Irish Guards: Difference between revisions

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{{Short description|Infantry regiment of the British Army}}

{{Infobox Military Unit

{{About|the regiment in the British Army|the police force of Ireland commonly referred to as "the Guards"|Garda Síochána|the regiment in the [[Royal Irish Army]]|Royal Irish Regiment of Foot Guards|the University of Notre Dame marching band contingent|Irish Guard (Notre Dame)}}

|unit_name=Irish Guards

{{Use dmy dates|date=November 2020}}

|image=[[Image:Irish-Guards-Cap-Badge.jpg|150px]]

{{Infobox military unit

|caption=Cap badge of the Irish Guards

| unit_name = Irish Guards

|dates=[[1 April]] [[1900]]-

| image = Irish Guards Badge.png

|country=[[United Kingdom]]

| caption = Regimental badge of the Irish Guards{{efn|The breast star of the [[Order of St Patrick]].}}

|branch=Army

| dates = 1 April 1900 – present

|type=Foot Guards

| country = {{flag|United Kingdom}}

|role=[[Light Infantry|Light Role]]

| branch = {{army|United Kingdom}}

|size= One battalion

| type = [[Infantry]]

|current_commander=

| role = 1st Battalion - Security Force Assistance<ref name="auto">{{Cite web|url=https://www.army.mod.uk/news-and-events/news/2022/09/irish-guards-form-two-new-companies-with-historic-links-for-future-role/|title=Irish Guards form two new Companies with historic links for future role|website=www.army.mod.uk}}</ref><br />No. 9 Company - Public Duties<br>No. 12 Company - Public Duties<br>No. 15 Company - Reserve

|garrison= 1st Battalion - Aldershot

| size = One battalion<br>Three independent companies

|regimental_HQ= Wellington Barracks, Birdcage Walk, SW1E 6HQ, London

| command_structure = [[Guards and Parachute Division]]

|ceremonial_chief=[[Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom|HM The Queen]]

| current_commander =

|ceremonial_chief_label=Colonel in Chief

| garrison = RHQ&nbsp; – London<br />1st Battalion&nbsp; – [[Aldershot Garrison]]

|colonel_of_the_regiment=[[James Hamilton, 5th Duke of Abercorn]]

| ceremonial_chief = [[King Charles III]]

|nickname=''The Micks<br>Bob's Own''

| ceremonial_chief_label = Colonel-in-Chief

|motto= ''Quis Separabit'' (Who Shall Separate Us) ([[Latin]])

| colonel_of_the_regiment = [[Catherine, Princess of Wales]]

|colors=

| nickname = ''The Micks''

|identification_symbol_2=[http://www.regiments.org/tradition/tartans/saffron.htm Saffron (pipes)]

| motto = {{langx|la|[[Quis Separabit?]]}} ('Who Shall Separate [Us]?')

|identification_symbol_2_label=Tartan

| colors =

|identification_symbol=[[Image:Guards TRF.PNG|65px]]

| identification_symbol_2 = [http://i211.photobucket.com/albums/bb309/hammersfan_01/Tartans/Saffron.gif Saffron (pipes)]

|identification_symbol_label=Tactical Recognition Flash

| identification_symbol_2_label = Tartan

|march=Quick - ''St Patrick's Day''<br>Slow - ''Let Erin Remember''

| identification_symbol = [[File:GuardsTRF.svg|65px]]

|mascot=Irish Wolfhound named ''Donnchad''

| identification_symbol_label = Tactical Recognition Flash

|battles=

| identification_symbol_3 = [[St. Patrick's blue]]<br /><small>Right side of [[Bearskin]] cap</small>

|notable_commanders=

| identification_symbol_3_label = Plume

|anniversaries= St Patrick's Day, [[17 March]]

| identification_symbol_4 = IG

| identification_symbol_4_label = Abbreviation

| march = Quick – ''St Patrick's Day''<br />Slow – ''[[Let Erin Remember]]''

| mascot = [[Irish Wolfhound]]

| battles =

}}

The '''Irish Guards''' (IG) is one of the [[Foot guards#United Kingdom|Foot Guards]] [[regiment]]s of the [[British Army]] and is part of the [[Guards Division]]. Together with the [[Royal Irish Regiment (1992)|Royal Irish Regiment]], it is one of the two Irish [[infantry]] regiments in the British Army.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/weekend/2010/0731/1224275874706.html|title=The fighting Irish|date=31 July 2010|newspaper=The Irish Times|access-date=26 December 2015|archive-date=22 October 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121022090922/http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/weekend/2010/0731/1224275874706.html|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.independent.ie/opinion/columnists/kevin-myers/kevin-myers-however-we-view-war-lets-wish-our-lads-a-safe-return-2368618.html|title=Kevin Myers: However we view war, let's wish our lads a safe return|work=Independent.ie|access-date=26 December 2015}}</ref> The regiment has participated in campaigns in the [[World War I|First World War]], the [[World War II|Second World War]], the [[Iraq War]] and the [[War in Afghanistan (2001–2021)|War in Afghanistan]] as well as numerous other operations throughout its history. The Irish Guards claim six [[Victoria Cross]] recipients, four from the First World War and two from the Second World War.

:''This article deals with the current British Army regiment, for historical regiments, see [[Historical Irish Guards regiments]].''

The '''Irish Guards''' is a regiment of the [[British Army]], part of the [[Guards Division]].

==History==

{{main|History of the Irish Guards}}

The regiment was formed on [[1 April]] [[1900]] by order of [[Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom|Queen Victoria]] in response to the many courageous actions performed by Irish regiments in the [[Second Boer War]]. The Irish Guards' first honorary Colonel-of-the-Regiment was Field Marshal [[Frederick Roberts, 1st Earl Roberts of Kandahar|Lord Roberts]], known to many troops as 'Bobs'. Because of this, the regiment gained the nickname 'Bob's Own' though are now known affectionately as 'The Micks'. This is not seen as offensive or derogatory by the regiment.

As of 2006, it is one of only two purely Irish regiments remaining in the British Army. (The other being the [[Royal Irish Regiment]].) It recruits Catholics and Protestants alike in Northern Ireland, the Irish neighborhoods of major British cities, and (unofficially) the Republic of Ireland. (The latter permits its citizens to enlist in the British forces, but forbids active recruiting.) More recently, the regiment has seen some truly "non-traditional" recruits, notably Zimbabwean Christopher Muzvuru, who qualified as a piper before becoming one of the regiment's two fatal casualties in Iraq in 2003.

Irish Guards officers tend to be drawn from the ranks of graduates of elite British public schools, particularly those with a Catholic affiliation, such as [[Ampleforth College]] and [[Stonyhurst College]]. Catholic foreign royals or aristocrats, even those with no Irish connection, have often found a home in the Irish Guards. ([[Jean, Grand Duke of Luxembourg]], for example.)

One way to distinguish between the regiments of [[Foot Guards]] is the spacing of buttons on the tunic. The Irish Guards have buttons arranged in groups of four. They also have a prominent blue plume on the right side of their bear skin hats.

The Irish Guards were formed on 1 April 1900 by order of [[Queen Victoria]] to commemorate the Irishmen who fought in the [[Second Boer War]] for the [[British Empire]].<ref>{{cite book|title=A Military History of Ireland|last=Bartlett|first=Thomas|author2=Jeffery, Keith|publisher=Cambridge University Press|year=1997|isbn=0-521-62989-6|page=380|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=MPZiWhhAmXAC&q=%22Irish+Guards%22+1900+victoria&pg=PA380|access-date=3 November 2010}}</ref><ref name=guards103>[http://www.irishguards.org.uk/pages/history/index.html Irish Guards Regimental website] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151108021721/http://www.irishguards.org.uk/pages/history/index.html|date=8 November 2015}}</ref>

In May 1902, at [[Horse Guards Parade]], the regiment's first [[Colour (flag)|Colour]]s were presented by [[Edward VII of the United Kingdom|King Edward VII]]. The Irish Guards were stationed in the United Kingdom for the first fourteen years of its existence, performing a number of ceremonial duties in [[London]] during that time, until, in 1914, the '[[Great War]]' began.

===First World War===

[[File:Irish Guards leave for France.jpg|alt=1st Battalion, Irish Guards prepare to leave Wellington Barracks, Westminster, London, following the outbreak of the First World War, 6 August 1914. The Battalion arrived in France as part of the British Expeditionary Force on 13 August 1914.|thumb|1st Battalion, Irish Guards prepare to leave Wellington Barracks, Westminster, London, following the outbreak of the First World War, 6 August 1914. The Battalion arrived in France as part of the British Expeditionary Force on 13 August 1914.]]

The 1st Irish Guards deployed to [[France]], eight days after the UK had declared war upon the [[German Empire]], as part of [[4th (Guards) Brigade]] of the [[British 2nd Division (World War I)|2nd Division]]. The 1st Irish Guards would remain on the [[Western Front]] for the duration of WWI. The battalion took part in the [[Battle of Mons]] and the subsequent arduous and bloody [[Retreat from Mons]], which began on the [[24 August]] and would not end until the [[5 September]]. The Irish Guards were one of the units of the rearguard during the retreat and took part in a small-scale action at [[Landrecies]] against the advancing Germans. The 1st Irish Guards also took part in another rearguard action at woods near [[Villers-Cotterets]], on the [[1 September]], during the [[Battle of Le Cateau]] in which their CO Lieutenant-Colonel the [[Hon. George Morris]] and the Second-in-Command Major Hubert Crichton were killed. Le Cateau was a successful action that helped delay the inexeorable German advance towards [[Paris]], inflicting very heavy losses on the Germans in the process.

Following the outbreak of the [[First World War]], 1st Battalion Irish Guards was deployed to France almost immediately, and they remained on the [[Western Front (World War I)|Western Front]] for the duration of the war. During the early part of the war, the battalion took part in the [[Battle of Mons]] and formed the Allied [[rearguard]] during the [[Great Retreat]]. The battalion then took part in one of the bloodiest battles of 1914, the [[First Battle of Ypres]], which began on 19 October, inflicting major casualties among the old [[Standing army|Regular Army]].<ref name=ypres>{{cite web|url= http://www.telelib.com/words/authors/K/KiplingRudyard/prose/IrishGuardsv1/1914monslabassee.html|title=1914 - Mons To La Bassée|first=Rudyard|last=Kipling|access-date=26 February 2017}}</ref>

The 1st Battalion was involved in fighting for the duration of 'First Ypres', at [[First Battle of Ypres|Langemarck]], [[Battle of Gheluvelt|Gheluvelt]] and [[Battle of Nonne Bosschen|Nonne Bosschen]]. The 1st Battalion suffered huge casualties between 1–8 November holding the line against near defeat by German forces, while defending [[Klein Zillebeke]].<ref name=ypres/>

In August that year, the 2rd (Reserve) Battalion was raised at Warley Barracks. The 1st Irish Guards later in September took part in [[First Battle of the Marne|Marne]] and the advance towards the [[Battle of the Aisne|Aisne]]. It was already becoming a bitter time for the Irish Guards, having lost their CO only a few weeks after they had reached France month, would face one of the bloodiest battles of 1914, [[First Battle of Ypres|Ypres]], which began on the [[19 October]]. The battle would rip the heart out of the old [[Regular Army]], just like the [[Battle of the Somme (1916)|Somme]] would rip the heart out of the [[Kitchener's Army|New Army]]. The battalion was in the thick of it for the duration of 'First Ypres', taking part in the major actions of 'First Ypres, at [[Battle of Langemarck|Langemarck]], [[Battle of Gheluvelt|Gheluvelt]] and [[Battle of Nonne Bosschen|Nonne Bosschen]]. By the end of 'First Ypres' on the [[22 November]], the battalion had sufferered over 700 casualties. The 2nd Division that the 1st Irish Guards were part of, suffered 5,769 officers and men killed.

In May 1915, the 1st Battalion took part in the [[Battle of Festubert]], though did not see much action. Two further battalions were formed for the regiment in July. In September that year, all three battalions took part in the [[Battle of Loos]], which lasted from 25 September until early October.<ref>{{cite web|url= http://www.telelib.com/authors/K/KiplingRudyard/prose/IrishGuardsv2/1915_loos.html|title=1915 - Loos And The First Autumn|first=Rudyard|last=Kipling|access-date=4 March 2020}}</ref>

The rest of 1914 and early 1915 was spent in the trenches with little happening, yet still danger faced the British soldier everyday from snipers and shells. In February 1915, Lance-Corporal [[Michael O'Leary (VC)|Michael O'Leary]] performed an astonishing act of bravery at [[Cuinchy]], where attack and counter-attack had been taking place between the British and Germans there from the [[29 January]] to early February. On the [[1 February]], the Lance-Corporal was part of a storming party which attacked an enemy barricade, during the attack the party suffered casualties and a group of the storming party then got caught up in their own artillery bombardment. The Lance-Corporal rushed forward, shooting five Germans before attacking a further three in a machine-gun position at the next barricade, capturing two Germans in the process. The trench and many prisoners were taken thanks to the actions of the Lance-Corporal. He was awarded the [[Victoria Cross]], the first VC the Irish Guards won in the war.

