Irish Free Legion formed by Germans during WWI

During WWI, there were some perfunctory German attempts to form an Irish Free Legion from among captured Irishmen in the British Army in German POW camps to fight the British, but without any success. However, WI such efforts had been more successful, & some Irish Free Legion had been formed from Republican Irishmen ? How would events in Eire proper such as the 1916 Easter Rising have been affected, or re the Irish diaspora in the USA & Cth countries who had substantial Irish-born or descended soldiers serving the British Empire ?
 
A bit of a problem with this concept is that the majority of the Irish fighting for the British were volunteers.
Conscription was only ever in mainland Britain; given its sizable Irish population I suppose some of them could have been drafted this way but that's taking a fraction of a fraction.
I guess its more than feasible that numerous Irish who signed up in the early days out of nationalistic fevor have since grown sick of the war (as had most fighting in it) and that som, perhaps after meeting a few stupid commanders and general anti-Irish pricks, would have turned about face in their views on Irish independence but still...Its a stretch.

Assuming handwavium so such a unit could be formed though...It'd be a complete disaster for the republicans. Gone is the idea that they were pushing for Irish freedom and in its place are strengthened views of catholic theocratic tyranny- sure the Germans weren't exactly this but they were viewed as drastically more dastardly and totalitarian than they really were.

You'd possibly get a split into the republican movement.
Some (the more radical elements I guess) supporting the legion and saying they're fighting for Ireland by the only way they can whilst others outright condemning it; pointing out they'd just be swapping one oppressor for a far worse one or such like.
 

MrP

Banned
As Leej says, the make-up of the force argues against this. Those who volunteered in Ireland were either Unionists or southerners who were loyal to the Crown/hoped by volunteering to gain for Ireland. The more extreme chaps didn't sign up because they didn't want to fight for Britain.
 
If there had been a bloodier response by the British to the Uprising in Ireland it is possible that there might have been defections.
 
I doubt it, personally.

That said, if you want a good Irish rebellion and independence during WWI TL, might I recommend Tom B's excellent Operation Unicorn over at Changingthetimes? The attention to detail and realism(lots of setbacks for both sides, not just a walkover for Ireland/Germany) makes it worth a read.
 
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