Royal Irish Regiment (1992)
| Royal Irish Regiment (27th (Inniskilling) 83rd and 87th and Ulster Defence Regiment) | |
|---|---|
Flag of the Royal Irish Regiment
|
|
| Active | 1 July 1992–present 1689 (antecedents) |
| Allegiance |
 United Kingdom
|
| Branch |
 British Army
|
| Type | Line Infantry |
| Role | 1st Battalion – Light infantry 2nd Battalion – Light infantry (Army Reserve) |
| Size | Two battalions |
| Part of | Prince of Wales' Division |
| Garrison/HQ | RHQ – Holywood 1st Battalion – Clive Barracks, Ternhill 2nd Battalion – Thiepval Barracks, Lisburn |
| Motto(s) |
"Faugh A Ballagh" (Irish) "Clear the Way" |
| Colours | Green, Red, Blue, Black |
| March | Quick – Killaloe Slow – Eileen Alannah |
| Mascot(s) | Irish Wolfhound (Brian Boru VIII) |
| Anniversaries | Barrosa Day, 5 March; Somme Day, 1 July |
| Engagements | Kosovo War, Sierra Leone Civil War, Operation Banner, 2nd Gulf War, War in Afghanistan |
| Commanders | |
| Colonel in Chief | HRH The Duke of York |
| Colonel of the Regiment |
Brigadier Joseph O'Sullivan |
| Notable commanders |
Lt Col Tim Collins OBE |
| Insignia | |
| Tactical Recognition Flash |  |
| Tartan | Saffron (pipes) |
| Hackle | Green From Royal Irish Rangers |
| Abbreviation | R IRISH |
The Royal Irish Regiment (27th (Inniskilling) 83rd and 87th and Ulster Defence Regiment) (R IRISH) is an infantry regiment of the British Army. The regiment was founded in 1992 through the amalgamation of the Royal Irish Rangers and the Ulster Defence Regiment. Their oldest predecessor; the 27th Regiment of Foot; was first raised in June 1689 to fight in the Williamite War in Ireland. Other notable regiments in their lineage include the Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers, Royal Irish Rifles and the Royal Irish Fusiliers (Princess Victoria's).
The motto of the regiment is Faugh A Ballagh (Modern Irish: Fág an Bealach), derived from the Irish Gaelic phrase for "Clear the Way". This originates from the Peninsular War, when Ensign Edward Keogh of the 87th Regiment of Foot let out the cry while capturing a French Imperial Eagle at the Battle of Barrosa. The Regimental Headquarters of the Royal Irish Regiment has been Palace Barracks, Holywood in County Down, Northern Ireland since moving there in 2008.
With an antecedence reaching back to 1688, the regiment was formed in 1992. The creation followed the Options for Change proposals which recommended the amalgamation of the Royal Irish Rangers and the Ulster Defence Regiment (UDR). Most of the membership of the new regiment came from the UDR. This produced an overwhelmingly Ulster Protestant regiment with eleven battalions:
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Wikipedia