The Irish Guards went into action again on [[First day on the Somme|1 July 1916]] when the [[Battle of the Somme]] began. The 1st Battalion took part in an action at [[Battle of Flers–Courcelette|Flers–Courcelette]] where they suffered severe casualties in the attack in the face of withering fire from the German machine-guns. The battalion also took part in the action at [[Battle of Morval|Morval]] before they were relieved by the 2nd Battalion.<ref>{{cite web|url= http://www.telelib.com/authors/K/KiplingRudyard/prose/IrishGuardsv2/1915_loos.html|title=1916 - Salient and the Somme|first=Rudyard|last=Kipling|access-date=4 March 2020}}</ref>

In May 1915, the 1st Irish Guards took part in the [[Battle of Festubert]], though did not see much action, no doubt a good thing to many of the Guards in the trenches. In July 1915, the 2nd (Reserve) Battalion was redesignated the 3rd (Reserve) Battalion, and another battalion, the 2nd Battalion was formed at Waverley Barracks. In August that year the 1st Irish Guards, and the rest of the 4th (Guards) Brigade was moved to the [[British Guards Division|Guards Division]]. The brigade was redesignated the 1st Guards Brigade. In September that year, the battalion, as-well as the 2nd Irish Guards, who had reached France in August, took part in the [[Battle of Loos]], which lasted from the [[25 September]] to early October.

In 1917 the Irish Guards took part in the [[Battle of Pilckem]] which began on 31 July during the [[Third Battle of Ypres]]. The Irish Guards also took part in the [[Battle of Cambrai (1917)|Battle of Cambrai]] that year. In 1918 the regiment fought in a number of engagements during the [[Operation Michael|Second Battle of the Somme]], including at [[Battle of Arras (1918)|Arras]] and [[Battle of Albert (1918)|Albert]]. The regiment then went on to take part in a number of battles during the British offensives against the [[Hindenburg Line]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.irishguards.org.uk/pages/history/ww1.html|title=World War One|publisher=Irish Guards|access-date=1 May 2016|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160314064536/http://www.irishguards.org.uk/pages/history/ww1.html|archive-date=14 March 2016}}</ref> On 11 November 1918 the [[Armistice of 11 November 1918|Armistice with Germany]] was signed. The 1st Battalion was at [[Maubeuge]] when the Armistice was signed.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.telelib.com/words/authors/K/KiplingRudyard/prose/IrishGuardsv1/1918arrasarmistice.html|title=1918: Arras to the Armistice|first=Rudyard|last=Kipling|access-date=26 February 2017}}</ref>

The 1st Irish Guards spent much of the remainder of 1915 in the trenches, but, on [[1 July]] [[1916]] the [[Battle of the Somme (1916)|Battle of the Somme]] began, it was, and still is, the bloodiest day in British military history. The 1st Irish took part in an action at [[Battle of Flers-Courcelette|Flers-Courcelette]] where they suffered rather severe casualties in the attack but performed bravely in the face of terrible withering fire from the German machine-guns. The battalion also took part in the action at [[Battle of Morval|Morval]]. They were involved in the capture of the northern part of a village, during the action and were relieved the following day by the 2nd Irish Guards. The 1st Irish Guards suffered quite heavily during the Morval engagement.

The regiment's continued existence was threatened briefly when [[Winston Churchill]], who served as Secretary of State for War between 1919 and 1921, sought the elimination of the Irish Guards and [[Welsh Guards]] as an economy measure. This proposal, however, did not find favour in government or army circles and was dropped. Between the wars, the regiment was deployed at various times to Turkey, [[Gibraltar]], [[Egypt]] and [[Mandatory Palestine|Palestine]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.irishguards.org.uk/pages/history/18_39.html|title=Irish Guards 1918-1939|publisher=Irish Guards|access-date=1 May 2016|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20030729052955/http://www.irishguards.org.uk/pages/history/18_39.html|archive-date=29 July 2003}}</ref>

In 1917 the Irish Guards took part in the [[Battle of Pilckem]] which began on the [[31 July]] during the [[Third Battle of Ypres]]. Further actions took place at [[Battle of the Menin Road|Menin Road]] and [[Battle of Poelcapelle|Poelcapelle]]. During 'Third Ypres', at [[Broenbeek]], in September, Lance-Sergeant [[John Moyney|Moyney]] and Private [[Thomas Woodcock (VC)|Woodcock]] of the 2nd Irish Guards, were part of an advance post that became surrounded by Germans. During the fifty day of the defence, the Lance-Sergeant attacked the advancing Germans with grenades and with his [[Lewis Gun]]. He, and his men, then charged the Germans, breaking through them and reaching a stream where he and Private Woodcock performed a rearguard while the rest of the party withdrew. They then subsequently began to withdraw too, crossing the stream, but Private Woodcock heard cries for help and he then returned, retrieving the wounded man and carrying him back to British lines under machine-gun fire. They had held out for astonishing ninety-six hours.

The Irish Guards took part in the [[Battle of Cambrai]], the first large use of the tank in battle took place during the engagement. In 1918 the regiment fought at the same area that had caused so much pain to the British Army in 1916, the [[Battle of the Somme (1918)|Somme]]. The regiment fought in a number of engaments during the Battle of the Somme, including at [[Battle of the Arras|Arras]] and [[Battle of Albert|Albert]]. The regiment took part in a number of battles during the British offensives against the [[Battle of the Hindenburg Line|Hindenburg Line]].

On [[4 November]] [[1918]] at the [[Sambre-Oise Canal]], Acting Lieutenant-Colonel [[James Marshall (soldier)|James Marshall]] of the Irish Guards but attached to the [[The Royal Regiment of Fusiliers|16th Battalion, The Lancashire Fusiliers]], organised repair parties who were trying to repair a damaged partly finished bridge. The first party soon came under fire and all were killed or wounded. The Lieutenant-Colonel, disregarding his own safety, stood at the bank, encouraging and helping the men as they worked on the bridge. Once it was repaired the Lieutenant-Colonel then began to lead his men across the bridge but was killed in the process. He was awarded the posthumous VC.

The Irish Guards took place in the last advances on the Western Front On the [[11 November]] [[1918]] the [[Armistice]] was signed. The 1st Irish Guards were at [[Maubeuge]] when the armistice was signed, it was near to where the Irish Guards began their war in 1914 at Mons, yet there would not be many survivors of that first battle by the [[11 November]]. On the [[11 December]] the regiment marched into Germany, drums beating, no doubt reflecting on the many experiences they had during the war, no doubt remembering the men that had fell in this deadly war that had effectively destroyed a generation. The Irish guards sacrifice during WWI was immense. Over 2300 officers and men were killed and well over 5000 wounded. The regiment won 406 medals, including four VCs during WWI.

Among those killed serving with the Irish Guards in the First World War was Lt. John Kipling, the 18-year old son of author [[Rudyard Kipling]], who was listed as missing at Loos in September 1915. (It was claimed that his grave was identified in 1992, though this is disputed.) In tribute to his son's regiment, Kipling composed the poem [http://whitewolf.newcastle.edu.au/words/authors/K/KiplingRudyard/verse/p1/irishguards.html "The Irish Guards"] and after the war wrote a two-volume history of the regiment's service in the war.

===Inter-War===

In 1919 the 2nd and 3rd Irish Guards were disbanded, and the 1st Irish Guards returned to the UK victoriously, though no doubt being scarred by their experiences in the First World War. In 1920, for St Patrick's Day, the regiment donned its full-dress for the first time since WWI. In 1922 the regiment then deployed to [[Constantinople]] as part of an allied force during the troubles in that region.

The regiment was also compelled to cope with the internal tensions caused by the political situation back home in Ireland. Several men were caught apparently attempting to divert weapons and ammunition to Republican forces in Ireland. For that reason and to this day, applicants to join the regiment must undergo an exceptionally thorough background check before being accepted.

The regiment's continued existence was threatened briefly when [[Winston Churchill]], who served as Secretary of State for War between 1919 and 1921, sought the elimination of the Irish and [[Welsh Guards]] as an economy measure. This proposal, however, did not find favor in government or army circles and was dropped.

In late 1923 the regiment deployed to the garrison at [[Gibraltar]]. They returned to the UK in 1924. They were then based in the south of England until 1936 when they deployed to [[Egypt]]. While stationed there, the regiment deployed to [[British Mandate of Palestine|Palestine]] for a number of months on internal security duties against [[Arab]] militants. The regiment returned to the UK in 1938. The following year the 2nd Battalion of the Irish Guards was re-formed five months before [[World War II]] began.

===Second World War===

[[File:The British Army in Italy 1944 NA11445.jpg|thumb|Guardsmen of the 1st Battalion, Irish Guards, advancing north of Anzio, Italy, 25 January 1944.]]

During the Second World War, the regiment lost over 700 men killed, 1500 wounded and was awarded 252 medals, including two VCs.

During the Second World War, the regiment fought in [[Norway]], [[France]], [[North Africa Campaign|North Africa]], [[Italy]], [[Belgium]], [[Netherlands]] and [[Germany]]. The regiment first saw combat during the [[Norwegian Campaign]]. Following a challenging sea voyage to Norway, the 1st Battalion arrived in May 1940 and fought for two days at the town of Pothus before they were forced to retreat. The Irish Guards conducted a fighting withdrawal and served as the Allied rearguard.<ref>Wilkinson and Astley, p. 66</ref>

====North-West Europe====

Upon the outbreak of WWII in September 1939, both battalions of the Irish Guards were based in the UK. In 1940 the 1st Irish Guards deployed to [[Norway]] as part of [[British 24th Infantry Brigade (Guards)|24th (Guards) Brigade]] in early April. In May the Polish liner, now troopship 'Chobry' which was transporting the Brigade HQ and the 1st Irish Guards from another area of Norway to the northern town of [[Bodø]], was hit by [[Heinkel He 111]] bombers which killed many men, including the CO and Second-in-Command of the 1st Irish Guards, as-well as losing all their heavy equipment. Fire began to engulf the ship and, considering the amount of ammunition onboard, a deadly and immense explosion seemed imminent. The men were rescued by escorting vessels.

The battalion was evacuated along with the rest of the expeditionary force in June. While the 1st Battalion was fighting in Norway, the 2nd Battalion was deployed to the [[Hook of Holland]] to cover the evacuation of the [[Dutch royal family]] and Government in May 1940. The 2nd Battalion was then deployed to France and ordered to [[Battle of Boulogne (1940)|defend the port of Boulogne]]. The guardsmen held out against overwhelming odds for three days, buying valuable time for the [[Dunkirk Evacuation]], before they were evacuated themselves.{{sfn|Ellis|2004|p=157}} In November 1942, [[Jean, Grand Duke of Luxembourg]] joined the British Army as a volunteer in the Irish Guards.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.monarchie.lu/fr/famille/grand-duc-jean|title=Biography of Grand Duke Jean|publisher=Luxembourg government|access-date=1 May 2016}}</ref>

Later that month the battalion did fight on land in Norway, seeing action [[Pothus]], holding out against tough German opposition for two days until they were finally forced to withdraw due to being outflanked by the advancing Germans. The Brigade HQ and battalion were withdrawn by boat, though they left many behind. The men left behind managed to break out, reaching Allied lines later that day. The regiment was finally evacuated back to the UK with the rest of the expeditionary force in June.

In March 1943 the 1st Battalion landed, with the rest of the [[24th Guards Brigade]], in [[Tunisia]], to fight in the final stages of the [[Tunisia Campaign|campaign in North Africa]]. The battalion saw extensive action while fighting through Tunisia and was subsequently deployed to the [[Italian Campaign (World War II)|Italian Front]] in December of that year. The battalion took part in the [[Anzio landings]] on 22 January 1944.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.ibiblio.org/hyperwar/USA/USA-A-Anzio/USA-A-Anzio-1.html|title=The Anzio Landing 22–29 January|publisher=American Forces in action|access-date=26 February 2017}}</ref> They also participated in the fierce fighting around the Allied beachhead and suffered severe casualties fighting off a German counterattack at [[Campoleone]] after which the depleted battalion was returned to the UK in April.<ref>D'Este, p. 200.</ref>

In May 1940, the 2nd Irish Guards deployed to the [[Hoek van Holland|Hook of Holland]] to cover the evacuation of the [[Dutch Royal Family]]. The battalion evacuated the day after the Government and Dutch Royal Family had been evacuated. They had only a short respite upon their returned to the UK for just a few days later they returned, along with the [[Welsh Guards]], to the continent, to [[Boulogne-sur-Mer|Boulogne]], a port in northern France, reaching the town on [[22 May]]. Their orders were to defend part of Boulogne during the epic evacuation of the [[British Expeditionary Force]] (BEF) from the overwhelming and inexorable advance of the Germans. The Guards stoutly defended their area of responsibility from better equipped German forces, repulsing a number of German attacks on the 22nd, but on the morning of the 23rd, superior Germany forces attacked the battalion and the Guards suffered very heavily in the attack. Later that day the battalion was evacuated from Boulogne, they were the last to leave, and fought valiantly while waiting to be evacuated.

