The Royal Irish Regiment cap badge featuring the Irish harp surmounted by a King's Crown, surrounded by shamrocks, with the motto Faugh-A-Ballagh — history and symbolism guide by Precision Military Emblems

Royal Irish Regiment Regimental Emblem | History, Symbolism & Collecting Guide

Introduction

The present Royal Irish Regiment was formed on 1 July 1992 by the amalgamation of The Royal Irish Rangers and The Ulster Defence Regiment. Its history, however, is much older than the date of formation suggests. Through the Rangers it inherited the traditions of The Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers, The Royal Ulster Rifles and The Royal Irish Fusiliers, while the Ulster Defence Regiment brought its own record of service in Northern Ireland.

At the centre of the modern Royal Irish Regiment Regimental Emblem is the crowned Maid of Erin harp. The Regiment's own museum traces the cap-badge form of that crowned harp directly back through The Ulster Defence Regiment to The Royal Ulster Rifles. The fuller Regimental Emblem uses that crowned harp as its central device within a broader design of shamrock and regimental title scrolls.

Despite the shared name, the regiment formed in 1992 is not a continuation of the old Royal Irish Regiment, formerly the 18th Regiment of Foot, which was disbanded in 1922. The National Army Museum treats the two as separate regimental lineages.

About This Guide

Sources used for this guide include current British Army material, The Royal Irish Regiment's Virtual Military Gallery and museum network, the National Army Museum, The Gazette , published regimental histories and publicly available material relating to Army Dress Regulations (All Ranks).

In this guide, “Regimental Emblem” refers to the fuller Royal Irish device reproduced by Precision Military Emblems. Royal Irish regimental sources also use the term “Regimental Crest” for this fuller device, distinguishing it from the simpler cap badge worn on the caubeen.

Where regimental tradition and the documentary record differ, both are noted. Faugh-a-Ballagh is a good example: the battle cry is traditionally linked with Barrosa in 1811, while the surviving records show that formal approval to place it on the Colours was not granted until 1899.

Did You Know?

  • The Royal Irish Regiment was formed on 1 July 1992 from The Royal Irish Rangers and The Ulster Defence Regiment.
  • At formation it contained two Regular battalions, two Territorial battalions and seven Home Service battalions.
  • The modern cap badge traces a direct design lineage through The Ulster Defence Regiment to The Royal Ulster Rifles.
  • The caubeen is the Regiment's authorised headdress.
  • The green hackle was inherited through The Royal Irish Fusiliers and The Royal Irish Rangers.
  • In 2006 Queen Elizabeth II presented the Regiment with the Conspicuous Gallantry Cross in recognition of the record of The Ulster Defence Regiment and the Royal Irish Home Service battalions.
  • The Regiment recognises 18 inherited Victoria Cross holders from its former regiments.

Formation of The Royal Irish Regiment

The amalgamation took place as part of the post-Cold War restructuring of the British Army.

The Royal Irish Rangers were a worldwide-deployable infantry regiment. They had been formed on 1 July 1968 by amalgamating The Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers, The Royal Ulster Rifles and The Royal Irish Fusiliers.

The Ulster Defence Regiment had been formed in 1970 for service in Northern Ireland. Its duties included patrolling, guarding vulnerable points, surveillance and vehicle checkpoints. By the time of the 1992 amalgamation its battalions were absorbed into the new Regiment as Home Service battalions.

At formation, the new Regiment comprised two Regular battalions and two Territorial battalions from The Royal Irish Rangers, together with seven Home Service battalions formed from members of the UDR.

In 1993 the Regular element was reduced from two battalions to one and the Home Service element from seven battalions to six. The Home Service battalions were later reduced to three in 2001. They were finally disbanded in 2007 as the Army's deployment in Northern Ireland was brought to an end.

The Older Royal Irish Regiment — a Separate Lineage

The name Royal Irish Regiment had been used long before 1992. The earlier regiment, historically associated with the 18th Regiment of Foot, was one of the Irish regiments disbanded in 1922 during the constitutional changes that followed the Anglo-Irish Treaty.

The National Army Museum treats the present Royal Irish Regiment as having no organisational connection with that earlier regiment. This is particularly relevant when identifying older insignia carrying the Royal Irish Regiment name.

The Deeper Antecedent Lineage

The deeper infantry lineage carried by the present Regiment comes through six principal pre-1881 regiments:

  • 27th (Inniskilling) Regiment of Foot;
  • 108th Regiment of Foot (Madras Infantry);
  • 83rd (County of Dublin) Regiment of Foot;
  • 86th (Royal County Down) Regiment of Foot;
  • 87th (Royal Irish Fusiliers) Regiment of Foot;
  • 89th (The Princess Victoria's) Regiment of Foot.

