Recruiting began around the Midlands, and by the time the regiment landed in Ireland in March 1797 it was 202 men strong. Its strength fell, and by April 1798 when the 68th were called out to guard the guns at Dublin against the rebels, it fielded 36 men; by the end of 1799 it had grown to only 120. In February 1800 while in Trim, the regiment received nearly 1,800 Irish volunteers from the Militia, and after it had returned to England in March, it was divided into two battalions in May.