The Tyneside Irish Brigade became one of the most colorful legends of the British effort of World War I. They fought side-by-side with their friendly rivals of the Tyneside Scottish Brigade on many a battlefield, but were forever remembered for their gallant charge on the first day of the Somme offensive. Eight battalions would be raised from Newcastle's large Scottish and Irish population, originally drawn to the city during the Industrial Revolution. By the spring of 1916, the two brigades, both part of the 34th Division, were in position on the Somme for the start of a major new attack. The two brigades left their trenches at dawn on July 1, the Tyneside Scottish forming the first line, the Tyneside Irish following close behind. The Tyneside Irish eventually captured the objective, but only after the grim experience of charging over the bodies of their Scottish comrades, who had borne the first brunt of the German fire. The units continued on until the end of the war, but their spirit was never quite,the same. After the war, Newcastle's Tyneside district fittingly built a single memorial to both of its rival brigades. The dramatic text of Tyneside Irish is backed up by hundreds of rare photographs, extracts of previously unpublished diaries and letters, and contains a comprehensive listing of all who served.
