The 2nd Battalion Royal Ulster Rifles And

which greeted the inauguration of the new Volunteer Force in 1859 was

reflected in recruiting for a London Corps of Irish Volunteers, the London Irish. In the autumn of 1859 an Irish Journalist Mr G.T Dempsey took the first step by calling together five young men, civil servants, for a meeting held in his rooms in Essex Street, Strand. This was followed by a larger and more representative gathering in December at Morley's Hotel, the Marquis of Donegall in the chair, the meeting resulting in a resolution passed ' that a Rifle Volunteer corps be at once organised under the title of the London Irish Volunteers '. The service of the corps were accepted in February 1860, official title 28th Middlesex ( London Irish ) Rifle Volunteer Corps, and by 1861 had become a battalion. Field Marshall Viscount Gough ( from Limerick ) became its first Honorary Colonel on the 21st May 1861 and the Marquis of Donegall the first Commanding Officer from May of the preceding year. It is said that in the early days the London Irish Volunteers was supported by almost every peer on the Irish roll and every Irishman of distinction and a whole string of names of VIPs of the day added to make the point, also the fact that the Prime Minister, Lord Palmerston, joined as a private. How long he served and how long the interest of these influential gentlemen lasted is not know, but in 1862, when it was realised that there was to be no fighting, enthusiasm waned and numbers dropped. This proved to be a temporary hiccup as within a year or two the battalion was up to strength with a totoal of nearly 1,200, said to be the highest number of any corps south of the Tweed, and third in the United Kingdom. ( The Army and Navy Gazette of 1867 reported that the London Irish at the Great Review held that year, was by far the strongest corps on the ground if not double the strength of any other )
There was a strict rule that only Irishmen, men connected with Ireland by birth, marriage or property, be enlisted.
The rule obviously had to be relaxed on occasion although preference was always given to the Irish. At this time there were nine companies identified by numbers but this was altered to identification by letters, a system maintained to the present day. The uniform of 1860 was a ' sardinian ' grey, green facings, dark silver lace, a shako with green cock's feather plume. The shako - badge of silver, an 8 pointed star surmounted by a crown, in the centre a garter inscribed ' Irish Volunteers ' and enclosing a harp. The shoulder - belt plate worn by officers consisted of a harp and crown within a wreath of shamrock, designed by Samuel Lover, a great Irish Poet and author who joined the ranks as a founder member. Mr Lover, although 62 years old, attended all drills with great enthusiasm.

Samuel Lover

Samuel Lover ( February 24th, 1779 Dublin - July 6th 1868 ) Irish songwriter, novelist as well as painter of portraits, chiefly miniatures. He was the grandfather of Victor Herbert.
Samuel produced a number of Irish songs, of which several - including that Angel's Whisper, Molly Bawn, and The Four-leaved Shamrock - attained great popularity. He also wrote some novels, of which Rory O'More ( in its first form of ballad) and Handy Andy are the best known, and short Irish sketches, which with his songs, he combined into a popular entertainment
called ' Irish Nights '. He joined with Charles Dickens in funding Bentley's Magazine.

