'Cloud of Hell': World War I Pop Up Museum & Portrayals by Claíomh
'Cloud of Hell' was formed as an offshoot of the Claidheamh Soluis project to investigate and to disseminate information about the material culture of soldiers fighting in World War 1 1914 to 1918 or, what was then known as, 'The Great War'.
We limit the forces represented to Irish Regiments of the British Army and some British Regiments who played a significant role in Ireland during the Irish Revolutionary period. Thus far in our interpretative work formations have included the Inniskilling Fusiliers, Royal Munster Fusiliers, Royal Dublin Fusiliers, Sherwood Foresters and South Staffordshire Regiment. We also collect and portray a small number of German Imperial (Deutsches Heer) units including Sturmbattalion Nr. 5 (Rohr), and the 16th, 65th and the 73rd Infantry Regiments. Please see the pictures below for more info!
Our public outreach demos concentrate on the uniforms, field equipment and the very tough inhumane conditions that soldiers on all sides had to put up with: mud, rats, disease, artillery, mines, machine gun fire, flamethrowers, 'devil's rope' a.k.a. barbed wire and trench raidiing methodology.
The Cloud of Hell project is managed under the auspices of well known Irish medieval and early modern interpretive group Claíomh - please see https://www.facebook.com/ClaiomhLivingHistory for more info on the latter.
Like Claíomh is a self funded venture with funds raised constantly being reinvested into research and to keep and maintain the highest standards of reproduction uniforms, weaponry and everyday items possible.
Enquiries from researchers, media production companies, educationalists and other interested parties are welcome
We limit the forces represented to Irish Regiments of the British Army and some British Regiments who played a significant role in Ireland during the Irish Revolutionary period. Thus far in our interpretative work formations have included the Inniskilling Fusiliers, Royal Munster Fusiliers, Royal Dublin Fusiliers, Sherwood Foresters and South Staffordshire Regiment. We also collect and portray a small number of German Imperial (Deutsches Heer) units including Sturmbattalion Nr. 5 (Rohr), and the 16th, 65th and the 73rd Infantry Regiments. Please see the pictures below for more info!
Our public outreach demos concentrate on the uniforms, field equipment and the very tough inhumane conditions that soldiers on all sides had to put up with: mud, rats, disease, artillery, mines, machine gun fire, flamethrowers, 'devil's rope' a.k.a. barbed wire and trench raidiing methodology.
The Cloud of Hell project is managed under the auspices of well known Irish medieval and early modern interpretive group Claíomh - please see https://www.facebook.com/ClaiomhLivingHistory for more info on the latter.
Like Claíomh is a self funded venture with funds raised constantly being reinvested into research and to keep and maintain the highest standards of reproduction uniforms, weaponry and everyday items possible.
Enquiries from researchers, media production companies, educationalists and other interested parties are welcome
British Army & Commonwealth |
German Imperial Army |
'A Cloud of Hell' by John Swift 1918
T'was such a scene as surely would delight
The hearts of Satan, and th'infernal crew;
Where men fell dazed or dead in gory fight,
To soak the fire swept soil in bloody dew.
Where bodies lay, dismembered and unknown,
Some not dead, but mute with battle crash,
Some left with voice, in agony to groan,
Or curse their God, their land, their bleeding flesh.
And from above the murdering spirits fly,
As though the hosts of heaven were the foe;
Foul hell seemed elevated to the sky,
Showering its fury on the earth below.
The above is published in the book 'John Swift An Irish Dissident' (1991) by John P. Swift p. 46
The hearts of Satan, and th'infernal crew;
Where men fell dazed or dead in gory fight,
To soak the fire swept soil in bloody dew.
Where bodies lay, dismembered and unknown,
Some not dead, but mute with battle crash,
Some left with voice, in agony to groan,
Or curse their God, their land, their bleeding flesh.
And from above the murdering spirits fly,
As though the hosts of heaven were the foe;
Foul hell seemed elevated to the sky,
Showering its fury on the earth below.
The above is published in the book 'John Swift An Irish Dissident' (1991) by John P. Swift p. 46
