The Royal Irish Regiment

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For the contemporary regiment, see The Royal Irish Regiment (27th (Inniskilling) 83rd and 87th and Ulster Defence Regiment)

The Royal Irish Regiment was an infantry regiment of the line in the British Army, first raised in 1684. It saw service for two and a half centuries before being disbanded in 1922.

The regiment was formed in 1684 by the Earl of Granard from independent companies in Ireland. In 1695, the regiment became known as the Royal Regiment of Ireland due to its performance at Namur under the direction of King William III. The regiment also won the right to display the King's arms on their colours along with the harp and crown. The regiment served throughout the turn of the 18th century in continental battles before being sent to Gibraltar. In 1751, the regiment was officially ranked as the 18th Regiment of Foot - although it was older than all but six other line regiments, it had not been placed on the English establishment until 1689, lowering its precedence.

The regiment was in Ireland during the majority of the Seven Years War and was ordered to America on January 1, 1767. The regiment arrived at Philadelphia on July 11, 1767 under the command of Lieutenant Colonel John Wilkins. The majority of the regiment was ordered to Illinois in early 1768 and remained in Illinois until April 1772 when Fort Chartres(IL) was abandoned. A small portion of the regiment remained in Illinois until May 1776 under the command of Captain Hugh Lord. The rest of the regiment was present in Boston, where the grenadier company participated in the Battles of Lexington and Concord and Bunker Hill, its first formal combat in more than 50 years. The regiment was drafted into other regiments in Boston in Dec. 1775 and at Detroit in July 1776. The Royal Irish returned to Gibraltar in 1783, where they remained until the defense of Toulon.

In 1881 the regiment became the Royal Irish Regiment, and served as the county regiment of Tipperary, Wexford and Kilkenny. Following service in the First World War, the regiment was one of those disbanded after the establishment of the Irish Free State in 1922.