Princess Victoria's (Royal Irish Fusiliers) Royal Irish Fusiliers (Princess Victoria's) |
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Royal Irish Fusiliers Cap Badge
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Active | 1881–1968 |
Country | United Kingdom |
Branch | British Army |
Type | Infantry |
Role | Line infantry |
Size |
1–2 Regular battalions |
Garrison/HQ | Gough Barracks, Armagh |
Nickname(s) | The Old Fogs, The Rollickers |
Motto(s) | Faugh-a-Ballagh (Clear the way) |
1–2 Regular battalions
Up to 3 Militia and Special Reserve battalions
1–2 Territorial and Volunteer battalions
The Royal Irish Fusiliers (Princess Victoria's) was an Irish line infantry regiment of the British Army, formed by the amalgamation of the 87th (Prince of Wales's Irish) Regiment of Foot and the 89th (Princess Victoria's) Regiment of Foot in 1881. The regiment's first title in 1881 was Princess Victoria's (Royal Irish Fusiliers), changed in 1920 to the Royal Irish Fusiliers (Princess Victoria's). Between the time of its formation and Irish independence, it was one of eight Irish regiments.
In 1968, the Royal Irish Fusiliers (Princess Victoria's) was amalgamated with the other regiments of the North Irish Brigade, the Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers and the Royal Ulster Rifles, to become the Royal Irish Rangers.
The regiment was formed in 1881 as part of the Childers Reforms by the amalgamation of the 87th (Prince of Wales's Irish) Regiment of Foot and the 89th (The Princess Victoria's) Regiment of Foot. The regiment got its nickname, the Faughs, from its Irish war cry "Faugh A Ballagh" (Fág a' Bealach, meaning Clear the Way) from the Napoleonic Wars. Regimental distinctions included a green plume worn on the left side of the headdress and an Irish harp as part of the badge. It was the county regiment for Armagh, Monaghan and Cavan, with its depot at Gough Barracks in Armagh. Militarily, the whole of Ireland was administered as a separate command within the United Kingdom with Command Headquarters at Parkgate, (Phoenix Park) Dublin, directly under the War Office in London.