to brief him on the train from London to Salisbury so that he could participate in the discussion afterwards. Curragh Incident In 1912 Paget was appointed Commander-in-Chief, Ireland, and was sworn of the Privy Council of Ireland in 1912. He was appointed Grand Cross of the Bath (GCB) in 1913, and promoted general on 5 March 1913. Lady Paget became a society hostess in Ireland. With Irish Home Rule due to become law in 1914, the Cabinet were beginning to contemplate some kind of military action against the Ulster Volunteers who wanted no part of it. French (CIGS) and Seely (Secretary of State for War) summoned Paget to the War Office for talks. Paget's letter (19 October 1913) suggests that he wanted "partial mobilisation". The following spring, Paget was sent a letter by the secretary of the Army Council warning that "evil-disposed persons" might attempt to seize weapons. Paget reported that he was drawing up plans to protect arms depots as ordered, but warning that large-scale troop movements would exacerbate the situation. Ian Beckett describes his response as "tentative". Paget was summoned to London for a meeting with the Cabinet Committee on Ireland and other officers. Large scale military operations were clearly discussed at the meeting on 18 March, although most participants insisted that these were only precautionary measures. That evening (18 March) Paget wired Maj-Gen Friend that the troop movements were to be completed by dawn on Sunday 31 March. Another, hurried, meeting was held on the night of 19 March after Sir Edward Carson's dramatic departure from the Commons, amid rumours that he intended to declare a provisional government upon reaching Belfast. At that meeting Seely declared that the government was pressing ahead with Home Rule and had no intention of allowing civil war to break out, suggesting that the Ulster Volunteers were to be crushed if they attempted to start one. Paget said that he would "lead his Army to the Boyne” – French immediately told him not to be "a bloody fool". On his way to Dublin, Paget was seen in a highly excitable state at Euston railway station. Paget was given no written orders. Ian Beckett writes that this was at his own request, although Richard Holmes wrote that it may have been because there were things which the politicians were reluctant to put in writing. In Dublin the next morning (Friday 20 March), Paget