[[File:The British Army in North-west Europe 1944-45 BU4157.jpg|thumb|right|Two Irish Guardsmen and a camouflaged [[Sherman Firefly]] guard a section of the [[Bremen]]-[[Hamburg]] autobahn, 20 April 1945.]]

In 1941 the 2nd Irish Guards re-roled as an armoured regiment, joining the newly formed [[British Guards Armoured Division|Guards Armoured Division]]. That year, the Holding Battalion, later that year the 3rd Irish Guards, was raised. In 1943, the 3rd Irish Guards joined the Guards Armoured Division as an infantry battalion.

The Irish Guards returned to France in June 1944 when the 2nd and 3rd Battalions took part in the [[Operation Overlord|Normandy Campaign]]. Both battalions served as part of the [[Guards Armoured Division]] and took part in the attempt to capture [[Caen]] as part of [[Operation Goodwood]]. They also saw action in the [[Mont Pincon]] area. On 29 August, the 3rd Battalion crossed the [[Seine]] and began the advance into [[Belgium]] with the rest of the Guards Armoured Division towards [[Brussels]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/object/1060024080|title=Units of the Guards Armoured Division race along the highway to Brussels and liberate the city|publisher=Imperial War Museum|access-date=28 June 2019}}</ref>

In 1944 the 2nd and 3rd Irish Guards took part in the [[Battle of Normandy|Normandy Campaign]]. The Irish Guards, as part of the Guards Armoured Division, took part in [[Operation Goodwood]] that began on [[18 July]]. The Division's objective was [[Cagny, Calvados|Cagny]], [[Vimont]] and the surrounding area. During that day, near Cagny, Lieutenant John Gorman of the 2nd Irish Guards was in his [[Sherman tank]] when he was confronted by a far superior 68 ton [[Tiger II]] or 'King Tiger'. Gorman's tank fired one shot at the Tiger II but to no avail; the shot simply bounced off of the thick armour. Upon the order to fire again, the Sherman's gun jammed. The Lieutenant then gave the order to ram the Tiger II just as it was beginning to turn its massive 88mm gun on Gorman's tank. The Sherman tank smashed into the Tiger II, the collision disabling both tanks. Both tank's crews then bailed out. Lieutenant Gorman, once he had seen his crew to safety, returned to the scene in a commandeered Sherman Firefly and destroyed the King Tiger. He won the [[Military Cross]] for his heroics. The driver from his own crew, Lance-Corporal James Brown, won the [[Military Medal]].

The Irish Guards were part of the ground force of [[Operation Market Garden]], 'Market' being the airborne assault and 'Garden' the ground attack.{{sfn|Randel|2006|p=32}} The Irish Guards led the vanguard of [[XXX Corps (United Kingdom)|XXX Corps]] in their advance towards [[Arnhem]], which was the objective of the [[British 1st Airborne Division]], furthest from XXX Corps' start line. The Corps crossed the Belgian-Dutch border, advancing from [[Neerpelt]] on 17 September but the Irish Guards encountered heavy resistance which slowed the advance.{{sfn|Ryan|1999|p=183}} Following the conclusion of Market Garden, the Irish Guards remained in the Netherlands until taking part in the [[Western Allied invasion of Germany|Allied advance into Germany]] and seeing heavy action during the [[Rhineland Campaign]] with Guardsman [[Edward Colquhoun Charlton|Edward Charlton]] earning the final Victoria Cross to be awarded in the European theatre.<ref>Whiting, p. 87</ref>

The Irish Guards were involved in further action that day. Cagny, devastated by heavy bombing, was finally liberated on the [[19 July]]. The Irish Guards also saw action in the [[Mont Pincon]] area. On the [[29 August]] the 3rd Irish Guards crossed the [[Seine]] and began the advance into [[Belgium]] with the rest of the Guard's Division on their journey to [[Brussels]].

===1945–2019===

The Irish Guards were part of the ground force of [[Operation Market Garden]], Market being the airborne assault, Garden the ground assault. The Irish Guards Group were commanded by Lieutenant-Colonel [[Joe Vandeleur]], played by [[Michael Caine]] in the movie "[[A Bridge Too Far]]". The Irish Guards led [[British XXX Corps|XXX Corps]] in their advance towards [[Arnhem]], which was the objective of the British [[British 1st Airborne Division|1st Airborne Division]], the furthest from XXX Corps.

[[File:Irish Guards advisors note Afghan army progress in Helmand province DVIDS369492.jpg|alt=|thumb|1st Battalion, Irish Guards Brigade Advisory Group move on patrol with Afghan National Army soldier during Operation Omid Shash in Gereshk, Helmand province. (2011)]]

The Corps crossed the Belgian-Dutch border, advancing from [[Neerpelt]] on the [[17 September]] but meet very heavy resistance from German forces prepared with anti-tank weapons. Most of the tanks in the initial troops were hit and destroyed. As a result the advance was much slower than planned. The Corps then camped at [[Valkenswaard]]. Early the following day recce units of the Guards Division made contact with the [[101st Airborne Division|101st Airborne]] who had liberated [[Eindhoven]], the rest of the Corps reached the city later that day. The Corps were now camped outside [[Son]] while the [[Corps of Royal Engineers|Royal Engineers]] built a [[Bailey bridge]] so that the Corps could cross the [[Wilhelmina Canal]] and advance to [[Nijmegen]]. The bridge was completed the following day.

After the war, the regiment was reduced to a single battalion, with the 2nd Battalion being placed in suspended animation<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.army.mod.uk/news-and-events/news/2022/09/irish-guards-form-two-new-companies-with-historic-links-for-future-role/|title=2nd Battalion was placed into suspended animation in 1947|date=2 September 2022}}</ref> and the 3rd Battalion being disbanded. In 1947, the 1st Battalion deployed to [[Palestine (region)|Palestine]] to perform internal security duties there. It was then posted to the [[Suez Canal Zone]] in [[Egypt]], remaining there until the British withdrawal in 1956. The regiment continued to serve in troubled regions such as [[Cyprus]] and [[Aden]] throughout the 1950s and 1960s. During this time they were also part of the [[British Army of the Rhine]] (BAOR) in Germany on a number of occasions. They also served as the garrison of Hong Kong from 1970 to 1972.<ref name=bau>{{cite web|url=http://british-army-units1945on.co.uk/infantry/irish-guards.html|title=Irish Guards|publisher=British Army units 1945 on|access-date=26 February 2017}}</ref>

Later that day the Guards Division, led by the Irish Guards, reached [[Nijmegen]] where the [[U.S. 82nd Airborne Division|82nd Airborne Division]] was located. Their advance had to be halted, for the 82nd had not taken the bridge as intended. The bridge was finally captured in the evening of the 20th. On the 21st, the British Paras at Arnhem, heavily outnumbered and outgunned, had to surrender on the 21st, after many days fighting that saw true heroism and courage, XXX Corps had been just an hour from the bridge at Arnhem but had to wait for the arrival of the [[British 43rd (Wessex) Infantry Division|43rd Infantry Division]]. Further fighting took place until the 25th, it was, at times, a truly tragic campaign.

The Irish Guards were one of the few regiments in the British Army initially exempt from service in [[Northern Ireland]] during [[The Troubles]]. However, a [[Provisional Irish Republican Army]] (IRA) bomb blasted a bus carrying members of the regiment band to [[Chelsea Barracks]] in October 1981.<ref>{{cite web|url= http://www.christopherlong.co.uk/pri/chelseabomb.html|title= 'May have hit wrong target' say Guards|date= 16 October 1981|access-date= 21 August 2012}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url= https://www.nytimes.com/1981/10/11/world/london-bomb-kills-o-ne-hurts-up-to-50.html|title= London bomb kills one; hurts up to 50|work= The New York Times|date= 11 October 1981|access-date= 28 April 2018}}</ref> 39 people (23 soldiers and 16 others) were wounded and two civilians were killed.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://api.parliament.uk/historic-hansard/commons/1981/oct/27/bomb-incidents-london|work=[[Hansard|Parliamentary Debates (Hansard)]]|date=27 October 1981|title=Bomb Incidents (London)|access-date=26 December 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,922647,00.html|title=Britain: Once More, Terror in the Streets|date=9 November 1981|work=[[Time (magazine)|Time]]|access-date=26 December 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130826025829/http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,922647,00.html|archive-date=26 August 2013|url-status=dead}}</ref> 1992 saw the regiment finally carry out its first tour-of-duty in Northern Ireland, based in [[County Fermanagh]].<ref name=bau/>

The Irish Guards saw further action in Holland until they were finally part of the advance towards, and into, Germany, seeing much bitter action as they progressed into Germany. The Guards saw action during the [[Rhineland Campaign]]. On the [[21 April]], at a village known as [[Wistedt]] in Northern Germany, Guardsman [[Edward Colquhoun Charlton|Charlton]] of the 2nd Irish Guards, was a co-driver of a tank during the capture of the village by a small number of the Irish Guards. The Germans soon attempted to re-take the village with numerically superior forces, which largely consisted of officer cadets under the command of their very experienced instructor officers as well as two or three self-propelled guns. Three of the four tanks of the small Irish Guards force were badly hit, Charlton, as the Irish Guards became increasingly in danger of being over-run by the Germans, took the machine gun from his disabled tank and advanced in full view of the attacking Germans, firing and inflicting heavy casualties on the Germans, halting the lead company and allowing the rest of the Guards time to reorganise and retire. He continued his attack, even when he was wounded. Charlton, now with just one arm, carried on firing until he collapsed from a further wound and loss of blood. His courageous and selfless disregard for his own safety helped most of the Irish Guards to escape capture. He later died of the wounds he had received. He was awarded the posthumous [[Victoria Cross|VC]], it was the last Victoria Cross of the European theatre, and the last, so far, of the Irish Guards. Unusually much of the citation was based on German accounts of the fight as most of his later actions were not witnessed by any of the Guards officers or surviving non-commissioned officers.

[[File:Win the Firefight MOD 45162915.jpg|thumb|Irish Guards during a training exercise in [[Belize]]. (2016)]]

====North Africa and Italy====

In March 1943 the 1st Irish Guards, who had been based in the UK since 1940, landed at the North African country of [[Tunisia]]. The battalion fought in the [[Medjez Plain]] area, seeing action at [[Djebel bou Aoukaz]], or 'Bou', during the bloody engagements to capture the area. Part of the area was took on the [[27 April]] and further fighting carried on for a number of days with the Irish Guards suffering heavy casualties in the process.

The Irish Guards were involved in the [[Yugoslav Wars|Balkans Conflicts]] when they were deployed to [[Republic of Macedonia|Macedonia]] and [[Kosovo]] in 1999 and were the first British unit to enter the Kosovan capital city of [[Pristina]] on 12 June. The regiment played a significant role in the initial stages of the [[Iraq War]] as part of the [[7th Armoured Brigade (United Kingdom)|7th Armoured Brigade]] and they led the British advance into [[Basra]] in March 2003.<ref>{{cite news| url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2008/sep/13/iraq.military|___location=London, UK|work=The Guardian|first1=Matthew|last1=Taylor|title=Beginners luck|date=13 September 2008}}</ref> The Irish Guards deployed to Iraq on Operation Telic 10 in 2007.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/object/1060036264|title=Irish Guards, Basra, Iraq, 2007|publisher=Imperial War Museum|access-date=13 December 2019}}</ref> In 2010, the regiment deployed on their first tour of duty to [[War in Afghanistan|Afghanistan]].<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-11440494|title=Irish Guards on tour of duty in Afghanistan|work=BBC News|date=30 September 2010|access-date=23 January 2018}}</ref> Number 2 Company deployed to Afghanistan in 2013 as a Brigade Operations Company.<ref name=":02">{{cite web|url=https://www.army.mod.uk/who-we-are/corps-regiments-and-units/infantry/irish-guards/|title=The Irish Guards|publisher=British Army|access-date=28 June 2019}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.nam.ac.uk/explore/irish-guards |title=The Irish Guards &#124; National Army Museum |publisher=Nam.ac.uk |date=2015-03-17 |access-date=2019-12-13}}</ref>

During an action on the 28th, Lance-Corporal [[John Patrick Kenneally|Kenneally]] of the 1st Irish Guards, charged down the forward slope of the ridge that his own company was positioned alone, attacking the main body of a German company that was preparing to attack, firing his [[Bren]] gun as he did so, causing so much surprise and confusion that the Germans broke in disorder and began to retreat. The Lance-Corporal returned to his position unharmed, firing his Bren on the Germans upon his return.

In 2014 the entire regiment deployed to Cyprus to patrol the buffer zone as part of Operation Tosca 20.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.forces.net/services/army/patrol-irish-guards-cyprus|title=On Patrol with the Irish Guards in Cyprus|publisher=Forces.net|date=16 July 2014|access-date=13 December 2019}}</ref> Following the [[Manchester Arena bombing]], the Irish Guards were deployed in London to guard key locations, including the [[Ministry of Defence (United Kingdom)|Ministry of Defence]] building in [[Whitehall]], as part of [[Operation Temperer]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.warfare.today/2017/05/24/first-troops-deployed-in-operation-temperer|title=First Troops Deployed in Operation Temperer|publisher=Warfare.Today|access-date=28 May 2017}}</ref> Later that year Number 1 Company deployed to the Falkland Islands as the Roulement Infantry Company while Number 2 Company deployed to Thailand on an overseas training exercise where they worked alongside the Thai Army.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.bangkokpost.com/thailand/general/1350395/uk-to-join-military-exercise|title=UK to join military exercise|date=19 October 2017|work=Bangkok Post|access-date=4 March 2020}}</ref>

On the [[30 April]] the Lance-Corporal repeated his brave actions when, accompanied by a Sergeant of the [[Reconnaissance Corps|RC]], charged the enemy who were forming up to assault the same position that the Lance-Corporal performed his daring feat. Both men charged the Germans, firing as they did so and inflicting heavy casualties on the Germans which resulted in the routing of the German force. The two men began to return to their position but as they did so, Kenneally was hit in the thigh. This, however, did not stop him. He carried on fighting, refusing to relinquish his Bren gun and leave his position. Despite his wound he fought for the rest of the day and for his actions was awarded the Victoria Cross, the regiment's first of the war.

=== 2019–2020 ===

Sixty hand-picked men of the Irish Guards were part of the 14,000 strong British contingent that took part in the victory parade in the capital [[Tunis]] on the [[20 May]] [[1943]]. In December that year the 1st Irish Guards reached [[Italy]].

December 2019 saw the Irish Guards deploy on two operations concurrently. Number 1 Company deployed to [[South Sudan]] on [[Operation Trenton]] and the rest of the battalion deployed to [[Iraq]] on [[Operation Shader]], training Iraqi Security Forces in the mission to defeat [[Daesh]]. However, the deployment rapidly changed in January 2020 with the escalation of the 2019–20 Persian Gulf crisis following the American [[2020 Baghdad International Airport airstrike|strike on Major General Qasem Soleimani]]. The Irish Guards' mission changed from training to force protection in order to protect British assets in Iraq from possible retaliation by [[Iran]]. Eventual de-escalation saw the Irish Guards resume their original mission.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.thetimes.com/article/trapped-in-a-middle-east-tinderbox-7t6ls9fxh|title=US will hit 'very fast and very hard' if Iran retaliates for Qassem Soleimani assassination, Trump warns|work=[[The Times]]|access-date=5 July 2019}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.forces.net/news/british-training-mission-suspended-iraq|title=British Army Training Mission Suspended in Iraq|date=5 January 2020|publisher=Forces.net|access-date=5 January 2020}}</ref>

==Role and organisation==

The battalion took part in the [[Operation Shingle|Anzio Landings]] on the [[22 January]] [[1944]]. The battalion saw much action at [[Carroceto]] only a few days after landing at [[Anzio]] where they repulsed a number of German attacks there. The battalion also took part in the attack on [[Campoleone]], experiencing very fierce fighting that saw the Irish Guards dwindle in manpower even more. A German counter-attack was launched a number of days later. The battalion inflicted heavy casualties on the attacking Germans, but the following day, became surrounded with little support against the armour of the Germans, and so were forced to fight their way out which they did successfully, but suffering many casualties in the process.

In the light infantry role the 1st Battalion comprised five companies; Nos. 1, 2, 3 and 4 Companies, and the [[Headquarters Company (UK)|Headquarters Company]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.irishguards.org.uk:80/pages/batt_layout/index.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080302001838/http://www.irishguards.org.uk/pages/batt_layout/index.html|archive-date=2 March 2008|title=The Irish Guards - The Battalion Layout|date=2008-03-02|access-date=2018-09-09|url-status=dead}}</ref> Following the [[Integrated Review]] and after the Queen's Birthday Parade 2022, 1st Battalion took on the [[security force assistance]] role for 4 years. With a much-reduced establishment, this role required a substantial readjustment to the battalion. Concurrently, the Irish Guards raised two [[British Army incremental infantry companies|public duties incremental companies]] (PDICs).<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.grengds.com/uploads/files/IR_Letter_final-RLC.pdf|title=Letter From: Lieutenant General C R V Walker DSO, Regimental Lieutenant Colonel regarding the Integrated Review}}</ref> These are Numbers 9 and 12 Companies, taking on Irish Guardsmen fresh out of the [[Infantry Training Centre (British Army)|Infantry Training Centre]] before the young soldiers progress to the 1st Battalion.<ref name="auto"/><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.thenorthernecho.co.uk/news/national/20895018.second-battalion-irish-guards-reactivated-75-years/|title=Second Battalion Irish Guards reactivated after 75 years|newspaper=The Northern Echo|date=2 September 2022|access-date=2 September 2022}}</ref> Nos. 9 and 12 Company carry on the customs and traditions of the former 2nd Battalion, Irish Guards.<ref name="auto"/> Finally there is Number 15 Company in the Army Reserve, based at Flodden Road, [[London]], which is operationally organised as part of 1st Battalion, [[London Guards]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5f8ef9d3373bfe707607fcfa/t/62250c3b19ebc628ec12dd84/1646595132676/20220301-LRA_AGM_28Feb22_Minutes-FINAL-v1.0.pdf|title=Minutes of an Annual General Meeting of the London Regiment Association held on Monday 28 February 2022 at 19.00 hours at Battalion Headquarters of the London Regiment, 27 St John's Hill, London SW11 1TT}}</ref>

==Recruitment==

A few further actions took place for the battalion's companies but, by April, the battalion was severely depleted in manpower and returned to the UK where they would remain for the duration of the war as a training battalion.

The regiment recruits in [[Northern Ireland]] and among residents of Irish extraction in Great Britain. Although restrictions in [[Republic of Ireland|Ireland]]'s Defence Act make it illegal to induce, procure or persuade enlistment of any citizen of Ireland into the military of another state,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.irishstatutebook.ie/1954/en/act/pub/0018/sec0312.html#zza18y1954s312|title=Defence Act, 1954|access-date=26 December 2015}}</ref> people from the Republic do frequently enlist in the Regiment.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/ireland/2008/0906/1220629535638.html?via=mr|title=Lure of combat draws Irish men and women to British army|date=6 September 2008|newspaper=The Irish Times|quote=Subscription required to view|access-date=2 November 2010|archive-date=22 October 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121022141805/http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/ireland/2008/0906/1220629535638.html?via=mr|url-status=dead}}</ref>

==Uniform==

===1945-Present day===

[[ImageFile:WolfhoundIrisch mascotGuards Drummers; First Dress ; Picture wb1;.jpg|thumb|right|The Irish Guards' mascot– Full Dress Drummers]]

[[File:Irish Guards lining up in a parade.jpg|alt=|thumb|1st Battalion Irish Guards are pictured lining up on parade during a state visit by the President of [[Indonesia]], [[Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono]] (2012)]]

Like the other Foot Guards regiments, the "[[Home Service Dress]]" of the Irish Guards is a scarlet tunic and [[bearskin]]. Buttons are worn in fours, reflecting the regiment's position as the fourth most senior Guards regiment, and the collar is adorned with embroided shamrock. They also sport a [[St. Patrick's blue]] [[hackle]] (plume) on the right side of the bearskin.<ref>

With Army demobilisation, the 3rd Irish Guards was disbanded in 1946, the 2nd doing so the following year. In 1947 the 1st Irish Guards deployed abroad for the first time since 1944, heading for troubled Palestine to perform internal security (IS) duties there. After the British left Palestine in May 1948, the battalion moved to [[Tripoli]], [[Libya]] and returned home in 1949. The battalion joined the [[British Army of the Rhine]] (BAOR) in [[West Germany]] in 1951, remaining there until 1953. After the battalion participated in ceremonial duty for the [[Coronation of the British monarch|Coronation]] of [[Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom|Queen Elizabeth II]], it was posted to the [[Suez Canal Zone]] in Egypt, remaining there until the British withdrawal in 1956.

{{cite web|url=http://www.irishguards.org.uk/pages/history/index.html|title=A brief history of the regiment|first=Bryn|last=Taylor|year=2006|access-date=15 April 2009|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090415071115/http://www.irishguards.org.uk/pages/history/index.html|archive-date=15 April 2009}}</ref> A plume of St Patrick's blue was selected because blue is the colour of the mantle and sash of the [[Order of St Patrick]], a chivalric order,<ref>{{cite book|title=Penny cyclopaedia of the Society for the Diffusion of Useful Knowledge, Volumes 13|year=1839|publisher=C. Knight|page=246}}</ref> founded by [[George III of the United Kingdom]] for the [[Kingdom of Ireland]] in February 1783<ref>Statutes and ordinances of the most illustrious Order of Saint Patrick, Dublin 1831, pp. 6–13.</ref> from which the regiment also draws its cap star and motto.<ref name="irishguards1">{{cite web|url=http://www.irishguards.org.uk/pages/history/index.html|title=The Irish Guards - A Brief History of The Regiment|access-date=26 December 2015|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151108021721/http://www.irishguards.org.uk/pages/history/index.html|archive-date= 8 November 2015}}</ref> The Irish Guards pipers wear saffron kilts, green hose with saffron flashes and heavy black shoes known as [[brogues]] with no spats, a rifle green [[doublet (clothing)|doublet]] with buttons in fours and a hat known as a [[caubeen]].The regimental capstar is worn over the piper's right eye and is topped by a blue hackle.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.thamesweb.co.uk/windsor/castle/guards.html|title=Identify the Guardsmen by their Buttons!|publisher=Royal Windsor|access-date=1 May 2016}}</ref> A green cloak with four silver buttons is worn over the shoulders and is secured by two green straps that cross over the chest.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.windsorexpress.co.uk/News/Areas/Windsor/Everything-you-need-to-know-about-the-Changing-of-the-Guard-at-Windsor-10032015.htm|title=Everything you need to know about the Changing of the Guard at Windsor|date=10 March 2015|publisher=Windsor Express|access-date=1 May 2016}}</ref>

[[File:Irish Guards Band State Opening of Parliament 2012.jpg|alt=|thumb|Band of the Irish Guards marching into Wellington Barracks following the Queen's Birthday Parade (2012)]]

In 1958, during troubles in [[Cyprus]] when there was much tension, indeed violence, between Greek and Turkish Cypriots and against the British forces by [[EOKA]], the regiment performed vital internal security duties. They returned to Britain in the closing months of that year. In 1961 it was back in [[West Germany]]. In 1966, the regiment moved to Aden, another colony experiencing violence. The Irish Guards returned home just before Aden gained independence from the British Empire in 1967.

In "Walking-out Dress", the Irish Guards can be identified by the green band on their [[forage cap]]s. Officers also traditionally carry a [[blackthorn]] cane.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://tintean.org.au/2014/03/06/irelands-blackthorn-stick|title=Ireland's Blackthorn Stick|publisher=Tintean|access-date=1 May 2016|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160602061659/https://tintean.org.au/2014/03/06/irelands-blackthorn-stick|archive-date=2 June 2016}}</ref>

In 1970 the regiment was posted to the [[Hong Kong]] garrison, remaining there for two years until its return to the UK. In 1974, the regiment re-roled as a [[mechanised infantry|mechanised]] battalion, subsequently being posted to the BAOR. In the same year, the regiment suffered their only fatal casualty of [[The Troubles]], when Guardsman Samuel Murphy was murdered in Belfast by the Provisional IRA in front of his mother, whilst on final home leave before leaving the army.

[[File:All smiles Wedding of Prince William of Wales and Kate Middleton.jpg|thumb|Prince William wearing an Irish Guards Tunic and Forage Cap at his wedding to Catherine Middleton (2011)]]

They returned to Britain from Germany in 1977, being posted at Windsor Castle, and soon found themselves with supporting roles in several high-profile diplomatic and foreign policy events. In July 1978, they secured the grounds around [[Leeds Castle]] for a preliminary meeting between Egyptian President Anwar Sadat and Israeli Foreign Minister Moshe Dayan prior to the historic [[Camp David Accords]]. In 1980, they were part of the British army force dispatched to the former [[Rhodesia]] (now [[Zimbabwe]]) to supervise that country's first internationally recognized elections as an independent country.

