The disappearance of soldiers from the city streets and country lanes of Northern Ireland has produced a rise in the number of recruits from across the Irish border, reviving a military tradition between the two islands.

Ireland has always been fertile recruiting ground for the British army, producing famous generals and highly decorated regiments. But episodes such as Bloody Sunday, when 13 innocent civilians were shot dead during an illegal civil rights march in Londonderry, stoked hatred of the British uniform, deterring many Irish from joining up.

But in a further sign of the changing relationship between Britain and Ireland brought by the end of Operation Banner and the Troubles, Army recruitment in Northern Ireland has just revealed that 16 per cent of all those enlisting since April were from south of the border.

That figure is up from 10.5 per cent last year - which was in itself more than double for 2006.

Six men who signed up in Enniskillen last week came from as far afield as Cork, Limerick and Dublin, taking an oath of allegiance to the Queen.

Four of them are joining the Royal Irish Regiment, one is joining the Royal Engineers and another the Parachute Regiment.

Lieutenant Colonel Dick Rafferty, the head of recruitment, said he was delighted. "There is an ever-increasing awareness of what the Army can offer any young person. In addition to this the young soldier is going home and telling others what he is doing. This generates interest."

One of the new recruits, 22-year-old Andrew Warrington from Co Mayo, said: "I know that I could end up in Iraq or Afghanistan but I have intensive training to do before that happens."

Mr Warrington joined from the regular Irish army, where he spent three years. He wants to become an Army sniper and is being assigned to the Royal Irish Regiment.

“I wanted to see more missions, travel and to be more active. Joining is an advantage as there is more I can do with the British Army,” he said.

His friends were not surprised by his career move, and his relatives were not opposed. His grandfather served in the Army in England during the Second World War.

“That did influence me when I heard about it, I thought I might go to the Army and I’m looking forward to it as it’s a good career.”

Anthony Kerins, from Dublin, said his great uncle was in the British Army. “I always wanted to be a soldier, It’s a life less ordinary, and I wanted to see more of the world, and more people, and action and be trained with the best,” he said.

“I went to the British Army website. I then rang Enniskillen and they sent out the application forms straight away.”

A series of despatches from Lieutenant Paddy Bury, describing his service in Afghanistan, has generated a lively debate on the letters pages of The Irish Times, prompted by a reader’s disgust that the newspaper described him as an Irish soldier.

“Lt Bury may well be an Irishman but he most certainly is not an Irish soldier,” wrote Tom Cooper, saying it was “an affront to those who fought, many making the ultimate sacrifice, to free this country from British rule”.

That view was strongly contested by other correspondents seeking a more nuanced approach to Ireland’s relations with its neighbour, not least through the links forged by service in a British regiment.

As Rudyard Kipling, who lost his son, Lt John Kipling of the Irish Guards, in the Great War, famously wrote:

“For where there are Irish there’s bound to be fighting,

And when there’s no fighting it’s Ireland no more.”

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