2nd Battalion, Royal Irish Regiment.

[Keith_history_buff]

I think the way forward with this is to go away and to read what has been recommended to you.

Whilst this should give you an insight, it is indeed likely to raise a few questions. I do think that by using the search facility, you will be able to get detailed answers to those questions. 

I believe the following threads will be of interest, for starters:
 

The misguided idea that the Countryshire Regiment was manned by men from Countyshire is particularly enduring among authors of what I would call the 'hero-romantic school' of military history. The hard facts are quite easy to find; Regimental recruiting districts were largely based on Ceremonial Counties. The Industrial Revolution redistributed the UK's population and by the 1851 Census, the UK had become "urbanised"; more than 50% of people lived in urban areas.

https://web.archive.org/web/20190509013428/http://www.victorianwars.com/viewtopic.php?f=93&t=12533&sid=4e11be53ad1001d571b5e0b633c6e7ad&start=60

 

[Keith_history_buff]

Do bear in mind that the composition of the battalion would be men from various places; this would not be exclusively Irish.

 

[Tcnicholson]

Hi. Really interesting thread. Sorry to have joined the forum so late. Was researching my Grandfather who was at Le Pilly and died in the mid 50s (long before I was born). I have learned a lot so my profound thanks to everyone  

[FROGSMILE]

25 minutes ago, Tcnicholson said:

Hi. Really interesting thread. Sorry to have joined the forum so late. Was researching my Grandfather who was at Le Pilly and died in the mid 50s (long before I was born). I have learned a lot so my profound thanks to everyone  

That’s a very nice photo of the Blue Patrol Uniform “Type B” introduced in 1913.  “Type A” was the more common and had an upright, closed collar with no need for the white shirt and black, corded (i.e. ribbed), or woven, silk tie.  It’s interesting to see that it remained in use for a while after the war.  I’ve not yet been able to trace when exactly it was discontinued.  Blue Patrols were reintroduced in 1940 (Type A) so the fall from use seems likely to have been in the 1930s.

Edited 14 September by FROGSMILE

[Tcnicholson]

21 minutes ago, FROGSMILE said:

That’s a very nice photo of the Blue Patrol Uniform “Type B” introduced in 1913.  “Type A” was the more common and had an upright, closed collar with no need for the white shirt and black, corded (i.e. ribbed), or woven, silk tie.  It’s interesting to see that it remained in use for a while after the war.  I’ve not yet been able to trace when exactly it was discontinued.  Blue Patrols were reintroduced in 1940 (Type A) so the fall from use seems likely to have been in the 1930s.

Thanks for this. Really interesting. Did regular officers have type A? I wonder if he had this type because he was commissioned from the reserve in June 1914 (having been minding his own business at Oxford). I remember what a long and painful process it was having my own blues made, so maybe type b might have been a cheaper and quicker “off the peg” alternative for a sudden influx of officers. Who knows. 
 

If it is of any interest, my Grandfather became a schoolmaster after the war. My grandmother died young and he remarried and eventually retired to Sussex. He died unexpectedly the day before my father was commissioned in 1956. 

Edited 14 September by Tcnicholson

[FROGSMILE]

11 hours ago, Tcnicholson said:

Thanks for this. Really interesting. Did regular officers have type A? I wonder if he had this type because he was commissioned from the reserve in June 14 (having been minding his own business at Oxford). I remember what a long and painful process it was having my own blues made, so maybe type b might have been a cheaper and quicker “off the peg” alternative for a sudden influx of officers. Who knows. 
 

If it is of any interest, my Grandfather became a schoolmaster after the war. My grandmother died young in 1936 and he remarried and eventually retired to Sussex. He died unexpectedly the day before my father was commissioned in 1956. 

No in theory, when introduced, the type was supposed to be determined by the individual officer as an “optional” choice.  But it’s clear from photographic evidence that commanding officers made the decision so that all in his unit would be the same, although there might have been some consultation via the unit officers’ mess.  It was one of a few uniform items that was not to be worn “when on parade with troops” (i.e. the men).  It was intended as an informal (so “undress”), but smart working uniform, for day-to-day barracks wear during routine administrative duties.