In 1881 these became the two battalions of The Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers, The Royal Irish Rifles and The Princess Victoria's (Royal Irish Fusiliers). Those three regiments were brought together in 1968 as The Royal Irish Rangers.

The formal Rangers title — Royal Irish Rangers (27th (Inniskilling), 83rd and 87th) — preserved three senior numbers in the title. It should not be read as meaning that the 108th, 86th and 89th ceased to form part of the inherited history.

Key Dates

Date Event
1689 Zachariah Tiffin is commissioned to raise the regiment that develops into the 27th (Inniskilling) Regiment of Foot.
5 March 1811 At Barrosa, the 2nd Battalion 87th Regiment captures the Eagle of the French 8th Regiment of the Line. Regimental tradition associates the action with Faugh-a-Ballagh .
18 June 1815 The 27th (Inniskilling) Regiment suffers extremely heavy casualties while holding the centre of Wellington's line at Waterloo.
1–3 April 1858 Four members of the 86th (Royal County Down) Regiment earn the Victoria Cross for actions during the operations at Jhansi.
1881 The Childers Reforms create The Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers, The Royal Irish Rifles and The Princess Victoria's (Royal Irish Fusiliers).
1899 The green hackle is approved for The Royal Irish Fusiliers and formal approval is obtained for Faugh-a-Ballagh to be carried on the Colours.
1 July 1916 Battalions of the antecedent regiments fight on the Somme. Four Victoria Crosses associated with the inherited Royal Irish history are earned on the first day.
1 January 1921 The Royal Irish Rifles becomes The Royal Ulster Rifles.
6 June 1944 Both Regular battalions of The Royal Ulster Rifles land in Normandy: 1st Battalion by glider and 2nd Battalion by sea.
1950–51 The Royal Ulster Rifles serves in Korea and fights during the Battle of the Imjin River.
1 July 1968 The Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers, Royal Ulster Rifles and Royal Irish Fusiliers amalgamate to form The Royal Irish Rangers.
1970 The Ulster Defence Regiment becomes operational in Northern Ireland.
1 July 1992 The Royal Irish Rangers and The Ulster Defence Regiment amalgamate to form the present Royal Irish Regiment.
1993 The two Regular battalions reduce to one and the Home Service battalions reduce from seven to six.
1997 The Regiment deploys to Bosnia.
1999 Royal Irish personnel deploy to Kosovo.
2000 Royal Irish soldiers serving in Sierra Leone are captured by the West Side Boys militia and later rescued by British Special Forces.
2003 1st Battalion takes part in the invasion of Iraq during Operation TELIC.
6 October 2006 Queen Elizabeth II presents the Conspicuous Gallantry Cross to The Royal Irish Regiment.
2006–2011 The Regiment serves repeatedly in Afghanistan on Operation HERRICK.
2007 The remaining Home Service battalions are disbanded. The regimental museum also records a refinement of the cap-badge design that year.
2017–2019 Royal Irish personnel serve on Operation TORAL in Afghanistan.
2020–21 The Regiment contributes to Operation TOSCA in Cyprus, Operation RESCRIPT in the UK and Operation CORDED in Kenya and Zambia.
2021 1st Battalion returns to 16 Air Assault Brigade Combat Team in the Light Recce Strike role; 2nd Battalion becomes part of 19th Light Brigade.
2022 Royal Irish personnel deploy on Operation NEWCOMBE in Mali and Operation DETELINA in Bulgaria.
2023–2024 The Regiment contributes to Operation INTERFLEX, training Ukrainian personnel in the United Kingdom.

The Crowned Harp — From Cap Badge to Regimental Identity

The Royal Irish Rifles and Royal Ulster Rifles

The direct design ancestry of the modern cap badge can be followed through The Royal Irish Rifles, formed in 1881 from the 83rd and 86th Regiments of Foot. The new regiment adopted rifle status and used the crowned Irish harp as a central badge device.

Royal Irish Rifles badges existed in more than one form. Surviving examples include the crowned harp both with and without a lower scroll; by 1913 the other-ranks badge carried the motto Quis Separabit — “Who Shall Separate Us?” — beneath the harp. The Royal Ulster Rifles retained the crowned-harp design after the change of title.

The regiment became The Royal Ulster Rifles on 1 January 1921, although 1922 is sometimes given in broader accounts because of its association with Irish independence.

