Irish military involvement in Anarchy (Napoleon's World)

The Irish military actions during the English Anarchy generally refer to the use of Irish naval power to protect refugees fleeing to Ireland in the Irish Sea, the strategic alliance between the Irish military and the EWA, and the eventual direct intervention of Irish Regulars in northern England and Wales from 1951 to early 1953. Due to violent guerilla warfare and direct conflict with the Americans in an undeclared war, the conflict became increasingly unpopular in Ireland and President Aidan Bair eventually elected to withdraw Irish forces from Wales and England in 1953, conceding the territory to the United States and prompting the even more ill-fated intervention of the French. Irish sea power was exercised throughout the war, however, and Irish air power proved critical to early EWA success.

"The Celtic Dream"
One of the purported and later confirmed motivations behind the Irish desire to strike at England in its weakened state was the well-advertised "Celtic Dream" pushed by Irish nationalists, including senior members within both the Christian Democrats and Labour. The idea of the Celtic Dream was a pan-Celtic nation state in northern Europe, including Ireland, Mann and Wales, as well as potentially Cornwall and parts of Scotland. However, President Aidan Bair was extremely reluctant to enter conflict with Scotland, which in 1951 had a strong military and had the explicit backing of the United States. Aware that Ireland was seeking to flex its international muscles after its embarassing losses in East Africa, the Prescott Bush administration made clear to Bair that any aggression in Great Britain would not be tolerated and that war with the Scottish government would be reciprocated against with American arms.

For this reason, Ireland was forced to recognize the EWA as the legitimate government of England in order to invade Wales in 1951 under the pretenses of helping the "rightful representatives of the English people" stabilize the region, although it was not lost on many in diplomatic circles that Ireland was deliberately aiming at annexing some or all of Wales.