Edited 15 September by FROGSMILE

[Tcnicholson]

7 minutes ago, FROGSMILE said:

No the type was supposed to be determined by the individual officer as an optional choice.  But it’s clear from photographic evidence that commanding officers made the decision so that all in his unit would be the same, although there might have been some consultation via the unit officers’ mess.  It was one of a few uniform items that was not to be worn “when on parade with troops” (i.e. the men).  It was intended as an informal, but smart working uniform for day to day barracks uniform during routine administration.

Thanks so much for this. Really interesting- and slightly surprising that there was a choice!

On a separate note, does anyone know where the battalion’s colours are laid up? Also interested to know whether there are any memorials in Ireland to either the Regiment or (especially) the 2nd Battalion? 

[FROGSMILE]

32 minutes ago, Tcnicholson said:

does anyone know where the battalion’s colours are laid up?

They are “laid up” in an honoured place (the “Grand Staircase”) in Windsor Castle, where they were placed by the King in 1922.  See here: https://laststandonzombieisland.com/2022/06/12/the-hidden-irish-battle-flags/#jp-carousel-57382

images via websearch.

Edited 14 September by FROGSMILE

[Tcnicholson]

30 minutes ago, FROGSMILE said:

They are “laid up” in an honoured place (the “Grand Staircase”) in Windsor Castle, where they were placed by the King in 1922.  See here: https://laststandonzombieisland.com/2022/06/12/the-hidden-irish-battle-flags/#jp-carousel-57382

images via websearch.

That is amazing. Thanks for sharing. 

[FROGSMILE]

9 hours ago, Tcnicholson said:

That is amazing. Thanks for sharing. 

A moth-eaten rag on a worm-eaten pole.  It does not seem likely to stir a man’s soul.  Tis the deeds that were done, neath the moth-eaten rag, when the pole was a staff and the rag was a flag.

Edited 15 September by FROGSMILE

[Michelle Young]

8 hours ago, Tcnicholson said:

Hi. Really interesting thread. Sorry to have joined the forum so late. Was researching my Grandfather who was at Le Pilly and died in the mid 50s (long before I was born). I have learned a lot so my profound thanks to everyone  

Welcome to the forum. I’m sure if you start a new thread about him ( including his name) people  be able to help you find out more. 

[FROGSMILE]

12 hours ago, Tcnicholson said:

Also interested to know whether there are any memorials in Ireland to either the Regiment or (especially) the 2nd Battalion? 

Sorry I missed this last query.

The main regimental memorial in Ireland is in what had once been the regimental headquarters and training depot and originally called Victoria Barracks, at Clonmel, plus there’s another smaller memorial in the form of a red stone Celtic Cross nearby.  After partition and independence it was renamed Kickham Barracks and became an Irish Free State Army installation.  It was eventually closed in 2012, but the Royal Irish Regiment’s memorial still stands.  See: https://m.facebook.com/groups/official18thregoffootroyalirishregassociation/

There are also several memorials to the regiment in France:

Celtic cross.

A Celtic cross memorial was erected in 1923 at a crossroads to commemorate the Royal Irish Regiment's defense of the area. Lord French, the Earl of Ypres, inaugurated the memorial on November 11, 1923.  

Monument to the Royal Irish Regiment. 

This monument was unveiled on November 11, 1923 on a small knoll that overlooks the ground where the 2nd Battalion fought on August 23, 1914.  

Monument to the two battles of Mons. 

This monument was erected in 1986 on the other side of the highway from the Celtic cross memorial. It commemorates the British Expeditionary Force's defense of Mons during the first and last battles of World War One.

It’s important to note that the Royal Irish Regiment was the oldest and most senior of the Irish line infantry regiments with a lineage going right back to the time of the wars of the three kingdoms.  It took the precedence number 18th in 1751, even though it was the seventh oldest British line infantry regiment at that date. It had been pushed down the order of precedence because it had only entered the English establishment in 1689.

NB.  A modern Royal Irish Regiment was created in 2006 that embodies the lineage of the remaining Irish infantry regiments of the British Army following 1922.  It continues to recruit from the whole of the island of Ireland, plus from families of Irish heritage in Britain and further afield.

images via websearch.

 

Edited 15 September by FROGSMILE