The Irish Guards were formed on 1st April
1900 by order of HRH Queen Victoria to commemorate the bravery
of the Irish people who fought in the Boer war. The Irish
Guards played a major part in both World Wars, winning a
total
of six Victoria Crosses including the last to be presented
in the Second World War and have seen armed conflict in
many
parts of the world since 1945.
On 21st April 1900, the first
recruit, James O'Brien of Limerick, was enlisted and many
followed as a free transfer was offered to all Irishmen
serving
not only in the Guards Brigade but also from the line Regiments.
The
Irish Guards are presented with shamrock on every St Patrick's
day (17th March) by a member of the Royal Family. This dates
back to 1901 when HRH Princess Alexandra presented the
Battalion
with it for the first time. Until recent years this duty
has been carried out by HM Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother
but
the honor has now been passed to other members of the Royal
family.
The Irish Guards, originally nicknamed "Bob's
Own" after Lord Roberts, the First Colonel of the
Regiment, are affectionately and widely known as "The
Micks".
No other Regiment of Foot Guards has such a widely accepted
nickname. |