The Ulster Defence Regiment

When The Ulster Defence Regiment was created in 1970 it adopted a much simpler badge: a Maid of Erin-style harp surmounted by the Queen's Crown, in the St Edward's Crown pattern then in use.

The National Army Museum describes the UDR badge as a copy of the Royal Ulster Rifles design without the Rifles' Latin motto. The Royal Irish Regiment museum preserves a regimental account that the officer credited with the design took a Royal Ulster Rifles badge and removed the lower scroll. The museum itself presents that story cautiously, using the wording “alleged to have”.

The resulting harp-and-crown badge was coloured gold and remained the UDR badge until the 1992 amalgamation.

The Badge of the New Royal Irish Regiment

At formation in 1992, soldiers of the new Royal Irish Regiment continued to wear the gold-coloured UDR badge on the beret. Officers wore an embroidered silk-and-wire version on green backing cloth.

A silver-coloured badge was later issued to all ranks for wear with the caubeen. This is the direct ancestor of the familiar modern Royal Irish cap badge.

The modern Royal Irish cap badge is therefore not simply the former Royal Irish Rangers badge. The Rangers design carried a lower title scroll, whereas the Royal Irish badge follows the simpler crowned-harp form inherited through the UDR and Royal Ulster Rifles.

The 2007 Refinement

The Royal Irish Regiment museum records a further refinement in 2007. The badge was given sharper definition and a finer finish, with green enamel separating the harp strings.

The 2007 pattern provides a useful dating clue, but it should not be treated as a definitive test on its own. Different orders of dress, officer and other-rank forms and older stocks can all produce legitimate variations.

The Royal Irish Regiment Regimental Emblem — Design and Meaning

The Harp

The central device is the Irish harp in the Maid of Erin tradition, in which a female figure forms the forepillar of the instrument. The National Army Museum uses the description “Maid of Erin style” for the UDR badge from which the modern cap badge directly descends.

The harp is one of the best-known symbols of Ireland and has appeared on the insignia of numerous Irish regiments. In the Royal Irish Regiment it also preserves the crowned-harp tradition inherited through the Ulster Rifles and UDR.

The Royal Crown

The Crown places the harp within the constitutional and military tradition of service to the Sovereign. On the Queen Elizabeth II-era Regimental Emblem featured here it is shown in the St Edward's Crown pattern, the form reproduced in the Precision Military Emblems design.

The Shamrock Wreath

The crowned harp in the Regimental Emblem is surrounded by shamrock, one of the most enduring Irish symbols in British military tradition. Shamrock also has a formal place in Royal Irish custom through its presentation and wearing on St Patrick's Day. The regimental sources consulted for this guide do not give a precise adoption date for the shamrock wreath in the modern Regimental Crest.

The ROYAL / IRISH / REGIMENT Scrolls

Three title scrolls identify the Regiment by name: ROYAL above the harp, with IRISH and REGIMENT below. These are regimental title scrolls and should not be confused with the earlier Royal Ulster Rifles motto scroll or with the Regiment's motto, Faugh-a-Ballagh.

The Regimental Emblem and the Cap Badge — Two Different Forms of Insignia

The standard modern Royal Irish Regiment cap badge worn with the caubeen is the simple crowned harp, without the surrounding shamrock wreath or the three title scrolls.

The fuller Royal Irish Regimental Emblem, also described in Royal Irish sources as the Regimental Crest, places that crowned Maid of Erin harp within a shamrock wreath and adds the ROYAL, IRISH and REGIMENT title scrolls. The two devices are related, but they are distinct forms of insignia.

The Regiment's own shop reflects the distinction: the Queen's Crown blazer badge is listed separately from the cap badge, while the lapel badge is specifically described as a miniature “Regimental Crest”.

The Regimental Crest also appears in the Regiment's own ceremonial history. In 2006, after Queen Elizabeth II presented the Conspicuous Gallantry Cross to the Regiment, the Colonel of the Regiment presented her with a white-gold and diamond brooch fashioned after the Regimental Crest.

Faugh-a-Ballagh: Battle Cry, Motto and Barrosa

Faugh-a-Ballagh is an anglicised form of the Irish Fág an Bealach , usually rendered in English as “Clear the Way” or “Clear the Road”.

The Regiment's historical tradition records it as the cry of the 2nd Battalion 87th Regiment during the Battle of Barrosa on 5 March 1811. At that battle Ensign Edward Keogh and Sergeant Patrick Masterson seized the Eagle of the French 8th Regiment of the Line. Keogh was killed during the struggle and Masterson completed the capture.

The British Army's present Royal Irish page dates the birth of the Regiment's motto to Barrosa. The Regiment's own archival research adds an important qualification: although the phrase was already used by the 87th and later The Royal Irish Fusiliers, formal War Office approval for it to be inscribed on the Colours was not obtained until 1899.

The Principal Antecedent Regiments

The 27th (Inniskilling) Regiment of Foot and The Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers

The oldest principal infantry strand begins at Enniskillen in 1689. King William III commissioned Zachariah Tiffin to raise a regiment during the Williamite War. It subsequently fought at the Boyne and Aughrim and became a permanent regiment of the Army.

The regiment was officially granted the numeral 27 in 1747 and the Inniskilling title was formally incorporated in 1751. It served widely in North America, the West Indies and Europe before the Napoleonic Wars.

At Waterloo on 18 June 1815, 1st Battalion 27th Foot held a crucial position in Wellington's centre. The National Army Museum records casualties of around 70 per cent and preserves Wellington's description of it as “the regiment that saved the centre of my line”.

Under the Childers Reforms of 1881, the 27th was joined by the 108th Regiment of Foot (Madras Infantry). The two became the 1st and 2nd Battalions of The Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers.

The immediate predecessor of the 108th was revived by the East India Company in 1854 as the 3rd Madras (European) Infantry. It fought in Central India during the Indian Mutiny, transferred to the British Army in 1862 and became the 2nd Battalion of The Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers in 1881.

The Inniskillings served in the South African War and expanded heavily during the First World War, with battalions fighting on the Western Front, at Gallipoli, in Salonika and Palestine. In the Second World War its battalions served in France, North Africa, Sicily, Italy and the Far East. The Regiment later served in Malaya, Kenya, the Suez Canal Zone, West Germany, Kuwait and Cyprus before amalgamation in 1968.

The 83rd and 86th, The Royal Irish Rifles and The Royal Ulster Rifles

The Royal Irish Rifles was formed in 1881 from the 83rd (County of Dublin) Regiment of Foot and the 86th (Royal County Down) Regiment of Foot. Neither parent had originally been a rifle regiment, but the new formation was given rifle status and traditions.

The 83rd had been raised in Dublin in 1793 and fought in the Peninsular War and at Waterloo. The 86th served widely in India and won four Victoria Crosses during the operations at Jhansi in 1858.

During the First World War, the Royal Irish Rifles served extensively on the Western Front. Its Service battalions included many men of the 36th (Ulster) Division, whose attack on 1 July 1916 became one of the defining episodes in the Regiment's collective memory.

On 1 January 1921 the regiment became The Royal Ulster Rifles.

During the Second World War, 2nd Battalion served in France in 1940 and returned to Normandy by sea in June 1944. The 1st Battalion retrained for glider operations and fought in Tunisia, Sicily, Normandy and during the Rhine crossings. Both Regular battalions therefore landed in Normandy on D-Day, one by air and the other by sea.

The Royal Ulster Rifles went on to serve in Korea, including at the Battle of the Imjin River in 1951. It remained in service until 1968.

The 87th and 89th, and The Royal Irish Fusiliers

The 87th (Prince of Wales's Irish) Regiment was raised in 1793. Its most celebrated action came at Barrosa in 1811, where Sergeant Patrick Masterson captured the French Eagle of the 8th Regiment of the Line after Ensign Edward Keogh was killed in the struggle.

The 87th later received the titles Royal and Fusiliers. In 1881 it was paired with the 89th (The Princess Victoria's) Regiment to form The Princess Victoria's (Royal Irish Fusiliers), later styled The Royal Irish Fusiliers (Princess Victoria's).

The 89th had also been raised in Dublin in 1793. Its service included Alexandria in 1801, the War of 1812, the Crimea and Sevastopol. Princess Victoria presented the Regiment with new Colours in 1833, and in 1866 it formally received the title The Princess Victoria's.

The green hackle and Faugh-a-Ballagh became especially closely associated with the Faughs. Regimental archival research shows both distinctions receiving formal approval at the end of the nineteenth century.

The Royal Irish Fusiliers served in the First World War on the Western Front, at Gallipoli, Salonika and in Palestine. In the Second World War, 1st Battalion fought in France in 1940 and later in Tunisia, Sicily and Italy, including Cassino. The 2nd Battalion served on Malta before being captured on Leros in 1943.