Like the other Guards regiments, they wear a khaki beret with the blue/red/blue Household Division backing patch on it. On the beret, ranks from Guardsman to Lance Sergeant wear a brass or staybrite cap badge, Sergeants and Colour Sergeants wear a bi-metal cap badge, Warrant Officers wear a silver plate gilt and enamel cap badge and commissioned officers of the regiment wear an embroidered cap badge.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/IRISH-GUARDS-OFFICERS-EMBROIDERED-CAP-BADGE-BACKING-/201552070427|title=Irish Guards officer's embroidered cap badge|access-date=1 May 2016}}</ref>

A year later, however, "The Troubles" reached into central London when a bus carrying men of the regiment to [[Chelsea Barracks]] was subject to a terrorist attack by the [[Irish Republican Army|IRA]], resulting in 23 soldiers being wounded and the deaths of two passers-by.

[[Prince William]], who was then Colonel of the Irish Guards, wore the uniform of the Irish Guards at [[Wedding of Prince William and Catherine Middleton|his wedding]] to [[Catherine Middleton]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/royal-wedding/8481741/Royal-wedding-Prince-William-marries-in-Irish-Guards-red.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220112/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/royal-wedding/8481741/Royal-wedding-Prince-William-marries-in-Irish-Guards-red.html |archive-date=12 January 2022 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live|title=Royal wedding: Prince William marries in Irish Guards red|date=29 April 2011|work=Telegraph.co.uk|access-date=1 May 2016}}{{cbignore}}</ref>

The regiment returned to the BAOR the following year, just missing the [[Falklands War]]. In 1986 the regiment returned home where they received their new Colours in 1988 by HM The Queen. They deployed to the Central American country of [[Belize]] that year. At that time, Belize still felt threatened by its neighbour [[Guatemala]] which did not recognise Belize's independence in 1981 as Guatemala believed that Belize belonged to it. The regiment was posted to the British sector of [[West Berlin]] in 1989, their first and only deployment to the city. The regiment were present when the [[Berlin Wall]] fell that year. They left the newly united Berlin in 1992.

==Motto==

The Irish Guards, in common with the other British Army regiments of Irish origin, were long exempted from service in Northern Ireland. (Small numbers of Irish Guarsdmen, however, gained experience in Ulster while attached to other Guards regiments during their service in the troubled province.) The drawdown in the overall size of the British Army following the end of the Cold War, however, meant that this policy was no longer sustainable. The year 1992 saw the regiment finally carry out its first tour-of-duty in [[Northern Ireland]], being based in [[County Fermanagh]]. The violence in NI had mostly subsided by this time. They left the following year. In 1995 their second tour of NI began, based in [[County Tyrone]]. The regiment headed for Germany in 1998 as part of [[British Forces Germany]], successor to BAOR.

The regiment takes its motto, [[Quis separabit?|''Quis Separabit?'']], or "Who shall separate us?", from the [[Order of St Patrick]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.cam.ac.uk/societies/cuhags/orderofc/spatrick.htm|title=Cambridge University Heraldic and Genealogical Society - Orders of Chivalry|publisher=cam.ac.uk|access-date=25 October 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20030112085457/http://www.cam.ac.uk/societies/cuhags/orderofc/spatrick.htm|archive-date=12 January 2003|url-status=dead}}</ref>

==Nickname==

During the troubles in the [[Balkans]] in 1999, a company of the Irish Guards deployed to former Yugoslav [[Republic of Macedonia]] while the rest deployed to [[Kosovo]], forming the Irish Guards Battle Group. The Battle Group was the first British unit to enter the Kosovan capital city of [[Pristina]] on [[12 June]] and were greeted by the local population who treated the Guards like heroes. After the town had been secured the battle group began to consolidate its position, moving across the surrounding countryside to secure it. The Battle Group performed professionally, attempting to prevent violence from breaking out between the [[Albania]]n and [[Serbs|Serb]] Kosovans while also helping to rebuild the country. The regiment left in September, heading back to Germany.

The Irish Guards are known throughout the British Army as "the Micks" or "Fighting Micks." The term "Mick" is an offensive term for an Irish person; however it is proudly used internally within the regiment.<ref>{{cite web |title=Irish Central |url=https://www.irishcentral.com/news/micks-irish-guards |website=Irish Central|date=2 June 2022 }}</ref>

==Training==

In 2000, the 100th year of the creation of the Irish Guards, [[Liverpool]] granted them the freedom of the city. The following year the regiment took part in training exercises in [[Poland]], [[British Army Training Unit Suffield|BATUS]] in [[Canada]] and the large exercise in [[Oman]] called [[Saif Sareea II]].

[[File:Helles Barracks Parade Ground - geograph.org.uk - 1192460.jpg|thumb|Recruits practicing drill on Catterick parade square (2009)]]

Recruits to the [[Guards Division]] go through a thirty-week training programme at the [[Infantry Training Centre (British Army)|Infantry Training Centre]] (ITC). The training is two weeks more than the training for the Regular [[infantry]] regiments of the British Army; the extra training, carried out throughout the course, is devoted to drill and ceremonies.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.army.mod.uk/training_education/24572.aspx|title=Combat Infantryman's Course – Foot Guards|publisher=Ministry of Defence|access-date=27 April 2014}}</ref>

At the funeral of the [[Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon|Queen Mother]] in 2002, the coffin bearer-party was made up of Irish Guardsmen. This was a remarkable honor, given the fact that the late Queen Mother not only was not the regiment's colonel (she was, in fact, colonel-in-chief of the [[Black Watch]]), she had no official connection with the regiment at all, in spite of her long identification with it.

==Mascot==

In 2003, the regiment deployed to [[Kuwait]] during the build-up to the [[2003 Iraq War|Iraq War]]. The Irish Guards were part of the [[British 7th Armoured Brigade|7th Armoured Brigade]] (successor of the famed [[British 7th Armoured Division|7th Armoured Division]], 'The Desert Rats') and began training for the war. The battalion was split up with companies, platoons and sections being attached to various units of the Desert Rats. Upon crossing the Iraq border, the Desert Rats began the journey towards the area around [[Basra]], gradually taking control of much of the area that surrounded Iraq's second largest city.

[[File:Wolfhound mascot wb.jpg|thumb|Mascot [[Irish Wolfhound]] (2004)]]

Since 1902, an [[Irish Wolfhound]] has been presented as a [[mascot]] to the regiment by the Irish Wolfhound Club, who originally hoped the publicity would increase the breed's popularity with the public. The first mascot was called [[Brian Boru]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.irishwolfhounds.org/mascots.htm|title=Regimental mascots - Irish Guards 1902-1910|access-date=26 December 2015}}</ref>

In 1961, the wolfhound was admitted to the select club of official Army mascots, entitling him to the services of the [[Royal Army Veterinary Corps]], as well as quartering and food at public expense. Originally, the mascot was in the care of a drummer boy, but is now looked after by one of the regiment's drummers and his family. The Irish Guards are the only Guards regiment permitted to have their mascot lead them on parade. During [[Trooping the Colour]], the mascot marches only from [[Wellington Barracks]] as far as [[Horse Guards Parade]]. He then falls out of the formation and does not participate in the Trooping itself. Domhnall, the regiment's seventeenth mascot, retired back to Ireland, in 2019.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.independent.ie/irish-news/irish-guards-calling-for-honourable-retirement-for-irish-wolfhound-domhnall-36830644.html|title=Irish Guards calling for 'honourable' retirement for Irish wolfhound Domhnall|work=The Independent|date=22 April 2018|access-date=4 March 2020}}</ref>

Soldiers of the Irish Guards led the British advance on Basra from late March, helping in securing objectives on the outskirts of the city. During the [[Battle of Basra]], the Irish Guards lost two soldiers: Lance Corporal [[Ian Keith Malone]] and Piper Christopher Muzvuru. The latter was a native of Zimbabwe, and was the first black piper in the regiment's history. The regiment claim to have been the first to enter Basra on [[6 April]], stating they did so many hours before the [[Parachute Regiment]]. The Irish Guards reverted from a war-role to performing many duties that would be familiar to any British soldier that has served in Northern Ireland. They performed these duties until early May when they left Iraq.

==Traditions and affiliations==

Sadly, the regiment's service in Iraq ended on a sour note, with three Irish Guardsmen being indicted for manslaughter in the death of a young Iraqi who was pushed into a canal and apparently drowned. The three were acquitted at court martial in June 2006, and while they afterwards made statements critical of the Army high command, they praised the support they received from the Irish Guards.

[[File:Buckingham Palace (3694847301).jpg|thumb|The Drums & Pipes (2017)]]

[[Saint Patrick's Day|St Patrick's Day]] is the traditional regimental celebration.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.irishguards.org.uk/pages/lifeinbatt/paddyday.html|title=The Irish Guards - St Patrick's Day|access-date=26 December 2015|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151108054314/http://www.irishguards.org.uk/pages/lifeinbatt/paddyday.html|archive-date=8 November 2015}}</ref> It is customary for the regiment to begin the day's celebrations with the Guardsmen being woken by their officers and served [[Gunfire (drink)|gunfire]].<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/prince-william/12197337/Prince-William-fills-in-for-Kate-as-he-presents-Irish-Guards-with-St-Patricks-Day-shamrock.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160317185005/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/prince-william/12197337/Prince-William-fills-in-for-Kate-as-he-presents-Irish-Guards-with-St-Patricks-Day-shamrock.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=2016-03-17|___location=London, UK|work=The Daily Telegraph|title=Prince William fills in for Kate as he presents Irish Guards with St Patrick's Day shamrock}}</ref> Fresh shamrock is then presented to members of the regiment, whether they are in the UK or abroad on operations.<ref name="irishguards1"/>

Except in wartime, the presentation of shamrock is traditionally made by a member of the royal family. This task was first performed in 1901 by [[Alexandra of Denmark|Queen Alexandra]] and later by [[Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother]]. After the latter's death, the presentation was made by [[Anne, Princess Royal]]. Starting in 2012, the presentation has been made by [[Catherine, Princess of Wales]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-17413847|title=Duchess of Cambridge presents shamrocks to Irish Guards|publisher=BBC|date=17 March 2012|access-date=16 August 2020}}</ref>

In 2005, the 1st Battalion, Irish Guards became the first unit to be officially awarded [[battle honours]] for service in Iraq - this was to enable these to be displayed on the battalion's new [[colours, standards and guidons|regimental colour]] during the [[Trooping the Colour|Sovereign's Birthday Parade]].

In 1950 [[George VI]] marked the fiftieth anniversary of the formation of the Irish Guards by presenting the shamrocks on St Patrick's Day.<ref>[https://www.royal.uk/duke-cambridge-joins-irish-guards-st-patricks-day-parade?page=14 The Duke of Cambridge Joins the Irish Guards at the St Patrick´s Day Parade]. (17 March 2016) Royal.uk. Retrieved 8 January 2019</ref> This honour was mirrored by King George's surviving wife, Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother, fifty years later when she presented shamrocks to the regiment on St. Patrick's Day in their centenary year of 2000.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/682924.stm|___location=London, UK|work=BBC|title=Queen Mother greets Irish Guards}}</ref>

As part of the [[Delivering Security in a Changing World|reforms]] of the army announced in [[2004]], the Irish Guards will remain as a single battalion regiment but be given a fixed role. It will serve as a light infantry battalion, alternating with the [[Coldstream Guards]] on [[public duties]] in [[Windsor]].

==Band History==

The [http://www.army.mod.uk/bands/irish_guards/ Regimental Band] was formed at about the same time as the regiment itself and consisted of 35 musicians with a Warrant Officer, Mr. C.H. Hassell, as the Bandmaster. The most notable event in these early years occurred in 1905 when the band was invited to make what turned out to be the first of many tours of Canada.

During two World Wars the band frequently travelled to active service areas performing concerts for the troops. Commitments during the Second World War became so intense that the strength of the band was increased to 65 musicians. It has toured extensively and in addition to Canada has visited the USA, Australia, Argentina, Chile, Uruguay, Italy, Germany, France, Luxembourg, Switzerland, Hong Kong, Japan and Egypt. In Japan the band was accorded the unique privilege of being the first band ever to perform inside the Imperial Palace in the presence of the Empress and two Crown Princes.

The band is permanently stationed in London and has an establishment for 49 musicians from which it provides a Concert Band, Marching Band, Orchestra, Dance Band, Brass Quintet and Fanfare Trumpeters.

The band has numerous recordings to its credit and has broadcast frequently, one such broadcast being the British premier of Hindemith's Symphony for Concert Band. On retirement from the Band, a number of musicians have continued their musical careers with national orchestras such as the Halle Orchestra and The Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, or working in the world of popular music, recording with artists such as [[Sting]] and [[Tom Jones (singer)]].

In common with the other Guards regiments, the Irish Guards also have a "Corps of Drums", which is, in fact, a fife and drum band.

