A Question of Duty: The Curragh Incident 1914 is a compelling account of the dramatic events that unfolded at the Curragh Camp in County Kildare during one of the most turbulent periods in Irish and British political history. In March 1914, as the British government prepared to introduce Irish Home Rule, senior British Army officers threatened to resign rather than enforce government policy against armed Ulster Unionists. The resulting “Curragh Incident” became the most serious crisis in British civil-military relations of the twentieth century and fundamentally altered the political landscape in Ireland.

Military historian Paul O’Brien carefully reconstructs the political tensions, military decisions, and personalities involved in the crisis. Drawing on contemporary documents, correspondence, and historical records, he examines why the confrontation occurred, how it unfolded, and why it had such profound consequences for both Britain and Ireland. The book also places the incident within the wider context of the Home Rule crisis, the rise of the Ulster Volunteers, growing nationalist sentiment, and the outbreak of the First World War, demonstrating how these interconnected events changed the future of Ireland.

Written in an accessible and engaging style while supported by thorough research, A Question of Duty offers fresh insight into a pivotal moment that continues to influence historical debate. It is an essential read for anyone interested in Irish history, British military history, constitutional politics, and the events leading up to the revolutionary period in Ireland.