Irish Guards

Irish Guards
Regimental badge of the Irish Guards (IG)
Active	1 April 1900 – Present
Country	United Kingdom
Branch	British Army
Type	Foot Guards
Role	1st Battalion – Light Infantry/ Public Duties
Size	Battalion
Part of	Guards Division
Garrison/HQ	RHQ — London 1st Battalion — Cavalry Barracks, Hounslow
Nickname(s)	The Micks Bob's Own
Motto(s)	"Quis Separabit" (Latin) "Who Shall Separate Us?"
March	Quick – St Patrick's Day Slow – Let Erin Remember
Mascot(s)	Irish Wolfhound named Domhnall
Commanders
Colonel in Chief	Elizabeth II
Colonel of the Regiment	Prince William, Duke of Cambridge KG KT
Insignia
Tactical Recognition Flash
Tartan	Saffron (pipes)
Plume	St. Patrick's blue Right side of Bearskin cap
Abbreviation	IG

The Irish Guards (IG), part of the Guards Division, is one of the Foot Guards regiments of the British Army and, together with the Royal Irish Regiment, it is one of the two Irish infantry regiments still remaining in the British Army.

The Irish Guards recruit in Northern Ireland and the Irish neighbourhoods of major British cities. Although restrictions in the Republic of Ireland's Defence Act make it illegal to induce, procure or persuade enlistment of any citizen of the Republic of Ireland into the military of another state, people from the Republic do enlist in the regiment.

One way to distinguish between the five regiments of Foot Guards is the spacing of the buttons on their tunics. The Irish Guards have buttons arranged in groups of four as they were the fourth Foot Guards regiment to be founded. They also have a prominent St. Patrick's blue plume on the right side of their bearskins.

The Irish Guards regiment was formed on 1 April 1900 by order of Queen Victoria to commemorate the Irishmen who fought in the Second Boer War for the British Empire.

Following the outbreak of the First World War, 1st Battalion, The Irish Guards was deployed to France almost immediately, and they remained on the Western Front for the duration of the war. During the early part of the war, the battalion took part in the Battle of Mons and formed the Allied rearguard during the Great Retreat. The battalion then took part in one of the bloodiest battles of 1914, the First Battle of Ypres, which began on 19 October. The battle caused major casualties among the old Regular Army. The 1st Battalion was involved in fighting for the duration of 'First Ypres', at Langemarck, Gheluvelt and Nonne Bosschen. The 1st Battalion suffered huge casualties between November 1–8 holding the line against near defeat by German forces, while defending Klein Zillebeke.