Search

23 Oct 2025

Discrimination & fight for freedom: The Mayo man who fought and died for Mexico

The fate of Patrick Dalton from Ballina and the St Patrick's Battalion is remembered until this day

Discrimination & fight for freedom: The Mayo man who fought and died for Mexico

Painting of the battle of Buena Vista. The 'San Patricios' were commended for their bravery in that battle.

In the middle of Mexico City, there is a small, snug public space, called Plaza San Jacinto. It displays a plaque, saying: “In memory of the heroic St Patrick’s Battalion that fought for Mexico in the war 1846-48.”

The contribution of the fifty Irishmen in that unit isn’t forgotten to this day. Every year, their sacrifice for Mexico, and the names of the 50 men who were hanged for their activities, is commemorated.

Among them was a certain Patrick Dalton. A Ballina man, who had to leave Mayo and his home country at the start of the Great Famine, Dalton ended up fighting for three different armies, before he was executed by US Army forces.

READ: Mayo’s Michael Davitt: From eviction trauma to champion of the oppressed

An extraordinary story of exceptional times. ‘The St Patrick’s Battalion’, or ‘Los San Patricios’, is one of the “most fascinating - and controversial - units of the Mexican-American War (1846-48),” says Peter Stevens, author of ‘The Rogue’s March: John Riley and the St Patrick’s Battalion’, a book that explores the journey of the Irishmen behind the legendary infantry unit.

DISCRIMINATION

“THIS unit was composed largely of Irish immigrants who deserted the US Army to fight for Mexico, their story is one of loyalty, betrayal, and the search for justice in a time of prejudice.”

We learn, that Patrick Dalton left Mayo after the Great Famine had started. He enlisted with the British Army in Canada.

Disillusioned, he deserted his unit in Quebec and slipped into the US, where he joined the American Army in 1845, lying about his background to avoid detection as a deserter.

Stevens explains: “Dalton’s military experience and leadership skills soon set him apart. When the Mexican-American War broke out, he, like many Irish Catholics facing discrimination in the U.S. Army, deserted to join the Mexican side. Dalton became a key officer in the St. Patrick’s Battalion, serving under the famous John Riley from Clifden.”

Dalton and other Irish soldiers were discriminated against while serving in the US Army. Being Catholic, they faced prejudices from their Protestant officers. At the time, double standards were widespread in the US Forces, known as the 'Know Nothing’ movement.

Punishments for minor infractions were harsher for Catholics, and many felt alienated and mistreated. The Irish soldiers where also denied the rights to to practice their religious beliefs and where routinely flogged.

“For Dalton, religious solidarity was important; he was a practicing Catholic, and Mexico was a Catholic nation. The promise of better treatment, adventure, and perhaps a chance to reclaim lost military rank also played a part.

But above all, many, like Dalton, were driven by a sense of injustice and a search for belonging,” explains Stevens.

LOYALTY

DALTON’S leadership was quickly recognised by the commander John Riley, a Galway man from Clifden. Dalton was quickly promoted to captain in the Mexican Army. He fought bravely in several battles.

Dalton was known for his steadiness under fire and received several medals from the Mexican government for courage and leadership. Eyewitnesses noted his determination.

The whole St Patrick’s Battalion made a name for itself. An official battle report lauded them “as worthy of the most consummate praise because the men fought with daring bravery.”

It’s important to note that the unit consisted not only of Irish soldiers, there were a good few German Catholics as well. The common cause of a fight against discrimination united Irish and Germans.

The Mexican Army was retreating from the US Troops and in the famous Battle of Churubusco, Patrick Dalton and the St Patrick’s Battalion made their final stand. Dalton himself is said to have taken down the flag of surrender to keep on fighting.

The battle was a disaster for the San Patricios, as about 60 percent of the unit was lost, and Dalton, along with Riley and others, was captured. The American Army considered them traitors, and Dalton faced a court-martial.

During his trial, Dalton fiercely objected to the presence of a biased former captain on the tribunal, and his objection was upheld.

He pleaded not guilty, instead, he offered a creative defense: He claimed he had been kidnapped by bandits and forced to join the Mexican Army, though he admitted wearing the Mexican uniform when captured.

Witnesses, including former comrades who turned state’s evidence, identified him as a leader in the Mexican service.

A certain Thomas O’Connor, who had been in the unit, turned proverbially states evidence against all the rest to save his neck. He was ratting them out.

O’Connor pointed at him and accused, identified him as Patrick Dalton, a lieutenant and a captain of the Mexican Army.

LEGACY

DALTON was sentenced to a hanging, along with dozens of his comrades, in a mass execution designed to send a message.

He requested and was granted the last rites from a Mexican priest and to be buried in consecrated ground - an unusual concession that speaks to the importance of his faith.

The executions were staged with grim theatricality: the condemned were forced to stand on the scaffold for hours, waiting for the American flag to be raised over the captured Mexican fort.

When it finally happened, the men let out a cheer - whether in defiance, irony, or acceptance, no one knows.

Patrick Dalton’s story is emblematic of the San Patricios: men caught between worlds, driven by faith, loyalty, and the search for dignity in a hostile land.

His courage in battle, leadership, and defiant end have made him a symbol of Irish resilience and the complexities of immigrant life in 19th-century America.

Their story is well remembered in Mexico to this day.

MORE
Read ‘The Rogue’s March: John Riley and the St Patrick’s Battalion’, written by Peter Stevens, published at Potomac Books.

PICTURES: Historic Mayo school with spectacular views and renovation potential for €120k

To continue reading this article,
please subscribe and support local journalism!


Subscribing will allow you access to all of our premium content and archived articles.

Subscribe

To continue reading this article for FREE,
please kindly register and/or log in.


Registration is absolutely 100% FREE and will help us personalise your experience on our sites. You can also sign up to our carefully curated newsletter(s) to keep up to date with your latest local news!

Register / Login

Buy the e-paper of the Donegal Democrat, Donegal People's Press, Donegal Post and Inish Times here for instant access to Donegal's premier news titles.

Keep up with the latest news from Donegal with our daily newsletter featuring the most important stories of the day delivered to your inbox every evening at 5pm.