Like the Scots Guards, the Irish Guards also feature a pipe band. The Drums and Pipes were formed during the First World War, with the first two sets of [[Great Irish Warpipes]] being donated by [[John Redmond]], the leader of the Irish National Party in Parliament, whose son was serving with the regiment as an officer. Unlike the regimental band, pipe bands are based at battalion level, and when additional battalions are raised for wartime service, pipe bands are also raised to accompany them. (See list of pipe majors below.)

For several decades, Irish Guards pipers carried the [[Great Irish Warpipes]], essentially a two-drone version of the three-drone Scottish Highland Bagpipe. In 1968, the Highland pipe was standardized throughout the British Army and has been used by the Irish Guards ever since.

Members of the regimental band are full-time musicians who train for duty as medical assistants in wartime. Pipers and drummers, however, are full-time soldiers who undertake their musical responsibilities on a part-time basis. A regimental piper [[Ian Keith Malone |Lance Corporal Ian Malone]] was killed during Operation Telic in Iraq.

==Uniform, Motto, Nicknames, Mascot and Traditions==

'''Uniform'''

Like their sister Guards regiments, the "Home Service Dress" of the Irish Guards is a scarlet tunic and [[bearskin]]. Buttons are worn in two rows of four, reflecting the regiment's position as the fourth most senior Guards regiment, and the collar is adorned with a [[shamrock]] on either side. They also sport a blue plume on the right side of the bearskin.

A blue, rather than an Irish green, plume was selected because blue is the color of the mantle and sash of the [[Order of St. Patrick|Knights of St. Patrick]], Ireland's order of chivalry, from which the regiment draws its capstar and motto. Also, the uniform of the [[Royal Dublin Fusiliers]], which were still in existence at the time the Irish Guards were formed, was a scarlet tunic and bearskin with a green plume. To prevent confusion, the Irish Guards opted for a blue plume.

In "walking out dress", the Irish Guards can be identified by the green band on their forage caps. Officers also traditionally carry an Irish [[blackthorn]] walking stick.

The uniform of the Irish Guards pipers is, like the [[Scots Guards]], a kilt and tunic, yet is also very different. Irish pipers wear saffron kilts rather than tartan, green hose with saffron flashes and heavy black shoes known as brogues with no spats, a rifle green doublet with buttons in fours and a floppy Irish beret known as a caubeen rather than a feather bonnet. The regimental capstar is worn over the piper's right eye and is topped by a blue hackle. A white tunic is available for wear in the tropics. The pipe major, like the pipe major of the Scots Guards, also holds a warrant as personal piper to Her Majesty, the Queen.

'''Motto'''

The regiment takes its motto, "Quis Separabit", or "Who shall separate us?" from the [[Order of St. Patrick]], which is currently in abeyance.

'''Nickname'''

The Irish Guards are known affectionately throughout the Army as "the Micks." An earlier nickname, "Bob's Own", after Field Marshal Lord Roberts, their first colonel, has fallen into disuse.

'''Mascot'''

Since 1902, an [[Irish Wolfhound]] has been presented as a mascot to the regiment by the members of the Irish Wolfhound Club, who hoped the publicity would increase the breed's popularity with the public.

The first mascot was called [[Brian Boru]], after Ireland's great national hero. There have been 12 more since, all named after Irish High Kings or heroes. In 1961, the wolfhound was admitted to the select club of "official" Army mascots, entitling him to the services of the Royal Army Veterinary Corps, as well as quartering and food at public expense. Originally, the mascot was in the care of a drummer boy, but is now looked after by one of the regiment's drummers and his family. The Irish Guards are the only Guards regiment permitted to have their mascot lead them on parade. During [[Trooping the Colour]], however, the mascot marches only from Chelsea Barracks as far as [[Horse Guards Parade]]. He then falls out. He does not participate in the trooping itself.

'''Traditions and Affiliations'''

[[St. Patrick's Day]] is the traditional regimental holiday (although Orangemen's Day, [[The Twelfth]] of July, is also marked with gusto). Fresh shamrock is presented to the members of the regiment, no matter where it is stationed. Except in wartime, the presentation is traditionally made by a member of the Royal Family. This task was first performed in 1901 by HM Queen [[Alexandra of Denmark|Alexandra]] and later by HM Queen [[Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon|Elizabeth]], the Queen Mother. Since the latter's death, the presentation has been made by the [[Anne, Princess Royal|Princess Royal]]. On the regiment's 50th anniversary in 1950, King George VI made the presentation in person. In 1989, the Queen Mother was unable to make the journey to Belize, where the battalion was stationed, and the Grand Duke of Luxembourg substituted for her.

The regiment is also associated with [[HMS Portland (F79)|HMS Portland]], as well as the 4th Battalion, [[Royal Australian Regiment]].

==Battle honours==

[[File:An officer of the 1st Battalion, the Irish Guards holds the Regimental Colours.jpg|thumb|The Queen's Colour of the 1st Battalion Irish Guards, displaying some of the Regiment's battle honours (2012)]]

*''First World War'': [[Battle of Mons|Mons]], [[Retreat from Mons]], [[First Battle of the Marne|Marne 1914]], [[Battle of Aisne|Aisne 1914]], [[Battle of Ypres|Ypres 1914 1917]], [[Battle of Langemarck|Langemarck 1914]], [[Battle of Gheluvelt]], [[Battle of Nonne Bosschen|Nonne Bosschen]], [[Battle of Festubert|Festubert 1915]], [[Battle of Loos|Loos]], [[Battle of the Somme|Somme 1916 1918]], [[Battle of Flers-Courcelette|Flers-Courcelette]], [[Battle of Morval|Morval]], [[Battle of Pilckem|Pilckem]], [[Battle of Poelcapelle|Poelcapelle]], [[Battle of Passchendaele|Passchendaele]], [[Battle of Cambrai|Cambrai 1917 1918]], [[Battle of St. Quentin (1918)|St. Quentin]], [[Battle of Lys|Lys]], [[Battle of Hazebrouck|Hazebrouck]], [[Battle of Albert|Albert 1918]], [[Battle of Bapaume|Bapaume 1918]], [[Battle of Arras|Arras 1918]], [[Battle of Scarpe|Scarpe 1918]], [[Battle of Drocourt-Quéant|Drocourt-Quéant]], [[Hindenburg Line]], [[Canal du Nord]], [[Battle of Selle|Selle]], [[Battle of Sambre|Sambre]], [[Western Front (WWI)|France and Flanders 1914–18]]

*''Second World War'':

** ''North-West Europe'': [[Pothus]], [[Norwegian Campaign|Norway 1940]], [[Operation Dynamo|Boulogne 1940]], [[Cagny, Calvados|Cagny]], [[Mont Pincon]], [[Neerpelt]], [[Nijmegen]], [[Aam]], [[Rhineland]], [[Hochwald]], [[Rhine]], [[Bentheim]], North-West Europe [[North-West Europe Campaign of 1940|1940]] [[North-West Europe Campaign of 1944-1945|1944–45]],

** ''North Africa'': [[Medjez Plain]], [[Djebel bou Aoukaz]], [[North Africa|North Africa 1943]],

** ''Italy'': [[Anzio]], [[Aprilia]], [[Carroceto]], [[Italy|Italy 1943–44]]

*[[Battle of Basra|Al Basrah 2003]], [[2003 invasion of Iraq|Iraq 2003]]

The regiment's battle honours are as follows:<ref name="regimentsorg">{{cite web|url=http://regiments.org/regiments/uk/guards/f-4IG.htm|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20051028185313/http://regiments.org/regiments/uk/guards/f-4IG.htm|archive-date=2005-10-28|title=Irish Guards|publisher=Regiments.org|access-date=8 February 2019}}</ref>

==Victoria Cross winners==

*First World War: [[Battle of Mons|Mons]], [[Retreat from Mons]], [[First Battle of the Marne|Marne 1914]], [[First Battle of the Aisne|Aisne 1914]], [[First Battle of Ypres|Ypres 1914]] and [[Battle of Passchendaele|17]], [[Battle of Langemarck (1914)|Langemarck 1914]], [[Battle of Gheluvelt]], [[Battle of Nonne Bosschen|Nonne Bosschen]], [[Battle of Festubert|Festubert 1915]], [[Battle of Loos|Loos]], [[Battle of the Somme|Somme 1916]] and [[Operation Michael|1918]], [[Battle of Flers–Courcelette|Flers–Courcelette]], [[Battle of Morval|Morval]], [[Battle of Pilckem|Pilckem]], [[Battle of Poelcapelle|Poelcapelle]], [[Passchendaele (Battle honour)|Passchendaele]], [[Battle of Cambrai (1917)|Cambrai 1917]] and [[Battle of Cambrai (1918)|1918]], [[Battle of St. Quentin (March 1918)|St. Quentin]], [[Battle of the Lys (1918)|Lys]], [[Battle of Hazebrouck|Hazebrouck]], [[Battle of Albert (1918)|Albert 1918]], [[Second Battle of Bapaume|Bapaume 1918]], [[Battle of Arras (1918)|Arras 1918]], [[Battle of the Scarpe (1918)|Scarpe 1918]], [[Battle of Drocourt-Quéant|Drocourt-Quéant]], [[Hindenburg Line]], [[Battle of Canal du Nord|Canal du Nord]], [[Pursuit to the Selle|Selle]], [[Battle of the Sambre (1918)|Sambre]], [[Western Front (World War I)|France and Flanders 1914–18]]

*[[Edward Colquhoun Charlton|Guardsman Edward Colquhoun Charlton, 2nd Battalion, The Irish Guards]]

*Second World War:

*[[John Patrick Kenneally|Lance-Corporal John Patrick Kenneally, 1st Battalion, The Irish Guards]]

** North-West Europe: [[Actions in Nordland|Pothus]], [[Norwegian Campaign|Norway 1940]], [[Battle of Boulogne (1940)|Boulogne 1940]], [[Cagny, Calvados|Cagny]], [[Mont Pincon]], [[Neerpelt]], [[Nijmegen]], [[Aam]], [[Rhineland]], [[Operation Blockbuster|Hochwald]], [[Rhine]], [[County of Bentheim (district)|Bentheim]], [[North-West Europe Campaign of 1940|North-West Europe 1940]] [[North-West Europe Campaign of 1944-1945|1944–45]],

*[[James Marshall (soldier)|Acting Lieutenant-Colonel James Marshall, Irish Guards but attached to the 16th Battalion, The Lancashire Fusiliers]]

** North Africa: [[Tunisia Campaign|Medjez Plain]], [[Tunisia Campaign|Djebel bou Aoukaz]], [[North Africa|North Africa 1943]],

*[[John Moyney|Lance-Sergeant John Moyney, 2nd Battalion, The Irish Guards]]

** Italy: [[Anzio]], [[Aprilia]], [[Operation Shingle|Carroceto]], [[Italy|Italy 1943–44]]

*[[Michael O'Leary (VC)|Lance-Corporal Michael O'Leary, 1st Battalion, The Irish Guards]]

*[[Battle of Basra (2003)|Al Basrah 2003]], [[2003 invasion of Iraq|Iraq 2003]]

*[[Thomas Woodcock (VC)|Private Thomas Woodcock, 2nd Battalion, The Irish Guards]]

==Victoria Cross recipients==

==Colonels of the Regiment==

*[[Guardsman]] [[Edward Colquhoun Charlton]], 2nd Battalion, The Irish Guards<ref>"Europe's Last VC&nbsp;— Guardsman Edward Charlton", ''After the Battle'' (magazine) No. 49, 1985. Contains additional memoirs of the surviving Irish Guards officers and men and German officers which correct the original citation.</ref>

*[[Lance corporal|Lance Corporal]] [[John Kenneally]], 1st Battalion, The Irish Guards<ref>{{London Gazette |issue= 36136|date=13 August 1943 |page=3689|supp=y}}</ref>

*[[Acting rank|Acting]] [[Lieutenant colonel (United Kingdom)|Lieutenant Colonel]] [[James Marshall (VC)|James Marshall]], Irish Guards (attached to the 16th Battalion, The Lancashire Fusiliers)<ref>{{London Gazette| issue=31178 |pages=2249–2250|date=11 February 1919}}</ref>

*[[Lance sergeant|Lance Sergeant]] [[John Moyney]], 2nd Battalion, The Irish Guards<ref>{{London Gazette|issue=30338|supp=y|page=10678|date=16 October 1917 }}</ref>

*Lance Corporal [[Michael John O'Leary|Michael O'Leary]], 1st Battalion, The Irish Guards<ref>{{London Gazette|issue=29074|page=1700|date=16 February 1915|supp=y}}</ref>

*[[Guardsman]] [[Thomas Woodcock (VC)|Thomas Woodcock]], 2nd Battalion, The Irish Guards<ref>{{London Gazette|issue=30338|supp=y|pages=10678–10679|date=16 October 1917 }}</ref>

==Notable members==

British Army regiments typically feature an honorary "colonel", often a member of the Royal Family or a prominent retired military officer with connections to the regiment, who functions as a kind of patron or guardian of the regiment's interests in high government circles. (HM the Queen is colonel-in-chief of all Guards regiments.)