During the First World War the three principal antecedent regiments expanded far beyond their peacetime establishments. Their battalions served with the 10th (Irish), 16th (Irish) and 36th (Ulster) Divisions, among other formations, and fought on the Western Front, at Gallipoli, in Salonika and Palestine. Between them, The Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers, The Royal Irish Rifles and The Royal Irish Fusiliers earned thirteen Victoria Crosses during the conflict.

The Royal Irish Rangers

The Royal Irish Rangers were formed on 1 July 1968 from The Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers, The Royal Ulster Rifles and The Royal Irish Fusiliers.

The title Rangers was chosen because the parent regiments included both Rifles and Fusiliers. Using either of those old descriptions for the new regiment would have favoured one tradition over another.

The green caubeen was adopted as the Rangers' headdress and the green hackle of The Royal Irish Fusiliers was worn by all battalions. The Rangers badge was modelled on the North Irish Brigade badge, with a scroll reading ROYAL IRISH RANGERS.

The Regiment initially had three Regular battalions but reduced to two later in 1968 when 3rd Battalion was disbanded. In addition, volunteer battalions formed part of the wider regimental family.

The Rangers served with the British Army of the Rhine, in Gibraltar, Bahrain and Cyprus and undertook tours in Northern Ireland. The National Army Museum also records a deployment to the Falkland Islands in 1983.

The Ulster Defence Regiment

The Ulster Defence Regiment was created in 1970 as a locally recruited regiment for military duties in Northern Ireland. It replaced the Ulster Special Constabulary in the military-support role envisaged by the Hunt Report.

The UDR expanded to eleven battalions before later reductions. From 1973, women were recruited into the Regiment for clerical, radio and telephone duties. Known as Greenfinches, they were unarmed but fully integrated into the UDR.

The Regiment's service was conducted almost entirely in Northern Ireland. It operated in difficult circumstances and suffered significant casualties both on and off duty. Its history also includes documented cases of criminality and paramilitary infiltration among a minority of members, a point acknowledged by the National Army Museum alongside its statement that the great majority of UDR soldiers served honourably and upheld the law.

In 1992 the UDR merged with The Royal Irish Rangers. Its battalions became the Home Service battalions of the new Royal Irish Regiment.

Selected Major Actions in the Inherited History

Barrosa — 5 March 1811

The 2nd/87th's capture of the French Eagle at Barrosa remains one of the best-known actions in the Royal Irish inheritance. It is also the traditional source of Faugh-a-Ballagh . Barrosa remains a Regimental Day and the battle honour is carried on the Regimental Colour.

Waterloo — 18 June 1815

The 27th (Inniskilling) Regiment held the centre of the Allied line under intense French attack. The unit suffered exceptional losses but remained in position. Waterloo became one of the defining honours inherited by The Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers and, through them, today's Royal Irish Regiment.

Jhansi — April 1858

During the operations at Jhansi in April 1858, four members of the 86th (Royal County Down) Regiment earned the Victoria Cross: Hugh Cochrane for an action on 1 April, and Henry Jerome, James Byrne and James Pearson for actions on 3 April.

The Somme — 1 July 1916

Battalions of the Inniskillings and Royal Irish Rifles served with the 36th (Ulster) Division on the first day of the Somme. Four Victoria Crosses associated with the inherited Royal Irish history were earned on 1 July: Eric Bell, Geoffrey Cather, William McFadzean and Robert Quigg.

D-Day and North-West Europe — 1944–45

The Royal Ulster Rifles achieved a notable distinction on D-Day. 1st Battalion landed by glider with 6th Airborne Division, while 2nd Battalion landed by sea. The 1st Battalion later took part in the Rhine crossings in 1945.

Korea — 1950–51

The Royal Ulster Rifles deployed to Korea in November 1950 and fought at the Imjin River in April 1951 as part of 29th British Infantry Brigade.

Victoria Crosses and Gallantry

The Royal Irish Regiment's Virtual Military Gallery lists 18 Victoria Cross holders who served with its former regiments. The dates below are the dates of the actions for which the awards were made.

Recipient Date of VC action
Lieutenant Hugh Cochrane VC 1 April 1858
Captain Henry Jerome VC 3 April 1858
Private James Byrne VC 3 April 1858
Private James Pearson VC 3 April 1858
Lieutenant Edgar Inkson VC, RAMC 24 February 1900
Private Robert Morrow VC 12 April 1915
Captain Gerald Robert O'Sullivan VC 1–2 July 1915
Serjeant James Somers VC 1–2 July 1915
Captain Eric Bell VC 1 July 1916
Lieutenant Geoffrey Cather VC 1 July 1916
Private William McFadzean VC 1 July 1916
Private Robert Quigg VC 1 July 1916
Lieutenant Colonel John Sherwood Kelly VC, CMG, DSO 20 November 1917
Second Lieutenant James Samuel Emerson VC 6 December 1917
Private James Duffy VC 27 December 1917
Second Lieutenant Edmund De Wind VC 21 March 1918
Lance Corporal Ernest Seaman VC 29 September 1918
Private Norman Harvey VC 25 October 1918

The Regiment's Virtual Military Gallery provides individual biographies and award details for each recipient, including the unit in which he was serving at the time.

The Conspicuous Gallantry Cross

On 6 October 2006, Queen Elizabeth II presented the Conspicuous Gallantry Cross to The Royal Irish Regiment in recognition of the record of The Ulster Defence Regiment and the Royal Irish Home Service battalions.

The British Army describes The Royal Irish Regiment as the only regiment of the United Kingdom Armed Forces to have been presented with a collective gallantry award by the Sovereign.

The award belongs to the Regiment as a collective distinction. It should not be confused with individual awards of the CGC made to Royal Irish soldiers for later operational gallantry.

The Royal Irish Regiment on Operations Since 1992

The present Regiment's operational history begins in 1992. The earlier campaigns discussed above belong to its antecedent regiments, whose honours and traditions it inherited.

During the 1990s the Regiment deployed to Cyprus, Bosnia and Kosovo. In 2000 several Royal Irish soldiers training local forces in Sierra Leone were captured by the West Side Boys militia. They were later freed during the British Special Forces rescue operation.

1st Battalion took part in the invasion of Iraq in 2003 and returned to Iraq in 2006. The Regiment also made repeated contributions to Afghanistan, including Operation HERRICK and later Operation TORAL.

The British Army's current regimental page also records Operation TOSCA in Cyprus, Operation RESCRIPT in the United Kingdom, Operation CORDED in Kenya and Zambia, Operation NEWCOMBE in Mali, Operation DETELINA in Bulgaria and Operation INTERFLEX in the United Kingdom.

The Regiment Today

As of August 2026, the British Army lists The Royal Irish Regiment's role as Light Recce Strike and its specialism as close combat.

1st Battalion is the Regular battalion and is stationed at Clive Barracks, Tern Hill, Market Drayton, Shropshire. The Army records that it returned to 16 Air Assault Brigade Combat Team in 2021 in the Light Recce Strike role.

2nd Battalion is the Army Reserve battalion. Its headquarters is at Thiepval Barracks, Lisburn, with Reserve locations across Northern Ireland. The Army records its 2021 move into the newly formed 19th Light Brigade.

Regimental Headquarters is in Belfast city centre.

The Regiment trains soldiers in reconnaissance, sniping, machine guns, mortars, anti-tank weapons, vehicle operation, combat communications, assault pioneering, physical training, intelligence, combat medicine and Bugles, Pipes and Drums.

Traditions, Dress and Regimental Identity

The Caubeen

The caubeen is The Royal Irish Regiment's authorised headdress under Part 9 of Army Dress Regulations (All Ranks) . The Regiment's historical material notes that the regulations define it as the Irish pattern bonnet and identify Piper Green as the shade applicable to R IRISH.

The modern tradition grew out of the Irish Brigade during the Second World War and was maintained after the creation of the North Irish Brigade in 1947. When The Royal Irish Rangers were formed in 1968, the green caubeen became their approved headdress.

After the Rangers and UDR amalgamated in 1992, the caubeen was initially used for formal service dress while the UDR green beret continued in working dress. The beret was later removed from the Regiment's dress regulations, leaving the caubeen as the normal regimental headdress in barracks.

The Green Hackle

Regimental archival research shows that Lieutenant General Sir Alexander Cobbe sought formal permission in 1899 for The Royal Irish Fusiliers to wear a green hackle and to place Faugh-a-Ballagh on the Colours. His argument that the green hackle represented an ancient regimental distinction was historically doubtful: the earlier green plumes he cited had been light-company distinctions rather than unique regimental honours.

Despite that, the request was approved. The green hackle became a recognised Royal Irish Fusiliers distinction and was inherited by The Royal Irish Rangers in 1968. It remains part of Royal Irish dress today.

St Patrick's Day and the Shamrock

The wearing and presentation of shamrock on St Patrick's Day is a formal military tradition, not simply a modern regimental custom.

