The Royal Irish Regiment

Origins

In the 17th century, independent companies of musketeers and pikemen garrisoned Ireland under both Oliver Cromwell and King Charles II.

In 1684, the final year of Charles's reign, several of these companies were gathered together by the Earl of Granard to form a new regiment on the Irish establishment. This was a reward for supporting the Stuarts in Scotland during the British Civil Wars (1639-51) and working for Charles's restoration.

In the conflict between Charles’ successor, James II, and his son-in-law, William of Orange (later William III), the regiment split. The companies that joined William were placed on the English establishment in 1689.

Early deployments

The regiment fought for William and his successors in Flanders throughout the 1690s and 1700s. It played an important role in the capture of the French fortress of Namur (now in Belgium) in 1695. This period was also interspersed with service as marines and garrison duty in Ireland and England.

18th century

From 1718 to 1745, the regiment was stationed on Minorca, and briefly in Flanders, before returning to Britain in the aftermath of the Second Jacobite Rebellion (1745-46). 

In 1751, it was given a regimental numeral of 18, despite being the seventh oldest British infantry regiment at that time. Although it had been formed in 1684, it had only entered the English establishment in 1689.

The regiment remained in Britain and Ireland until 1767, when it was deployed to North America. It was still there on the outbreak of the American War of Independence (1775-83). In the early part of this campaign it suffered heavy casualties. The few survivors had to be drafted to other regiments while the officers returned to Britain to re-recruit.

It spent the early 1780s garrisoning the Channel Islands and Gibraltar against America’s French and Spanish allies. It was in action from the start of the French Revolutionary Wars (1793-1802), serving at the siege of Toulon in 1793, garrisoning Corsica in 1794, and serving as marines in the Mediterranean in 1797.

The regiment also fought in Egypt in 1801 before returning to Ireland. It was then posted to the West Indies from 1805 until the end of the war in 1814. For three of those years it was joined there by a 2nd Battalion.