Dublin City Artillery Militia
| Dublin City Artillery Militia 4th Brigade, North Irish Division, RA Dublin City Artillery (Southern Division) RA Dublin City Royal Garrison Artillery (M) |
|
|---|---|
| Active | 1854–1909 |
| Country |
 United Kingdom
|
| Branch |
 Militia
|
| Role | Garrison Artillery Field Artillery Position Artillery |
| Part of | North Irish Division, RA (1882–89) Southern Division, RA (1889–1902) |
| Garrison/HQ |
Lucan (1854–61) Dublin (1861–1909)) |
The Dublin City Artillery Militia was a part-time reserve unit of Britain's Royal Artillery based in Dublin, Ireland, from 1854 to 1909.
The long-standing national Militia of the United Kingdom was revived by the Militia Act of 1852, enacted during a period of international tension. As before, units were raised and administered on a county basis, and filled by voluntary enlistment (although conscription by means of the Militia Ballot might be used if the counties failed to meet their quotas). Training was for 56 days on enlistment, then for 21–28 days per year, during which the men received full army pay. Under the Act, Militia units could be embodied by Royal Proclamation for full-time home defence service in three circumstances:
The 1852 Act introduced Artillery Militia units in addition to the traditional infantry regiments. Their role was to man coastal defences and fortifications, relieving the [[Royal Artillery]] (RA) for active service.
The unit was raised in Dublin in December 1854 under the title of Dublin City Artillery Militia. The first commanding officer (CO), appointed on 17 November 1854, was Lieutenant-Colonel-Commandant the Hon. Robert French Handcock, son of Lord Castelmaine and a Half-pay RA Captain.
At first the headquarters (HQ) was at Lucan, Dublin, transferring to Dublin City in 1861. Training of the Irish Militia was suspended in 1866. When training resumed in 1871 the acting CO following Handcock's death was Major Francis de Burgh, who was promoted to Lt-Col on 17 December that year. Longstanding officers of the unit continued to be promoted to the command: Lt-Col W.J.N. Magill on 31 August 1878, Lt-Col W.C. Dickenson on 18 November 1896, and Lt-Col William L. Smythe on 14 February 1903.
The Artillery Militia was reorganised into 11 divisions of garrison artillery in 1882, and the Dublin City unit became the 4th Brigade, North Irish Division, RA. When the North Irish Division was abolished in 1889 the title was altered to Dublin City Artillery (Southern Division) RA.
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Wikipedia