SSAFA FUNDRAISING LECTURE

SSAFA Lecture Series – Lecture 15

This event marks the 15th lecture in the SSAFA series and will be delivered by Marcus de la Poer Beresford (Lord Decies). The lecture is entitled “Wellington and the Connaught Rangers in the Iberian Peninsula.”

The Connaught Rangers (88th Foot) were raised in the west of Ireland in 1793 and remained the most Irish of all Irish regiments in the British Army throughout their 129-year history. After a number of demanding early campaigns, the Regiment came of age during the Peninsular War (1809–1814), the decisive struggle between Great Britain and Napoleonic France.

As Wellington famously remarked, “Whenever anything very gallant, very desperate is to be done, there is no corps within the Army I would sooner employ.”
This lecture will examine the early development of the Connaught Rangers and their role in the battles and sieges across Portugal and Spain, culminating in Napoleon’s abdication in 1814.

About the Speaker
Marcus de la Poer Beresford read history at Trinity College Dublin before qualifying as a lawyer. Since retiring from legal practice in 2010, he has lectured and published extensively on the Napoleonic Wars, with a particular focus on Irish involvement in the Iberian Peninsula. His publications include “Marshal William Carr Beresford: The ablest man I’ve yet seen in the army” and “Peninsular & Waterloo General: General Sir Denis Pack and the war against Napoleon.” He is currently researching the early history of the Connaught Rangers.

About SSAFA
SSAFA – Forces Help is a registered charity in Ireland providing support to former members of the British Forces and their dependants living in the Republic of Ireland who are experiencing hardship or distress. As of November 2025, the Republic of Ireland Branch has assisted 997 cases and distributed €228,443 from service and branch benevolent funds. Proceeds from this lecture will support the continuation of this essential work.

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