Royal Irish Rangers (27th/83rd/87th)

Royal Irish Rangers (27th/83rd/87th)
Unit name	Royal Irish Rangers (27th/83rd/87th)
Dates	1968–1992
Country	United Kingdom
Branch	British Army
Type	Infantry
Role	Light infantry, garrison
Size	Regiment
Garrison	Lisburn
Motto	"Faugh A Ballagh"
Nickname	"The Rangers"

Royal Irish Rangers (27th/83rd/87th) was an infantry regiment of the British Army formed in 1968 and amalgamated into the Royal Irish Regiment in 1992. The regiment traced lineages to the 27th (Inniskilling) Regiment of Foot, 83rd (County of Dublin) Regiment of Foot, and 87th (Prince of Wales's Irish) Regiment of Foot, and recruited primarily from Northern Ireland, Republic of Ireland, and the United Kingdom. It served in garrison, counter-insurgency, and peacekeeping roles across Northern Ireland, Cyprus, Germany, and Falkland Islands during the Cold War and post-colonial adjustments.

History

The regiment's antecedents included units raised during the War of the Spanish Succession, expansions from the Cardwell Reforms, and amalgamations under the Childers Reforms and post-World War restructurings such as the Options for Change review. Its operational pedigree connected to campaigns like the Peninsular War, the Crimean War, the Indian Mutiny, and the First World War and Second World War, through the historic identities of the 27th, 83rd, and 87th Foot. The formation reflected broader British Army consolidation following the Defense Reviews of the 1960s and 1970s and aligned with strategic commitments within NATO and to the United Nations.

Formation and Amalgamation

The Royal Irish Rangers were formed by amalgamating the regiments with lineages to the 27th, 83rd, and 87th Foot in 1968, following directives influenced by the 1966 Defence White Paper and the restructuring after the Suez Crisis era. The new regiment absorbed battalions and traditions from the Royal Ulster Rifles and the Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers and created a single-battalion structure mirrored by other amalgamations like the creation of the Royal Green Jackets and the consolidation that produced the Princess of Wales's Royal Regiment. The territorial and reserve elements linked into the Territorial Army and associated volunteer battalions, coordinating with units such as the Ulster Defence Regiment and the Mercian Regiment in regional defense planning.

Operational Service

During the Northern Ireland Troubles, the regiment undertook internal security duties under Operation Banner and coordinated with the Royal Ulster Constabulary and British Army of the Rhine assets. Deployments included tours to Cyprus under the United Nations Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus and garrison duties in West Germany within the British Army of the Rhine. Elements deployed to the Falklands War logistical perimeter and supported stability operations in post-conflict environments similar to those experienced by units like the Parachute Regiment and Scots Guards. The regiment also contributed to multinational exercises with NATO partners such as the Bundeswehr, French Army, and United States Army and participated in training exchanges with the Royal Canadian Regiment and the Australian Army.

Organization and Traditions

Organizationally, the regiment maintained a single regular battalion supported by Territorial Army companies, with administrative links to regimental depots like the one in Lisburn and connections to county affiliations including County Tyrone, County Antrim, and County Dublin. Traditions incorporated marches from antecedents such as "Faugh A Ballagh" and adopted customs akin to those of the Royal Irish Fusiliers and the Connaught Rangers. The regimental museum preserved artifacts related to figures like Viscount Gough, Field Marshal Lord Roberts, and Sir John Moore, and maintained colors and silverware associated with the 27th, 83rd, and 87th Foot. The regiment engaged with civic institutions including the City of Belfast and hosted bands that reflected links to the Royal Corps of Army Music and regimental associations similar to the Queen's Royal Hussars Association.

Battle Honours and Decorations

Battle honours displayed derived from the collective histories of the antecedent regiments: actions from Waterloo, Sevastopol, Lucknow, Alma (battle), Talavera, Inkerman, and First and Second World War battlefields such as Somme (1916), Ypres, El Alamein, and Normandy landings. Decorations awarded to members included the Victoria Cross, Distinguished Service Order, Military Cross, and Distinguished Conduct Medal earned by soldiers of antecedent units. The regiment perpetuated honours associated with colonial campaigns like Ashanti, Burma Campaign, and South African War, and commemorated engagements remembered by monuments at sites like Imperial War Museum displays and regimental memorials in Lisburn Cathedral and civic squares.

Uniforms and Insignia

Uniforms combined elements from the antecedent regiments: dark green and rifle-style distinctions influenced by the Royal Green Jackets and black buttons and badges reflecting the fusilier and light infantry heritage of the 27th and 87th lineages. The cap badge incorporated heraldic elements referencing St Patrick, the harp, and laurels, similar in symbolism to badges of the Royal Irish Regiment (1684) and the Connaught Rangers. Stable belts and mess dress followed patterns seen in units such as the Queen's Own Highlanders and featured tartan and hackle elements reflecting regional affiliations like Ulster and Leinster. Regimental colours combined battle honours and were paraded on anniversaries including Remembrance Day and regimental days commemorating antecedent battle anniversaries.

Disbandment and Legacy

In 1992, under further rationalisation influenced by the Options for Change and post-Cold War restructuring, the Royal Irish Rangers amalgamated with the Ulster Defence Regiment to form the Royal Irish Regiment (1992), preserving lineage, colours, and museum collections. Legacy elements survive through regimental associations, commemorative events at sites like the National Army Museum, and transfers of memorabilia to institutions including the Museum of Military History and local civic collections in Belfast and Dublin. The regiment's history is referenced in academic works on British Army reform, regimental culture studies at King's College London, and oral histories archived by the Imperial War Museum and veteran groups.

Category:Infantry regiments of the British Army Category:Irish regiments of the United Kingdom Category:Military units and formations established in 1968 Category:Military units and formations disestablished in 1992