Short History of The Royal Irish Regiment
(27th (Inniskilling) 83rd, 87th and The Ulster Defence Regiment)

The history of The Royal Irish Regiment can be traced back to 20th June 1689 and the raising of 'Tiffins Greys', later to become the 27th (or Inniskilling) Regiment of Foot, to face the deposed James II. They first saw action at the Battle of the Boyne. Interestingly,two companies of the 27th Regiment fought alongside the 18th(later known as The Royal Irish Regiment) at the Battle of Namur in 1695. The original Royal Irish Regiment was later disbanded in 1922.

Of the remaining regimental antecedents, the 83rd, 86th, 87th and 89th were all raised in 1793 during the Napoleonic Wars whilst the 108th was incorporated into the Army from the East India Company in 1861 following the Indian Mutiny. On 1st July 1881, the Cardwell Reforms (so called after the then Secretary of State for War) saw the amalgamations of the 27th and 108th to form The Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers, the 83rd and 86th to form The Royal Irish (later Ulster) Rifles, and the 87th and 89th to form Princess Victoria's (Royal Irish Fusiliers). On 1st July 1968 these three Regiments amalgamated again to form The Royal Irish Rangers.

The Ulster Defence Regiment was raised in April 1970 'to protect border and the State against sabotage and armed attack in Northern Ireland'. At the height of the Troubles there were 11 operational Ulster Defence Regiment Battalions fighting terrorism in the Province. During the Regiment's 22 year history 197 soldiers and officers gave their lives; 16 were decorated for gallantry and 298 were mentioned in dispatches.

On 1 July 1992 The Royal Irish Rangers and The Ulster Defence Regiment amalgamated to form The Royal Irish Regiment. This Regiment is now unique in the British Army. It consists of one General Service Battalion liable for service world wide, six Home Service Battalions for service within Northern Ireland, and one Territorial Army Battalion with a role in NATO's Rapid Reaction Corps. Regimental Headquarters and the Depot are in Ballymena to provide the administrative and training base for the largest Infantry Regiment in the Army.