This regiment is built up, in the
territorial system, of the late 87th Royal Irish Fusiliers and the 89th
Princess Victoria's Regiment, both of which were raised in 1793. The
1st battalion served in Holland in 1794-95, and was made prisoner at
Bergen-op-Zoom; proceeding in 1796 with Sir Ralph Abercromby to the
capture of Trinidad and the expedition to Porto Rico. It assisted at
the capture of Mauritius in 1810, and in the Nepaul war of 1816, taking
part also in the first Burmese war at the Prome, Metloon, and Moulmein.
During the Mutiny its chief duty was
keeping in check the possible mutineers about Peshawur, and in the
disagreeable duty of the punishment of the captured prisoners by blowing
them from the guns; but it saw no further service until the year 1882,
when it joined Major-General Graham's brigade at Kassassin, and took part
in the battle of Tel-el-Kebir.
Its services have given the names of
"Monte Video", "Egypt, 1882", and "Tel-el-Kebir"
to the list of regimental honours. To these a 2nd battalion of the
87th, raised in 1804, and abolished in 1817, added the Peninsula record,
serving from 1809 to 1814 under Sir Arthur Wellesley. It behaved
gallantly at Talavera and Barrosa; at Tarifa, where the pipes and drums
played "St Patrick's Day" and Garryowen" during the fight;
at Vittoria, Nivelle, Orthes, and Toulouse, which names and
"Peninsula" it added to the list on the colours; but it was also
present at Aranjuez, Puerto Largo, Pampeluna, St Jean de Luz, Vio Bigorre,
and the last sortie from Bayonne. For all this the regiment was
granted the badge of the imperial French eagle, with the laurel above the
harp and crown, as well as the Prince's plume.
The name had been several times
altered. Up to 1811 it was the 87th, or the "Prince of Wales'
Irish Regiment"; the "Prince of Wales' Own Irish Regiment of
Fusiliers" in 1827; but in the same year it became the "87th, or
Royal Irish Fusiliers", when the facings were made blue instead of
green, until the present title was granted.
The present 2nd battalion (the old 89th)
began with black facings, and had two predecessors - the "Gordon
Highlanders" from 1751 to 1765, and another which existed from 1780
to 1783. It has added to the official battle-roll the name of
"Egypt" with the Sphinx, 1802; Java in 1811, where half the
battalion was clad in rifle-green; Niagara in 1813 (when a 2nd battalion,
which lived from 1803 to 1816, fought at "Chrysler's Farm" as
well); Ava, 1824,; and the Crimea, for its service in 1854 - 55. But
it had seen much and varied service in Holland, in 1794, at Boxtel, Tiet,
andSchener; in Ireland in 1798, at Vinegar Hill; in Holland again in 1805;
at Issapoor, Tecconnah, and Toomgee; at Koaree, Ryghur, Indapore, and
Raree; in Kaffraria in 1856; and in India in 1857, at Varaghur, Jhansi,
etc., and with the Seronge Field Force.
The title "Princess Victoria's
Regiment" was granted in 1866, in commemoration of the fact that Her
Majesty had twice presented colours to the regiment; and this remained
until the territorial system of 1881, when it was first named the
"2nd Battalion Royal Irish Fusiliers" (Princess Victoria's); but
a few months later it received its present name.
On its way back from India, after nearly
fourteen years' absence from England, it was stopped at Aden to form part
of Sir Gerald Graham's force in the Eastern Soudan. Brigaded under
Sir Redvers Buller, it was engaged at El Teb, in the occupation of Tokar,
and at Tamai. The old 89th, therefore, added the last name to the
illustrious battle-roll - that of "Egypt" - in 1884.
The badges are the grenade bearing the
laurelled eagle, with the figure "S" below, which is worn on the
button and collar; but the second badge is the monogram of H.R.H. the
Princess Victoria, passing through a coronet, and surmounted by the Sphinx
over "Egypt". On the forage cap appears in combination the
Prince of Wales' plume and the harp crowned.
The territorial regiment is completed by
the Armagh Militia (Armagh), the Cavan Militia (Cavan), and the Monaghan
Militia (Monaghan), but there are no Volunteer battalions. The 1st
battalion had the nickname of the "Old Fogs", or the
"Faugh-a-Ballagh Boys", from their war cry, which translated
means "Clear the way"; also the "Aiglers" or
"Eagle-takers", from the eagle captured at Barrosa from the
French. The 2nd battalion got the name of "Blayney's
Bloodhounds"' from the colonel who commanded them in 1798, and who
was notorious for discovering the dispersed rebels. It also had the
title of the "Rollickers". The depot is at Armagh.
