Combined Irish Regiments Association

To support our Annual Parade at the Cenotaph, which takes place in June each year, do consider becoming a Member of the Combined Irish Regiments' Association. ciroca.org.uk/home/membershi… Our next parade steps off from King Charles Street at 1030am on Sunday 14 June 2026.

It was 166 years ago today that the Marquess of Donegall taught the band to play…they’ve been going in and out of style…

Remembering the London Irish Rifles’ fallen from two World Wars.

A few observation clips from yesterday’s parade at the RBL National Parade.

30 London Irish Riflemen on parade today.

28 October 1943, Brigadier Nelson Russell at the Trigno river: "I went to San Giacomo to talk to the chaps. They seemed to feel 'Everybody buys it once & often twice, so it must have been our turn but – wasn’t it a pity about the wee Colonel. We’ll have to square all that.'.."

27 October 1943, 38 (Irish) Brigade at the Trigno river: "Beauchamp Butler, forward as usual encouraging his chaps, was killed by an MG bullet. A somewhat similar fate had befallen the London Irish. Kevin O’Connor was killed by a shell & they had lost two Company Commanders."

27 October 1943, 38 (Irish) Brigade at the Trigno river: "An unlucky mortar bomb killed Paddy Proctor & all his Platoon Commanders as they were planning to attack the final ridge. Dennis Dunn, commanding the other leading Coy, was killed by a shell."

27 October 1943, 38 (Irish) Brigade at the Trigno river south of San Salvo: "The Brigade was ordered to take San Salvo by night attack on 27th/28th October. But things were fated to go badly...."

Termoli, 6 October 1943: "The Irish Brigade had distinguished itself in this very difficult operation. Their reputation, carried forward from Tunisia & Sicily, grew in stature until, as one historian commented that ‘they became the finest fighting brigade in the British Army’..."

Termoli, 6 October 1943: "The battle, & the danger from 16th Panzer, was over. Much credit was given to the Canadian tankies whose motto, recalled Major Bala Bredin, second-in-command of the Faughs, was ‘Have a Go, Joe’..."

Termoli, 6 October 1943: "The attack was launched at 1130 with the Faughs on the right flank & Inniskillings on the left. Opposition was tough. The London Irish had been stepped up between the coast & the road & moved to take the cemetery & a small hill a mile outside Termoli."

Termoli, 5/6 October 1943: "With 16th Panzer still bearing down on 78th Division’s positions, the arrival of the Irish Brigade, & armour, was critical. By 0245 on 6 Oct, the flotilla of 7 vessels carrying the brigade landed, having come under shellfire on the way into the port."

Termoli, 5/6 October 1943: "....'A pleasant peacetime cruise.’ as described at 13 Corps HQ. Brigadier Nelson Russell was assured that his brigade was unlikely to be fighting ‘for a fortnight or so’. As Nelson later commented wryly, ‘this did not go according to plan.'...."

5 October 1943, 1 RIrF on their way to Termoli: Lt Col Beauchamp Butler and Major Brian Clark.

Ecoivres Military Cemetery… to pay our respects to the 31 London Irish Riflemen buried here… QS

Ecoivres, Dud Corner, Philosophe and Arras CWGC cemeteries today… around 20% of our lads from the First World War are buried or in Memorial at these locations. QS.

Remembering the lads of the London Irish Rifles in 🇫🇷 during 1915.

An excellent weekend in northern 🇫🇷 to take the opportunity to pause to remember our young lads resting at peace and to give thanks to all our friends in Loos-en-Gohelle… 🙏 QS

The Battle of Loos, 25 September 1915: