Invasion of Canada!

Praeterea censeo Canadam esse delendam - Considering this post on her 'blog, Lauren should enjoy this piece of military trivia.

Ireland was under the firm grip of the British in the 19th Century, and many Irish immigrated to America "to escape from under the boot of the oppressor." Some of the Irish-Americans joined together in 1858 in what was known as the Fenian Brotherhood.
The Fenians originally planned to aid a rebellion in Ireland itself, providing officers, men, and muskets. But the outbreak of the Civil War caused them to turn their attention to the rebel enemy of their adopted country. Fenians joined the many Irish regiments of the Union Army, serving with distinction and gaining valuable combat experience.
After the war ended in 1865 the Fenians decided to strike the hated British in Canada, or British North America as it was then known. The open border between the United States and Canada made clandestine transport to Ireland unnecessary. The U.S. territory would provide a base for invasion. And the U.S. government didn't seem to care that the Fenians wanted to invade Canada, any more than the British seemed to care that Confederates were launching raids from Canada into the U.S. during the Civil War. The Fenians intended to take over Canada and rename it "New Ireland." New Ireland, it was assumed, would then be used as a base to liberate old Ireland or as a bargaining chip for Eire.

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