Orders issued on 14 March 1900 recorded Queen Victoria's direction that all ranks of her Irish regiments should wear a sprig of shamrock in their headdress on St Patrick's Day in commemoration of the gallantry of Irish soldiers in South Africa.

The custom remains active. In March 2026 both Regular and Reserve Royal Irish soldiers marked St Patrick's Day, including formal presentations of shamrock in Northern Ireland and to 1st Battalion soldiers training in Kenya.

Killaloe

Killaloe is the Regimental Quick March of The Royal Irish Regiment, inherited from The Royal Irish Rangers.

Faugh-a-Ballagh

Faugh-a-Ballagh remains the Regiment's motto and battle cry. It is carried on the Regimental Colour and forms part of the Regiment's identity, but it is not written on the modern cap badge.

Battle Honours and the Colours

The Royal Irish Regiment carries forward battle honours and devices inherited from its antecedent regiments. There are more inherited honours than regulations permit to be displayed at one time.

The Regiment's history of the Colours records 41 First and Second World War honours on the King's Colour. The Regimental Colour carries 37 honours from earlier and later campaigns, ranging from MARTINIQUE 1762 to IRAQ 2003.

The green field of the Regimental Colour reflects the Regiment's facing colour and carries a number of inherited devices and distinctions. The Colours therefore preserve a broader history than any single item of insignia can convey.

Identifying the Royal Irish Regiment Regimental Emblem and Related Insignia

Identifying the Regimental Emblem

The Queen Elizabeth II-era Royal Irish Regiment Regimental Emblem is centred on the crowned Maid of Erin harp and incorporates the surrounding shamrock wreath with ROYAL / IRISH / REGIMENT title scrolls.

This fuller emblem should be distinguished from the standard caubeen cap badge, which is the simpler crowned harp without the wreath and title scrolls.

Cap Badge Lineage and the Regimental Emblem

  • The Royal Ulster Rifles used the crowned harp with the lower Quis Separabit scroll.
  • The Ulster Defence Regiment used the crowned harp without that lower scroll.
  • The Royal Irish Rangers used a related crowned-harp design with a scroll reading ROYAL IRISH RANGERS.
  • The Royal Irish Regiment initially continued the gold-coloured UDR badge before adopting the later silver form for the caubeen.
  • The Regimental Emblem, also described in Royal Irish sources as the Regimental Crest, adds the shamrock wreath and ROYAL / IRISH / REGIMENT title scrolls around the crowned harp.

The Queen's Crown Form

The featured Royal Irish Regiment Regimental Emblem uses the Queen's Crown in the St Edward's Crown pattern associated with the reign of Queen Elizabeth II. Royal Irish sources also describe this fuller device as the Regimental Crest.

When identifying an example, crown form should be considered alongside the type of insignia, its construction, provenance and date of manufacture.

Related Cap Badge Variations

The surviving record includes gold-coloured UDR-derived badges, embroidered officer forms and later silver-coloured Royal Irish badges. The regimental museum also records the 2007 refinement with green enamel between the harp strings.

Reverse fittings, maker's marks, finish, weight and material can all help with identification, but no single characteristic proves military issue by itself.

Broad rules such as “all officers' badges were silver” or “all other ranks used one metal” are unreliable. Period, order of dress and construction need to be considered together.

The Old Royal Irish Regiment

Badges labelled Royal Irish Regiment dating from before 1922 may belong to the separate historic regiment associated with the 18th Regiment of Foot. They should not be catalogued as early examples of the regiment formed in 1992.

Provenance

Documented provenance can be more valuable than small manufacturing differences. A badge accompanied by photographs, service papers, named uniform or reliable family history can often be placed more securely than an isolated example whose background has been lost.

Frequently Asked Questions

When was The Royal Irish Regiment formed?

1 July 1992, through the amalgamation of The Royal Irish Rangers and The Ulster Defence Regiment.

Is the present Royal Irish Regiment the old 18th Regiment of Foot?

No. The modern Regiment is a separate formation from the Royal Irish Regiment that was disbanded in 1922.

What is the Royal Irish Regiment Regimental Emblem?

The Regimental Emblem is the fuller Royal Irish device centred on the crowned Maid of Erin harp and incorporating the surrounding shamrock wreath and ROYAL / IRISH / REGIMENT title scrolls. Royal Irish sources also use the term “Regimental Crest” for this fuller device.

Is the Regimental Emblem the same as the cap badge?

No. The standard modern cap badge worn on the caubeen is the simpler crowned harp. The fuller Regimental Emblem incorporates additional regimental elements around that central device.

Which crown is shown on the Queen Elizabeth II-era Regimental Emblem?

