kilkenny fusilier malitia

[stav01]

hi

I am trying to establish the facts regarding the military units located in kilkenny military barracks since it was built in 1811.
So far i know it was a recruiting area for the 18th regimient of foot, until 1881 when the name was changed to the royal irish regiment. things get a bit clouded then i know that the 5bn RIR located in the barracks. I have seen the officers mess wine book records 1890-1908. but records show some of the soldiers which were in the 5th bn also show as being in the 4th bn RIR. I have also seen a cap badge for the kilkenny fusilier militia any ideas anyone.

[km1971]

You cannot assume that Kilkenny was a recruiting ground for any particular regiment until circa the 1870s. Almost every regiment moved around the British Isles picking up recruits as they went. And in times of shortage they would send recruiting parties far and wide, so ones stationed in Cork, Dublin etc would have recruited in Kilkenny.

If you search for Kilkenny in the National Archives Catalogue - http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/catalogue/search.asp?j=1 - looking for entries under WO97 – you can see the range of regiments men from Kilkenny joined. These show records for men discharged before the end of 1854. Only 11 out of 1000 men joined the 18th Regiment.

The headquarters for the Royal Irish Regiment was in Clonmel. The 5th Battalion of the RI Regt. had formerly been the Kilkenny (Fusiliers) Militia. The 4th Battalion used to be the North Tipperary Militia, and the 3rd Bn were the Wexford Militia. As well as regular battalions passing through there was the Kilkenny Yeomanry (mounted militia) around in the 1820s. Only the headquarters of the militia units would have been in the barracks. When they were called out for training or ‘assisting the civil powers’ the militia would have used tents or were billeted on the local population. Semi-retired officers acted as billeting officers to find places for men to sleep. They covered the whole of the UK.

Ken

[stav01]

thanks for the information ken.
it is very helpful.
i have access to a number of items from the kilkenny fusilier militia. however it is very difficult to find records from the units which passed through the barracks in the city. there is a mascot dog called LION who is buried in the barracks he served in the boar war believe it or not. there is also a record of a volunteer motor corps from a nearby town called callan and i cant find any information on it. any ideas

[km1971]

If you live in the area the best place to look are the BMD records of the local churches. Also the local newspapers.

Ken

[mgbarrett1]

stav

 liam bolger a local kilkenny man did a thesis on the military in kilkenny up to about 1870 if i remember. he has a listed the units  that were there from about 1850 i have a copy  somewhere i will root it out for you and send the list to you.


regards martin

[stav01]

that would be great. thanks

information difficult to source.

stav01