Dates: 1793 - 1968
The Royal Ulster Rifles (formerly Royal Irish Rifles) was an Irish infantry regiment of the British Army. It saw service in the The Great War and the Second World War, before being amalgamated into the Royal Irish Rangers in 1968.
The regiment’s history dates backs to the reign of King George III. In 1793 the British army expanded to meet the commitments of the war with the French First Republic. As part of that expansion it raised two new Regiments of Foot, the 83rd and the 86th. At the same time the counties Antrim, Down and Louth Regiments of Militia were raised.
In 1881, under the Cardwell Reforms, the 83rd and 86th were amalgamated into a single regiment, named the Royal Irish Rifles. It was one of eight Irish regiments raised and garrisoned in Ireland and was the county regiment of Antrim, Down and Louth, with its garrison depot located at Belfast. Militarily, the whole of Ireland was administered as a separate command within the United Kingdom with Command Headquarters at Parkgate (Phoenix Park) Dublin, directly under the War Office in London.
The Royal Irish Rifles was connected with the British 36th (Ulster) Division and 16th (Irish) Division during The Great War. The unionist militias, the Ulster Volunteer Force and Young Citizens Volunteers had amalgamated with the 36th whilst the nationalist National Volunteers had joined the 16th after the outbreak of the Great War.
In 1921, following the proclamation of the Irish Free State, the Royal Irish Rifles was renamed the Royal Ulster Rifles, with the regimental district of Louth ceded to the newly independent state
Forces Reunited Forum Posts involving Royal Irish Rifles
" I have over the years visited many CWGC sites and always left with a sense of peace and a lump in my throat like a spacehopper. In May 2007 I visited for the first time the Thiepval Memorial to the missing. I found the name of my Great Uncle Tommy Millar there who was in the 12Bn Royal Irish Rifles ..."
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" Quoting: Ian Millar I have over the years visited many CWGC sites and always left with a sense of peace and a lump in my throat like a spacehopper. In May 2007 I visited for the first time the Thiepval Memorial to the missing. I found the name of my Great Uncle Tommy Millar there who was in ..."
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" My Great-Uncle, Rfn 11/6862 Thomas Millar (aged 17) who was in the Royal Irish Rifles as part of the 36th (Ulster) Division was killed on the first day of the battle of the Somme, 1st July 1916. I have done a lot of research on this man and downloaded his medal card a couple of years ago. What a ..."
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" I always remember my Great Uncle, Rfn 11/6862 Thomas Millar, Royal Irish Rifles, who was one month short of his 18th birthday when he was killed on the first day of the battle of the Somme 1st July 1916. Family history tells that at around 0630hrs Tommy was blown to bits by some sort of bomb ..."
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" My Great Uncle Tommy Millar was killed on the first day of the Somme. He was serving with the 12th Bn Royal Irish Rifles and his regimental number was 11/6862 (perhaps you know him TC? ). He was one month shy of his 18th birthday! His surviving comrades told his Mother that he was killed by a ..."
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