*[[Field marshal|Field Marshal]] [[Harold Alexander, 1st Earl Alexander of Tunis]]<ref>{{London Gazette| issue=28533| date=22 September 1911|page=6950}}</ref>

*[[Francis Browne]]<ref>[http://www.irishcatholic.ie/photo-gallery/world-war-i-through-lens World War 1 through a lens] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170806223547/http://www.irishcatholic.ie/photo-gallery/world-war-i-through-lens |date=6 August 2017 }} by EE O'Donnell SJ, ''[[The Irish Catholic]]'', 7 August 2014.</ref>

*[[General (United Kingdom)|General]] Sir [[Mark Carleton-Smith]]<ref>{{London Gazette|issue=49156|supp=y|page=14267|date=1 November 1982}}</ref>

*[[James Chichester-Clark]]<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2002/05/20/db2001.xml |___location=London |work=The Daily Telegraph |title=Lord Moyola |date=20 May 2002 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060427025753/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=%2Fnews%2F2002%2F05%2F20%2Fdb2001.xml |archive-date=27 April 2006 }}</ref>

*[[Jean, Grand Duke of Luxembourg]]<ref>{{Cite web|title = Le Grand-Duc Jean - Cour Grand-Ducale de Luxembourg - Famille grand-ducale|url = http://www.monarchie.lu/fr/famille/grand-duc-jean/|website = www.monarchie.lu|access-date = 21 January 2016}}</ref>

*[[Arthur Charles Evans]]<ref>{{cite book|title=Sojourn in Silesia: 1940–1945: Amazon.co.uk: Arthur Charles Evans CBE, Catherine Aldous, Pat McNeill: 9781898030829: Books |id={{ASIN|1898030820|country=uk}} }}</ref>

*Sir [[John Gorman (politician)|John Gorman]]<ref>{{cite news | url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/obituaries/10860970/Sir-John-Gorman-obituary.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220112/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/obituaries/10860970/Sir-John-Gorman-obituary.html |archive-date=12 January 2022 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live | title=Obituary - Sir John Gorman | work=The Daily Telegraph| date=28 May 2014 | access-date=28 March 2015}}{{cbignore}}</ref>

*[[Lieutenant]] [[John Kipling]]<ref>{{London Gazette|issue=29070|page=1565|date=16 February 1915}}</ref>

* Sir [[Patrick Leigh Fermor]]<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/obituaries/military-obituaries/special-forces-obituaries/8568395/Sir-Patrick-Leigh-Fermor.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220112/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/obituaries/military-obituaries/special-forces-obituaries/8568395/Sir-Patrick-Leigh-Fermor.html |archive-date=12 January 2022 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live|title=Patrick Leigh Fermor (obituary)|newspaper=[[The Daily Telegraph]]|___location=London|date=10 June 2011}}{{cbignore}}</ref>

*[[Nigel Morgan]]<ref>{{cite web |author1=Telegraph Obituaries |title=Nigel 'Nosher' Morgan|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/obituaries/2019/01/21/nigel-nosher-morgan-adventurer-embroiled-abortive-wonga-coup/ |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220112/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/obituaries/2019/01/21/nigel-nosher-morgan-adventurer-embroiled-abortive-wonga-coup/ |archive-date=12 January 2022 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live |website=[[The Daily Telegraph|The Telegraph]] |access-date=7 March 2020 |date=21 January 2019}}{{cbignore}}</ref>

*[[Lieutenant colonel (United Kingdom)|Lieutenant Colonel]] [[George Henry Morris]]<ref>Kipling, Rudyard (1923). The Irish Guards in the Great War. Macmillan.</ref>

*[[Liam O'Flaherty]]<ref>Ó hEithir, Breandán, ''An Chaint sa tSráidbhaile''. Comhar Teoranta, 1991, p. 164. {{ISBN|978-0-631-23580-4}}</ref>

*[[Brigadier (United Kingdom)|Brigadier]] [[Joe Vandeleur]]<ref>{{cite web| url= http://www.unithistories.com/officers/Army_officers_V01.html#Vandeleur_|title= Vandeleur, Joe| website= unithistories.com|access-date= 4 February 2020}}</ref>

*Lieutenant Colonel [[Giles Vandeleur]]<ref>{{cite web| url= http://www.unithistories.com/officers/Army_officers_V01.html#Vandeleur_|title= Vandeleur, Giles Alexander Meysey| website= unithistories.com|access-date= 4 February 2020}}</ref>

==Colonels-in-Chief==

The Irish Guards colonels have been:

[[Edward VII|King Edward VII]] assumed the colonelcy-in-chief of the regiment on his accession,<ref>{{London Gazette

| issue = 27289

| date = 26 February 1901

| page = 1417

}}</ref> and subsequent monarchs have also been colonel-in-chief.<ref>{{cite web |year=1957 |title=Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II - Colonel in chief of the seven regiments of the Household Brigade taking the salute outside Buckingham Palace after last year's Trooping the Colour Ceremony |url=https://www.abebooks.co.uk/Majesty-Queen-Elizabeth-Colonel-chief-seven/22858546575/bd |publisher=Gale & Polden |___location=London}}</ref>

* 1901–1910: [[Edward VII|King Edward VII]]

Field Marshal Sir [[Frederick Roberts, 1st Earl Roberts]] of Kandahar and Pretoria and the City of Waterford, VC, KG, KP, PC, GCB, OM, GCSI, GCIE. Appointed Oct. 17, 1900.

* 1915–1936: [[George V|King George V]]

* Jan 1936–Dec 1936: [[Edward VIII|King Edward VIII]]

* 1936–1952: [[George VI|King George VI]]

* 1952–2022: [[Elizabeth II|Queen Elizabeth II]]

* 2022–present: [[Charles III|King Charles III]]

==Regimental Colonels==

Field Marshal Sir [[Herbert Kitchener, 1st Earl Kitchener]] of Khartoum and of Broome, KG, KP, PC, GCB, OM, GCSI, GCIE. Appointed Nov. 15, 1914.

[[File:Prince William Trooping the Colour.JPG|upright|thumb|The then Duke of Cambridge at Queen Elizabeth II's Birthday Parade, June 2013]]

The following is a list of individuals who have served in the role of colonel of the regiment:

*1900–1914: Field Marshal Sir [[JohnFrederick FrenchRoberts, 1st Earl of YpresRoberts]] and High Lake, KP, PC, GCB, OM, GCVO, KCMG, ADC. Appointed June 6, 1916.

*1914–1916: Field Marshal [[Herbert Kitchener, 1st Earl Kitchener]]

*1916–1925: Field Marshal [[John French, 1st Earl of Ypres]]

*1925–1946: Field Marshal [[Rudolph Lambart, 10th Earl of Cavan]]

*1946–1969: Field Marshal [[Harold Alexander, 1st Earl Alexander of Tunis]]

*1969–1984: General Sir [[Basil Eugster]]

*1984–2000: General [[Jean, Grand Duke of Luxembourg]]<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.irishguards.org.uk/pages/history/recent.html|title=The Irish Guards - A Brief History, 1980 to The Present Day|access-date=26 December 2015|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20030725041307/http://www.irishguards.org.uk/pages/history/recent.html|archive-date=25 July 2003}}</ref>

*2000–2008: Lieutenant [[James Hamilton, 5th Duke of Abercorn]]<ref>{{London Gazette|issue=56020|date=7 November 2000|page=12480|supp=1}}</ref>

*2008–2011: Major General Sir [[Sebastian Roberts]]

*2011–2022: Lieutenant Colonel [[William, Prince of Wales]]<ref>{{cite news| url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/theroyalfamily/8316560/Prince-William-becomes-Colonel-of-the-Irish-Guards.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220112/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/theroyalfamily/8316560/Prince-William-becomes-Colonel-of-the-Irish-Guards.html |archive-date=12 January 2022 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live|title=Prince William becomes Colonel of the Irish Guards|date= 10 February 2011 |newspaper=The Telegraph |access-date=10 February 2011}}{{cbignore}}</ref>

*2022–present: [[Catherine, Princess of Wales]]<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/buckingham-palace-prince-of-wales-princess-of-wales-horse-guards-parade-welsh-guards-b2249678.html|title=Kate takes on Colonel of Irish Guards position from William|work=The Independent|first=Laura|last=Parnaby|date=21 December 2022|accessdate=22 December 2022}}</ref>

==Regimental Lieutenant Colonels==

Field Marshal Sir [[Frederick Lambart, 10th Earl of Cavan]], KP, GCB, GCMG, GCVO, GBE, DCL, LLD, DL. Appointed May 23, 1925.

{{Incomplete list|date=May 2022}}

The Regimental Lieutenant Colonels have included:<ref name="gulabin.com">[http://www.gulabin.com/armynavy/pdf/REGIMENTAL%20COs.pdf Regiments and Commanding Officers, 1960–].</ref>

* 1900–1905: [[Colonel (United Kingdom)|Col.]] [[Vesey John Dawson]]<ref>{{London Gazette|nolink=y|issue=27227|page=5554|date=7 September 1900}}</ref><ref>{{London Gazette|nolink=y|issue=27838|page=6396|date=22 September 1905}}</ref>

* 1905–1909: Col. Richard J. Cooper<ref>{{London Gazette|nolink=y|issue=27834|page=6125|date=8 September 1905}}</ref>

* 1909–1913: Col. [[George Colborne Nugent]]<ref>{{London Gazette|nolink=y|issue=28270|page=5383|date=13 July 1909}}</ref>

* 1913–1914: Col. [[Charles FitzClarence]]<ref>{{London Gazette|nolink=y|issue=28737|page=5058|date=15 July 1913}}</ref>

* 1914–1917: Col. [[Douglas Proby|Douglas J. Proby]]<ref>{{London Gazette|nolink=y|issue=28880|supp=y|page=6779|date=26 August 1914}}</ref>

* 1917–1918: Col. [[Reginald Brabazon, 13th Earl of Meath|Lord Ardee]]<ref>{{London Gazette|nolink=y|issue=29967|page=2126|date=2 March 1917}}</ref>

* 1918–1919: Col. [[Hall baronets#Hall baronets, of Dunglass (1687)|Sir John R. Hall, 9th Baronet]]<ref>{{London Gazette|nolink=y|issue=30481|supp=3|page=941|date=17 January 1918}}</ref>

* 1919–1924: Col. [[Robert McCalmont|Robert C. A. McCalmont]]<ref>{{London Gazette|nolink=y|issue=31268|supp=4|page=4353|date=2 April 1919}}</ref>

* 1924–1928: Col. [[William Darell (British Army officer)|William H. V. Darell]]<ref>{{London Gazette|nolink=y|issue=32922|page=2608|date=28 March 1924}}</ref>

* 1928–1930: Col. The Hon. [[Harold Alexander, 1st Earl Alexander of Tunis|Harold R. L. G. Alexander]]<ref>{{London Gazette|nolink=y|issue=33371|page=2341|date=30 March 1928}}</ref>

* 1930–1931: Col. [[Robert Pollok (British Army officer)|Robert V. Pollok]]<ref>{{London Gazette|nolink=y|issue=33572|page=427|date=21 January 1930}}</ref><ref name="auto1">{{London Gazette|nolink=y|issue=33766|page=6876|date=27 October 1931}}</ref>

* 1931–1935: Col. L. M. Gregson<ref name="auto1"/><ref>{{London Gazette|nolink=y|issue=34209|page=6453|date=18 October 1935}}</ref>

* 1935–1936: Col. A. G. C. Dawnay<ref>{{London Gazette|nolink=y|issue=34211|page=6699|date=25 October 1935}}</ref><ref>{{London Gazette|nolink=y|issue=34308|page=4745|date=24 July 1936}}</ref>

* 1936–1938: Col. J. S. N. Fitzgerald<ref>{{London Gazette|nolink=y|issue=34309|page=4819|date=28 July 1936}}</ref><ref>{{London Gazette|nolink=y|issue=34542|page=5289|date=16 August 1938}}</ref>

* 1938–1939: Col. R. Bruce S. Reford<ref>{{London Gazette|nolink=y|issue=34543|page=5356|date=19 August 1938}}</ref>

* 1939–?: Col. The Hon. T. E. Vesey

* 1959–1961: Col. Henry L. S. Young

* 1961–1964: Col. James W. Berridge

* 1964–1966: Col. Michael J. P. O'Cock

* 1966–1969: Col. [[William Harvey-Kelly|Charles W. D. Harvey-Kelly]]

* 1969–1972: Col. J. Anthony Aylmer

* 1972–1973: Col. John G. F. Head

* 1973–1976: Col. Prince John N. Ghika

* 1976–1979: Col. Giles A. Allan

* 1979–1981: Col. Richard T. P. Hume

* 1981–1985: Col. James H. Baker

* 1985–1988: Col. [[Sir William Mahon, 7th Baronet|Sir William W. Mahon, 7th Baronet]]

* 1988–1991: [[Brigadier (United Kingdom)|Brig.]] [[Robert Corbett (British Army officer)|Robert J. S. Corbett]]

* 1991–1995: Brig. David B. W. Webb-Carter

* 1995–1999: Brig. R. Christopher Wolverson

* 1999–2008: [[Major-general (United Kingdom)|Maj.-Gen.]] Sir [[Sebastian Roberts|Sebastian J. L. Roberts]]

* 2008–2012: Maj.-Gen. Sir [[William Cubitt (British Army officer)|William G. Cubitt]]

* 2012–2022: [[General (United Kingdom)|Gen.]] Sir [[Mark Carleton-Smith|Mark A. P. Carleton-Smith]]<ref>{{London Gazette| issue=60099|date= 27 March 2012 |page=6080|supp=y}}</ref>

* 2022–present: Maj.-Gen. Sir [[Chris Ghika|Christopher J. Ghika]]<ref>{{London Gazette|issue=63895|date=6 December 2022 |page=23363|supp=y}}</ref>

== Commanding Officers ==

Field Marshal Sir [[Harold Alexander, 1st Earl Alexander of Tunis]] and Errigal in the County of Donegal, KG, PC, GCB, OM, GCMG, CSI, DSO, MC, CDL, LLD. Appointed Aug. 28, 1946.