In common with other Volunteer regiments, men from the London Irish served as special constables during the Fenian alarm in 1868. The shako eventually gave way to the spiked cloth helmet as used in the Regular Army in May 1878 and most Volunteer Battalions followed suit. The new helmet plate was bronze, a Maltese cross bearing a crowned Irish Harp in the centre and the title ' London Irish Rifle Vols ' surrounding it, the plate on a green cloth backing. The Corps title was redesigned on the 3rd September 1880 as 16th Middlesex ( London Irish ) Rifle Volunteers, and in the following year became the 4th Volunteer Battalion the Rifle Brigade, which chaned once more from 4th to 3rd Volunteer Battalion in 1892.
HRH The Duke of Connaught honoured the regiment in June 1871 by accepting the Honorary Colonelcy, an appointment he held until his death in 1940. He always kept in touch with the Regiment, often leading it at an annual review. The Marquis of Donegall died at the great age of 87 in 1883, and command, as Colonel Commandant, was given to James Ward, CB. He retired in 1896 and was succeeded by Colonel Sir Howland Roberts, Bart, VD. Colonel Roberts had commenced his Volunteer career in the ranks as a private in the 3rd Middlesex in March 1867, transferring as an ensign to the London Irish in 1868, and he had the proud distinction of having been a ' marksman ' every year since he joined the Service, and was twice winner of the gold medal as best shot in the regiment.
Although there was no commitment by the Volunteer Force to serve other than in defence of this country and not abroad, there was no lack of volunteers for active service in South Africa in 1889. The London Irish did not therefore serve as a unit, but out of the 17 Officers and 400 other ranks who did volunteer, 8 Officers and 200 NCOs and men were selected, either for the CIV ( City Imperial Volunteers ) Contingent to be commanded by Captain E.G Concannon of the regiment or for the Volunteer Service Companies of the Royal Irish Rifles. The latter under the command of another regimental officer, Captain C.G Henty. One Company becoming ' K ' Company of the 2nd Battalion Royal Irish Rifles. Captain Concannon's contingent embarked on the last day of 1899 and was not to return to this country until the 26th October 1900. Both of these Officers were twice mentioned in despatches whilst Captain Concannon received the DSO. The Volunteer Service Companies, Royal Irish Rifles, returned in April 1901. During the South African War the regiment lost 3 NCOs and 7 privates killed in action. Being a rifle regiment no Colours were carried but ' South Africa 1900-02 ' became its first battle honour. On the badges in 1902 the Imperial Crown replaced the Royal Crown and in addition the inscription on the button was amended to ' London Irish Rifle Volunteers '. In 1906 Col Roberts retired and Lt-Col Hercules A Packenham, formerly Grenadier Guards and 4th Battalion Royal Irish Rifles, was appointed to command, so becoming the first Commanding Officer since the Marquis of Donegall not to have been a regimental Company Commander.
When the Territorial Army came into force in 1908, the title was changed to 18th ( County of London ) Bn. The London Regiment ( London Irish Rifles ), now forming part of the 5th London Brigade of the 2nd Division, Territorial Force, in London District Command. The title private became ' Rifleman ' and it was about this time that the rifle busby replaced the helmet. Pipers were introduced by 1906-07. With the 1908 change of status and the Volunteer Battalions becoming Territorial Army Battalions , changes were also made in the regulations governing the force, allowing its soldiers to volunteer for overseas service.

The regiment was in camp during the summer of 1914 when mobilisation sent it hurrying back to the Duke of York's Headquarters on the 4th August and there is an interesting note on the scene at the headquarters and the varying uniforms of the of the miscellaneous corps assembled there. All the various units had left the London headquarters by the 28th August, the 18th travelling to the St Albans area for training before eventual embarkation in March 1915. The Battalion, commanded by Lt-Colonel E.G Concannon DSO, VD, landed at Havre
In all three battalions were raised that would see service on the Western Front. The existing battalion 1/18th
( County of London ) Bn, London Regiment ( London Irish Rifles ) was attached to 141st Brigade of the 47th ( 2nd London ) Division. It first went into action at Festubert in May 1915 and then took part in the fighting at Loos in September.

A brief summary of events involving the London.Irish of the London Territorials (47 Division)

The Battle of Loos was one of the major British Offensives mounted on the Western Front in 1915. It marked the first time the British used poison gas during the war, and it is also famous for the fact that it witnessed the first large-scale use of the new army or " Kitchener's Army " units.
The battle was the British component of the combined Angl-French offensive known The Third Battle of Artois. General Douglas Haig, then Commander of the British First Army, directed the battle; however, his plans were limited by the shortage of artillery shells which meant the preliminary bombardment essential for success in the emerging trench warfare was weak. Immediately prior to the troops attacking the German Lines, at around 6.30am the British released 140 tons of chlorine gas with mixed success - in places the gas was blown back onto the British trenches. Due to the inefficiency of the gas masks at the time, many British soldiers removed them as they could not see through the fogged - up talc eyepieces, or could barely breath with them on.