The Queen's Crown is shown in the St Edward's Crown pattern.

Does the Regimental Emblem carry Faugh-a-Ballagh?

No. Faugh-a-Ballagh is the Regimental motto and battle cry, but it is not written on the modern Regimental Emblem or the standard cap badge.

Did Faugh-a-Ballagh originate in 1811 or 1899?

The battle cry is traditionally linked with Barrosa in 1811. Formal approval to place it on the Colours came in 1899.

What is the authorised Royal Irish headdress?

The caubeen. The Regiment's historical material cites Part 9 of Army Dress Regulations (All Ranks) as the authority.

How many Victoria Cross holders are recognised in the inherited Royal Irish history?

The Regiment's Virtual Military Gallery lists 18 VC holders who served with its former regiments.

Where are the Regiment's battalions based?

As of August 2026, 1st Battalion is at Clive Barracks, Tern Hill, Market Drayton, Shropshire. The headquarters of 2nd Battalion, the Army Reserve battalion, is at Thiepval Barracks, Lisburn.

What is the Regiment's current role?

The British Army lists the role as Light Recce Strike and the specialism as close combat.

Where the Royal Irish Heritage Is Preserved

The history of The Royal Irish Regiment is preserved across several specialist museums and collections, each representing a different part of the Regiment's lineage.

For family research or badge identification, these collections are especially valuable because they hold the original uniforms, medals, photographs, documents and regimental archives.

Further Reading and Sources

The following sources were used to check the history, insignia, traditions and present-day status discussed in this guide.

Official & Government Sources

Royal Irish Regimental Sources

National Army Museum

Published & Archival References

  • Kipling, A. L. & King, H. L. — Head-Dress Badges of the British Army
  • Falls, Cyril — The History of the First Seven Battalions, The Royal Irish Rifles in the Great War
  • The Royal Irish Regiment Virtual Military Gallery archives
  • The Gazette — official notices and gallantry citations.

Officially Licensed Royal Irish Regiment Cap Badges, Emblems & Display Pieces

Explore officially licensed Royal Irish Regiment pieces reproduced by Precision Military Emblems, including Queen's Crown (St Edward's Crown pattern) and King's Crown cap badge designs. Each design is made in the UK and created as a detailed heritage display piece.

Royal Irish Regiment Queen's Crown Cap Badge

A detailed reproduction of the Royal Irish Regiment cap badge, centred on the crowned Maid of Erin harp in the Queen's Crown pattern.

View the Royal Irish Regiment Queen's Crown Cap Badge →

Royal Irish Regiment Queen's Crown Cap Badge Display Frame

A framed presentation of the Royal Irish Regiment Queen's Crown cap badge, designed as a ready-to-display military heritage piece.

View the Royal Irish Regiment Cap Badge Display Frame →

Royal Irish Regiment King's Crown Cap Badge

A detailed reproduction of the Royal Irish Regiment cap badge in the King's Crown pattern.

View the Royal Irish Regiment King's Crown Cap Badge →

Royal Irish Regiment King's Crown Cap Badge Display Frame

A framed presentation of the Royal Irish Regiment King's Crown cap badge, designed as a ready-to-display military heritage piece.

View the Royal Irish Regiment King's Crown Cap Badge Display Frame →

Royal Irish Regiment Regimental Emblem — Queen's Crown

View the Royal Irish Regiment Regimental Emblem — Queen's Crown →

An officially licensed heritage display reproducing the fuller Royal Irish Regiment Regimental Emblem in its Queen's Crown (St Edward's Crown pattern) form. It is intended for veterans, serving personnel, families, collectors and others with a connection to the Regiment.

Royal Irish Regiment Regimental Emblem Display Frame — Queen's Crown

View the Royal Irish Regiment Regimental Emblem Display Frame — Queen's Crown →

A framed presentation of the same fuller Royal Irish Regiment Regimental Emblem in the Queen's Crown (St Edward's Crown pattern) form.

These are modern officially licensed heritage/display pieces and are not represented as original military-issued cap badges.

About Precision Military Emblems

Precision Military Emblems produces officially licensed British military emblems and regimental display pieces from authorised artwork.

Royal Irish insignia has a complex history. The present Regiment dates from 1992, while its inherited regimental history reaches back to the seventeenth century. The crowned harp at the centre of its modern insignia can be traced through The Royal Ulster Rifles and The Ulster Defence Regiment.

The cap badge and Regimental Emblem share the crowned harp, but they are different pieces of insignia and should be identified accordingly.

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