| Royal Irish Regiment (27th (Inniskilling) 83rd, 87th and The Ulster Defence Regiment) | |
|---|---|
&sq=&lang=&file=File:R_IRISH_Cap_Badge.png){kind=icon} Cap badge of the Royal Irish Regiment | |
| Active | 1 July 1992–present |
| Allegiance |  United Kingdom |
| Branch |  British Army |
| Type | Light infantry |
| Role | 1st Battalion – Light Recce 2nd Battalion – Light infantry (Army Reserve) |
| Size | Two battalions |
| Part of | Union Division |
| Garrison/HQ | RHQ – Holywood 1st Battalion – Ternhill 2nd Battalion – Lisburn |
| Motto(s) | "Faugh A Ballagh" (Irish) "Clear the Way" |
| Colours | Green, Black |
| March | Quick – Killaloe Slow – Eileen Alannah |
| Mascot(s) | Irish Wolfhound (Brian Boru X) |
| Anniversaries | Barrosa Day, 5 March; Somme Day, 1 July |
| Engagements | Kosovo War Sierra Leone Civil War Operation Banner Iraq War War in Afghanistan |
| Commanders | |
| Colonel-in-Chief | Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh |
| Colonel of the Regiment | Major General Colin Weir |
| Commanding Officer 1st Battalion | Lieutenant Colonel Andy Bourne |
| Notable commanders | Col Tim Collins[1] |
| Insignia | |
| DZ Tactical Recognition Flash | &sq=&lang=&file=File:1st_Royal_Irish_DZF.svg) |
| Tartan | Saffron (pipes) |
| Hackle | Green From Royal Irish Rangers |
| Abbreviation | R IRISH |
The Royal Irish Regiment (27th (Inniskilling), 83rd, 87th and The Ulster Defence Regiment) (R IRISH) is a light infantry regiment of the British Army. The regiment was founded in 1992 through the amalgamation of the Royal Irish Rangers and the Ulster Defence Regiment. Their oldest predecessor, the 27th Regiment of Foot, was first raised in June 1689 to fight in the Williamite War in Ireland. Other notable regiments in their lineage include the Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers, Royal Irish Rifles and the Royal Irish Fusiliers (Princess Victoria's).
The motto of the regiment is Faugh A Ballagh (Modern Irish: Fág an Bealach), derived from the Irish Gaelic phrase for "Clear the Way". This originates from the Peninsular War when Ensign Edward Keogh of the 87th Regiment of Foot let out the cry while capturing a French Imperial Eagle at the Battle of Barrosa. The Regimental Headquarters of the Royal Irish Regiment has been Palace Barracks in County Down, Northern Ireland since moving there in 2008.
- ^ Sivills-McCann, David (13 September 2021). "Massed Bands From All Four Of Army's Irish Regiments Share The Stage". Forces Network. Retrieved 13 September 2021.