized 10th, 16, & 36 divisions.

Click to expand...

That occurred to me, too, and I've actually got a map that shows how the country was divided into their [offficial] recruiting areas in my files: Would that be useful here?
I'm thinking that in this TL these regiments might each have 1 or more 'home service' battalions (mixture of regulars and territorials: Yes, I do now that the OTL ones didn't have 'territorial' battalions, but I could see them plausibly being added in this changed TL) and 1 or more 'imperial service' battalions (all-regular, barring wartime consciption -- which didn't happen in Ireland IOTL beause of worries about it reinforcing Nationalist sympathies, but would presumably be more practical under TTL circumstances -- and often deployed overseas, still effectively controlled -- and financed -- by Britain) rather than just the latter as was the case IOTL: Does that look plausible to you?
Also, what about the Irish Guards?

EDIT: Perhaps there could even be one or more Ireland-raised regiments that was "on the British establishment", i.e. paid for and controlled directly by the British War Office, as had been the case pre-Union, just as [at the POD] the British Army still contained a Caribbean-raised 'West India Regiment'? Or would simply funneling all Irish volunteers for infantry service in the British army into the KRRC and the Rfile Brigade, both of which recruited across the entire UK before 'home rule' IOTL (and both of which had Irish militia battalions as well as British ones -- and British territorial battalions, for that matter, too -- in their 'families') be a better idea?

Thande said:

"Kingdom of Ireland" if they can get away with it, though it may be a wee bit controversial. I suspect "Dominion" would be considered too insulting (much as the British establishment has often lacked respect for the Irish people, they are still acknowledged as an ancient people, not some upstart colony) even if the actual status is pretty much the same as a Dominion. Commonwealth or Union might be a compromise.

Click to expand...

'Commonwealth' could potentially be controversial in Ireland, too: That, as somebody wopuld surely point out, was what the British regime for which Oliver Cromwell suppressed the country had called itself! Also, both 'Commonwealth' (in the Australian context) and 'Union' (in the South African) were chosen to show that the countries concerned had been formed by uniting a number of previously-separate colonies, which wouldn't be the case here...

Lord Wyclif said:

History shows that every armed grouping in Ireland has ended up killing more of its own that anyone whom it was fighting against.
Irish militant mentality, drink bushmills, get paranoid, fight your enemy, get more booze fall out with your mates & fight him.
Better to support the Irish accademic, win the game because you have a brian that thinks faster that your opponent.

Click to expand...

Except for the Free State army, which executed more Republicans then the British army ever did, mainly due to not giving a fuck what the public thought.

CID, get's the job done, with many dead people being the result.

Ulster said:

Well the cruisers might be stretching it. But if New Zealand can to afford operate half a dozen cruisers in the inter-war period (admittedly not all simultaneously) then I'm assuming Ireland - presumably a great deal better off economically thanks to the lack of trade wars with Britain, silly civil wars and the possession of the industry in the north (including, let's not forget, Belfast's not inconsiderable shipbuilding capacity), plus whatever butterflies the POD (which, remember, gives us about fifty years of them to play with) throws up, it doesn't seem implausible for Ireland to operate, say, a few of the dozens of destroyers the Royal Navy has floating about after the end of WWI whose fate is otherwise to do nothing except wait for the breakers to get to them in the early 20s and some of the two hundred or so Flowers and Hunts. They aren't going to be forming Carrier Strike Groups or battlecruiser squadrons, but something even smaller than the New Zealand navy (though it didn't go by that name at the time) doesn't seem beyond the realms of possibility

Click to expand...

I would be in agreement with Wyclif in that Ireland does not actually need a particularly powerful navy for anything beyond protecting martime trade routes, however one or two more prodigous ships for the prestige of having them would definately be useful. Obviously New Zealand was given former German colonies in the Pacific as Mandates, so an expanded navy would be needed to maintain them, Ireland however will not be in any position to be offered any form of Mandate (beyond say a Carribean island if there were a war with France, and even then as a "Thanks for the help, now go get a tan!") so they wouldn't need this sort of expansion. But as Britain inevitablty declines in power over time (though how fast and by how much is anyones guess), a slow expansion of Irish naval capabilities to protect these martime routes themselves would be on the cards, but only the bare minimum.

