How do you guys use Irish in MP?

I've been wondering how experienced MP players use the Irish on MP games. The Irish don't have bows and don't seem to have anything which can go toe to toe with Huscarles. How do you guys get by these disadvantages?

i'm far from experienced, unless you count all the times i've been run over!

the irish need to move fast and overwhelm their opponent. look to the 100 man units of bonnachts, four or five or six (the sheer numbers makes up for the penalty of taking more than four units imo) of them out front will send the archers packing and damage the huscarls enough with their throwing spears for the a/p gallows to mop em up. depending on how many you take and how much valor you give the bonnachts, they can stand in the melee similar to celtic warriors. they are good arrow sponges too.

horsies are nice to to keep yer flanks safe. light horse at v2 has enough morale to put a hurting on already withered huscarls, especially if you hit em in the rear...

elmo and i have worked out a fairly decent irish swamp/rush army, where we both bring the tatties and swarm one or two poor unsuspecting opponents uphill of course...

Sorry that this topic is totally dead but I just couldn't let "and don't seem to have anything which can go toe to toe with Huscarles" pass.

First of all here is my Irish army. You really need 15k for them to be truly deadly but they'll work decently in 10k too.

4 Mounted Nobles (1 as gen)
4 Irish Dartmen
4 Bonnachts
4 Gallowglasses

DDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDD

BBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBB
---------GGGGGGGGG----------
NNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN

D = Darts
B = Bonnachts
G = Gallows
N = Mounted Nobles.

Many people like Bonnachts to be the ones to soak up the arrows but I strongly disagree. Considering how much ass Bonnachts kick at hand to hand, if you use em right, I'd much prefer my useless Dartmen to die. Basically when I'm in archer range I put everything in my army to loose and when I get close enough I make all my army run forward and try to take out some archers with cavarly if I can.

I then move my dartmen into range of enemy infantry (if they haven't inf rushed me already) and start mauling. Dartmen really will cause pain to the infantry and it's usually enough to make them rush. I then change my formation to:

-------GGGGGGGG-------
BBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBB
NNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN
DDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDD

Gallows would normally any enemy inf anyway but with the Bonnachts throwing their EXTREMEMLY damaging javelins in support the poor enemy inf will stand no chance at all. Also if your dartmen haven't already used their javelins up then they will be able to from a safe distance as they have longer range than the Bonns. Be careful that the Galls don't charge without order btw. Also never ever let enemy cav hit your infantry. Put your cav on hold and 2 ranks deep, fending 2 enemy cav off if you must but never let cavalry attack either the Bonnachts or the Darts. Gallows are fine V them.

I've tried my Mercian army (with 4 Huscarls and 4 Militia Sergs) Vs a friend who picked this Irish army and he completely decimated me. All in all the Irish are good Vs largely infantry armies.

The only faction that will really cause the Irish pain is the Picts. Not only will the crossbows totally mash your Darts and Bonns but so will the Picts superior cavalry leaving you with 4 Gallows and 4 cavalry...................

What a rant.............