Commanding Officers have included (since 2001):<ref name="gulabin.com"/>

* 2001–2003: [[Lieutenant colonel (United Kingdom)|Lt.-Col.]] James R. H. Stopford

Gen. Sir Basil Oscar Paul Eugster, KCB, KCVO, CBE, DSO, MC, MA. Appointed June 17, 1969.

* 2003–2006: Lt.-Col. [[Charlie Knaggs|Charles P. H. Knaggs]]

* 2006–2008: Lt.-Col. Michael G. C. O'Dwyer

* 2008–2010: Lt.-Col. Benjamin C. Farrell

* 2010–2012: Lt.-Col. [[Chris Ghika|Christopher J. Ghika]]

* 2012–2014: Lt.-Col. Edward T. Boanas

* 2014–2017: Lt.-Col. I. Alexander J. Turner

* 2017–2019: Lt.-Col. Jonathan A. E. Palmer

* 2019–2022: Lt.-Col. Robert P. Money

* 2022–2024: Lt.-Col. James Aldridge

* 2024–present: Lt.-Col. Benjamin J. Irwin-Clark

==Order of precedence==

Gen. HRH [[Jean, Grand Duke of Luxembourg]], KG. Appointed Aug. 21, 1984.

{{S-start}}

{{S-bef|before=[[Scots Guards]]}}

{{S-ttl|title=[[British Army Order of Precedence|Infantry Order of Precedence]]}}

{{S-aft|after=[[Welsh Guards]]}}

{{S-end}}

==Alliances==

HG [[James Hamilton, 5th Duke of Abercorn]], KG. Appointed Nov. 1, 2000.

*{{flagu|Australia}} – [[4th Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment]]<ref name="regimentsorg"/>

*{{flagu|Montserrat}} – [[Royal Montserrat Defence Force]]<ref>{{cite web |url=https://discovermni.com/2019/01/28/montserrat-defence-force-hosting-irish-guards-and-mod-officials/ |title=Montserrat Defence Force Hosting Irish Guards and MOD Officials |author=<!--Not stated--> |date=28 January 2019 |website=Discover Montserrat |access-date=17 September 2020 }}</ref>

*{{flagu|France}} – [[13th Demi-Brigade of the Foreign Legion|13^e Demi-Brigade de Légion Étrangère]] (Bond of Friendship)<ref>{{cite book|title=The Doomed Expedition: The Campaign in Norway, 1940|first= Jack |last=Adams|publisher=Pen and Sword|year=1989|isbn=978-0850520361}}</ref>

The Irish Guards and other Guards regiments have a long-standing connection to [[Parachute Regiment (United Kingdom)|The Parachute Regiment]]. Irish Guardsmen who have completed [[P company|P Company]] can be seconded to the Guards Parachute Platoon, which is currently attached to the [[3rd Battalion, Parachute Regiment|3rd Battalion, The Parachute Regiment]]. The Guards Parachute Platoon maintains the tradition established by Number 1 (Guards) Independent Parachute Company that was part of the original [[Pathfinder Group]] of [[16th Parachute Brigade]], which has since been designated as the [[16th Air Assault Brigade]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.paradata.org.uk/units/no-1-guards-independent-parachute-company |title=No 1 (Guards) Independent Parachute Company |publisher=ParaData |access-date=10 January 2013 |archive-date=21 July 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150721141401/http://www.paradata.org.uk/units/no-1-guards-independent-parachute-company |url-status=dead }}</ref>

==Directors of Music==

==Notes==

Capt. C.H. Hassel, OBE, 1900-1929

{{notelist}}

==Citations==

Capt. J.L.T. Hurd, 1929-1938

{{reflist|colwidth=30em}}

==References==

Maj. G. H. Wilcocks, MBE, MVO, 1938-1948

*[https://web.archive.org/web/20050210192530/http://1914-1918.net/irisguards.htm The Long, Long Trail – Irish Guards]

*[https://web.archive.org/web/20100528161802/http://www.irishguards.org.uk/ Irish Guards.org.uk]

Lt. Col. C.H. Jaeger, OBE, LRAM, ARCM, psm, 1948-1969

*{{cite book|last=Verney|first= Peter |year=1970|title=The Micks: The Story of the Irish Guards|publisher= Peter Davis|isbn = 0-432-18650-6}}

*{{cite book|last=Johnstone|first= Thomas |year=1992|title=Orange and Green and Khaki: The Story of the Irish Regiments in the Great War, 1914–18 |___location=Dublin|publisher= Gill and MacMillen|isbn = 978-0-7171-1994-3}}

Major E.G. Horabin, LRAM, ARCM, psm, 1969-1977

*{{cite book|last=Harris|first= R. G. |year=1988|title=The Irish Regiments: A Pictorial History, 1683–1987 |___location=Tunbridge Wells, Kent|publisher= Nutshell|isbn = 1-871876-00-1}}

*{{cite book|last=Harris|first= Henry |year=1968|title=The Irish Regiments in the First World War |___location=Cork|publisher= Mercier Press}}

Lt. Col. M.G. Lane, ARCM, psm, 1977-1989

*{{cite book|last=Murphy|first= David |year=2007|title=Irish Regiments in the World Wars |___location=Oxford|publisher= Osprey|isbn = 978-1-84603-015-4}}

*{{cite book|last=Kipling|first= Rudyard |year=1923|title=The Irish Guards in the Great War |___location=London}}

Major M.J. Henderson, psm, 1989-1998

* {{cite book| last1=Wilkinson| first1=Peter| author-link1=Peter Wilkinson (diplomat)| last2=Astley| first2=Joan Bright| author-link2=Joan Bright Astley| title=Gubbins and SOE| publisher=Pen & Sword Military| year=2010| ___location=Barnsley| isbn=978-1-84884-421-6}}

* {{cite book |url=http://www.ibiblio.org/hyperwar/UN/UK/UK-NWE-Flanders/ |access-date=29 June 2015 |first=Major L. F. |last=Ellis |author-link=Lionel Ellis |editor-last=Butler |editor-first=J. R. M. |editor-link=James Ramsay Montagu Butler |series=History of the Second World War United Kingdom Military Series |title=The War in France and Flanders 1939–1940 |publisher=Naval & Military Press |year=2004 |orig-year=1st. pub. [[HMSO]] 1954 |isbn= 978-1-84574-056-6}}

Lt. Col. A.R. Chatburn, BA, ARCM, psm, 1998-2005

* {{cite book |first = Major P. B. |last =Randel|others = Crawford, W. H. (illustrator) |editor1-last= Wilson |editor1-first= Major D. B. |title = A short history of 30 Corps in the European Campaign 1944–1945 |publisher = MLRS Books |year = 2006 |orig-year = 1945 | isbn = 978-1-905973-69-9 }}

* {{citation | first = Cornelius | last = Ryan | title = [[A Bridge Too Far (book)|A Bridge Too Far]] | author-link = Cornelius Ryan | publisher = Wordsworth Editions | year = 1999 | orig-year = 1974 | isbn = 978-1-84022-213-5 }}

Maj. S.C. Barnwell BBCM, psm, 2005-

*{{cite book |title=Monty's Greatest Victory: The Drive for the Baltic April – May 1945 |last=Whiting |first=Charles |year=2002 |publisher= Pen & Sword Books |isbn=0-85052-909-3 |page=84}}

* {{cite book |last=d'Este| first=Carlo |year=1991 |title=Fatal Decision: Anzio and the Battle for Rome |publisher=Harper |___location=New York |isbn=0-06-015890-5 }}

==Pipe Majors==

Original title of "Sergeant Piper" was changed to "Pipe Major" via Army Order 139 of 1928, change to date from July 31, 1928. On St. Patrick's Day 1991, the Queen Mother presented the regiment with its first-ever pipe banner. This is carried by the pipe major on the bass drone of his pipes when a member of the Royal Family is present.

'''1st Battalion'''

Sgt. T. Atkins, 1917(?)-36;

Sgt. F. Cosgrove, 1936-39;

CSgt. R.J. Batt, 1939-40;

WO2 J. Smyth, 1940-43;

Sgt. A.F. Phair, 1943-49;

WO2 J. Ramsey, 1950-54;

WO2 T.R. Ramsey, 1954-61, 1963-72;

Capt. H.F. Groves, 1961-63;

CSgt. W. Lyons, 1972-78;

CSgt. J.M. Johnston, 1978-81;

Sgt. K.J. Frazer, 1981-1991;

Sgt. J. Stranix, 1991-1993;

Sgt. J. Martin, 1993-95;

Sgt. R. Tumulty, 1995-00;

Sgt. R. Allan, 2000-05;

Sgt. D. Rogers, 05-Present

'''2nd Battalion'''

Sgt. J.T. Crozier, 1941-44;

CSgt. R.J. Batt, 1945-47;

'''3rd Battalion'''

CSgt. R.J. Batt, 1941-44;

Sgt. E. Norbury, 1944-46

'''Training Battalion'''

WO2 J. Smyth, 1940;

CSgt. R.J. Batt, 1940-41, 1944-45

==Order of Precedence==

{{start box}}

{{order of precedence |

before= [[Scots Guards]] |

title= [[British Army Order of Precedence|Infantry Order of Precedence]]|

after= [[Welsh Guards]]

}}

{{end box}}

==Alliances==

*{{AUS}} - [[4th Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment]]

*{{RN}} - [[HMS Portland (F79)|HMS ''Portland'']]

==ReferencesExternal links==

{{Commons category}}

*"Europe's Last VC - Guardsman Edward Charlton", ''After the Battle'' (magazine) No. 49, 1985. Contains additional memoirs of the surviving Irish Guards officers and men and German officers which correct the original citation.

*[httphttps://www.army.mod.uk/irishguardswho-we-are/ Army.mod.uk corps-regiments-and-units/infantry/irish-guards/ Irish Guards page on British Army website]

*[httphttps://wwwtheguardsmuseum.1914-1918.netcom/irisguards.htm The Long,Guards Museum Long(history Trailof -the IrishFoot Guards)]

*[https://web.archive.org/web/20120224154346/http://british-army-units1945on.co.uk/default.aspx British Army locations from 1945]

*[http://www.irishguards.org.uk/ Irish Guards.org.uk]

*[https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-11794655 Irish soldier is injured in Afghanistan blast]

*[http://www.regiments.org/regiments/uk/guards/f-4IG.htm Regiments.org - Irish Guards]

*{{YouTube|rljk5VoAbUs|"St Patrick's Day - Quick March of the Irish Guards "}}

http://www.irish-guards.co.uk/origin-irish-guards.htm

leads*{{YouTube|RumH5UpvbBo|"Let intoErin theRemember Loyal- StuartSlow ServiceMarch of the before Irish Guards. "}}

{{British Army Infantry Regiments}}

[[Category:1900 establishments]]

{{British Infantry Regiments World War I}}

[[Category:British Army infantry regiments]]

{{British Infantry}}

[[Category:Irish Guards|*]]

[[Category:British Ceremonial Units]]

[[Category:Guards Regiments]]

[[deCategory:Irish Guards| ]]

[[Category:Guards regiments]]

[[Category:Military units and formations established in 1900]]

[[Category:Regiments of the British Army in World War I]]

[[Category:Regiments of the British Army in World War II]]

[[Category:Irish regiments of the British Army]]

[[Category:Military units and formations of the United Kingdom in the War in Afghanistan (2001–2021)]]

[[Category:Military units and formations of the United Kingdom in the Iraq War]]

[[Category:1900 establishments in the United Kingdom]]