Thande said:

"Kingdom of Ireland" if they can get away with it, though it may be a wee bit controversial. I suspect "Dominion" would be considered too insulting (much as the British establishment has often lacked respect for the Irish people, they are still acknowledged as an ancient people, not some upstart colony) even if the actual status is pretty much the same as a Dominion. Commonwealth or Union might be a compromise.

Click to expand...

Well both Commonwealth and Union imply to me that it is a federation of former colonies. Ireland has always been treated up, untill the turn of the century, as one colony/part of the home islands.
With the plot I have in mind, Commonwealth could be used at a later date. Kingdom I suspect would be the best bet, or Dominion in official acknowledgement that the union (of Parliaments) is now broken.

Marc Pasquin said:

Note that unless things are different in your timeline, which would mean a pre-1900 POD, Canada's long name was "Dominion of Canada", not commonwealth. Its actualy where the name (in this particular sense) come from. It was never seen as particularly demeaning so it might apply the same. Otherwise, "Realm" ?

Click to expand...

The only immediate impact I can see from my POD is a smaller diaspora, which immediately butterflies the Kennedys for a start, possibly the Reagans as well though I'd have to look that up.
As for the "Commonwealth of Canada" I may be thinking of something else there, possibly Fight and be Right.

Simreeve said:

That occurred to me, too, and I've actually got a map that shows how the country was divided into their [offficial] recruiting areas in my files: Would that be useful here?
I'm thinking that in this TL these regiments might each have 1 or more 'home service' battalions (mixture of regulars and territorials: Yes, I do now that the OTL ones didn't have 'territorial' battalions, but I could see them plausibly being added in this changed TL) and 1 or more 'imperial service' battalions (all-regular, barring wartime consciption -- which didn't happen in Ireland IOTL beause of worries about it reinforcing Nationalist sympathies, but would presumably be more practical under TTL circumstances -- and often deployed overseas, still effectively controlled -- and financed -- by Britain) rather than just the latter as was the case IOTL: Does that look plausible to you?
Also, what about the Irish Guards?

EDIT: Perhaps there could even be one or more Ireland-raised regiments that was "on the British establishment", i.e. paid for and controlled directly by the British War Office, as had been the case pre-Union, just as [at the POD] the British Army still contained a Caribbean-raised 'West India Regiment'? Or would simply funneling all Irish volunteers for infantry service in the British army into the KRRC and the Rfile Brigade, both of which recruited across the entire UK before 'home rule' IOTL (and both of which had Irish militia battalions as well as British ones -- and British territorial battalions, for that matter, too -- in their 'families') be a better idea?

Click to expand...

Yes that would be very useful.

I was thinking of something along the lines of the OTLs post-Independence scenario, where several all Irish units were maintained by Britain for the express recruitment of Irishmen living in Britain. So the Irish Guards and maybe the Connaught Rangers could stay under British control.

'Commonwealth' could potentially be controversial in Ireland, too: That, as somebody wopuld surely point out, was what the British regime for which Oliver Cromwell suppressed the country had called itself! Also, both 'Commonwealth' (in the Australian context) and 'Union' (in the South African) were chosen to show that the countries concerned had been formed by uniting a number of previously-separate colonies, which wouldn't be the case here...

Click to expand...

So Kingdom, Dominion, or my choice which is State. I don't see why that couldn't be picked, the Free State being called that as a literal translation of the Irish equivelant of Republic, which no one had bothered to come up with before this point. So the "State of Ireland", or the "Irish State".

Recruiting areas, as per OTL 1881-1922 _ https://www.box.com/files#/files/0/f/284219565/1/f_2251658269

Simreeve said:

Recruiting areas, as per OTL 1881-1922 _ https://www.box.com/files#/files/0/f/284219565/1/f_2251658269

Click to expand...

Anywhere I can get it without signing up to Box?

Oops! I thought that my files there were already set for open viewing, but maybe the fact that I just created a new 'folder' for this one confused matters: I'll go and get a new link sorted-out so that you can see it okay...

Try looking at https://www.box.com/s/8ec369fd725e01732edd.

deliberately left out Irish Guards as they could stay in the
Imperial army for Irish volunteers.

Most infantry regiments has 2 battalions. Officially 1st for overseas and 2nd for home service. British army records show many of the 1st battalion were non-Irish and 2nd battalion had a majority of catholic. ATL they would have to be mixed.
In ATL 2 battalions may be a bit much. Thoughand possibly rotate the regular regiments in the 10th Irish for overseas availability and 16th V & 36th V for home service or TA service.