The Royal Irish Rangers (27th (Inniskilling), 83rd and 87th) was a regular light infantry regiment of the British Army with a relatively short existence, formed in 1968 and later merged with the Ulster Defence Regiment in 1992 to form the Royal Irish Regiment.
History
Creation
The Royal Irish Rangers came into being on 1 July 1968 through the amalgamation of the three regiments of the North Irish Brigade: the Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers, the Royal Ulster Rifles and the Royal Irish Fusiliers. The date was initially known as "Vesting Day" (and then "Rangers Day"), emphasising that the traditions of the old regiments were "vested" in the new large regiment. The three regiments had old and differing traditions (Rifle and Fusilier) and to avoid favouring one above another, the unique designation "Rangers" was adopted. The title had not existed in the British Army since 1922.
Deployments
The 1st Battalion moved to Barrosa Barracks in Hemer, Germany in September 1970 from where units were deployed to Cyprus on peacekeeping duties in November 1971. The battalion returned home in July 1974 where it was stationed in Battlesbury Barracks in Warminster it became the infantry demonstration Battalion. Two years later it moved to RAF Little Rissington in the Cotswolds, before being sent to Berlin in May 1979.
Roll of honour
Post 1968
- 21 May 1972. Ranger William J Best – 1 R IRISH. A 19-year-old on leave from Germany, abducted from his mother's home in Derry and killed by the OIRA.
- 19 July 1972. Staff Sergeant Talaiasi Labalaba BEM, MID – 2 R IRISH (attached 22 SAS). During Battle of Mirbat in Oman.
- 9 May 1984. Corporal Trevor May - 4(V) R IRISH. Killed in Newry when an Improvised explosive device placed under a car exploded. at Teebane Crossroads, near Cookstown, County Tyrone, while on a civilian bus carrying workers from Lisanelly army barracks at Omagh. The lyrics relate the story of a French teacher attempting to make himself understood to a difficult Killaloe class. Originally in time, it was made well known in military circles by a cousin of the composer - Lt. Charles Martin of the 88th Connaught Rangers (The Devil's Own). He composed new lyrics, in time, celebrating his Regiment's fame. No mention is made of the tune in the Regimental history, but there is an explanation that may account for the shout or yell in the military version of Killaloe.
Lineage
|- style="text-align: center; background: #c4df9b;"
| style="text-align:center;" colspan="4"|Lineage
|- style="text-align:center;"
| rowspan="6" style="width:25%; "| The Royal Irish Rangers (27th (Inniskilling) 83rd and 87th)
| rowspan="2" style="width:25%; "| The Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers
| style="width:25%; "| The 27th (Inniskilling) Regiment of Foot
|-
| style="width:25%; text-align:center;"| The 108th Regiment of Foot (Madras Infantry)
|- style="text-align:center;"
| rowspan="2" style="width:25%; "| The Royal Ulster Rifles
| style="width:25%; "| The 83rd (County of Dublin) Regiment of Foot
|-
| style="width:25%; text-align:center;"| The 86th (Royal County Down) Regiment of Foot
|-
| rowspan="2" style="width:25%; text-align:center;"| The Royal Irish Fusiliers (Princess Victoria's)
| style="width:25%; text-align:center;"| The 87th (Royal Irish Fusiliers) Regiment of Foot
|-
| style="width:25%; text-align:center;"| The 89th (The Princess Victoria's) Regiment of Foot
Regimental Colonels
Colonels of the Regiment were: