Jump to content
News Ticker
  • I am now accepting the following payment methods: Card Payments, Apple Pay, Google Pay and PayPal
  • Latest News

    Kilkenny2015

    Standard Membership
    • Posts

      3
    • Joined

    • Last visited

    Everything posted by Kilkenny2015

    1. Dave, true to an extent. Items were imported to Ireland from England and were often stamped with the retailers name. Still done to this day. Not all early & later Garda uniform items were made in Ireland or indeed by John Ireland & Son, Ellis Quay, Dublin. However, records do indicate that he was a tailor and a clothing manufacture! John Ireland did make handmade uniform items - tailored officers suits, caps, hats, belts, helmets, etc. in his shop and later factories {Listing: Ireland, Jno. & Son, army clothiers, cap and accoutrement makers 11, Rathmines Road, Dublin. Listing: Ireland, John, esq. Mer Vue, Booterstown, Dublin}. John Ireland was the premier supplier of police uniforms in the 19th century in Ireland. He did also import helmets that were made in England. Early 4 panel Garda helmets I am near certain were made by, issued & stamped John Ireland & Son (interior). I know for a fact the later 6 panel Garda helmets (1940's) were supplied by Hobson & Sons Ltd., London and were issued with a Hobson & Sons stamps on the interior. Prior to An Garda Síochána (1922/23), the Royal Irish Constabulary (R.I.C.) & Dublin Metropolitan Police (D.M.P.) helmets were imported from Hobson & Sons Ltd., London (issued & stamped Hobson & Sons Ltd. on the interior). When Ireland became Independent - 'The Irish Free State' in 1922 there was an emphasis on or even an expectation of having all things (uniforms etc.) made/labelled as Irish or at least manufuctured in Ireland where possible. Kind of…nolonger a future need to rely on the 'Crown' for a lot goods and services being imported into Ireland. Why there was a boom in Irish handmade and handcrafted goods from the 1920’s onwards in Ireland. However, inevitably it was not always possible to have everything produced in Ireland as not all the necessary goods and services manufacturing facilities exsisted in Ireland - i.e gun, munitions & steel helmet manufacturing, Military & Police vehicle manufacturing etc. The early Garda Day Plate, Night Plate and Cap badges were more than likely made by the J. & M. Co. - The Jewel and Metal Manufacturing Company of Ireland, 17 Wood Street Dublin 8, which was established & owned by a Jewish family, the Segal family. They also manufacturered the early Irish Defence Forces/Irish Army cap badges, belt buckles and buttons etc. under government contract. Later Garda helmet plates and cap badges were manufactured in and imported from England. Possibly by Gaunt. Early Garda 'The Metropolitan' whistles were made in Birmingham by John Hudson & Co. 244 Barr Street. All early Garda buttons were stamped John Ireland and Son. From the 1940's onwards most Garda metal uniform accoutrement pieces (cap badges, helmet plates and collar badges, buckles & buttons etc.) were made in and imported from England. This was due to cost as it was deemed too expensive to manufacture large numbers of uniform & accoutrement pieces in Ireland. Garda buttons were then made by Firmin (Firmin & Sons) London, Buttons Ltd., Birmingham & Gaunt (J.R. Gaunt & Sons) of London over various time periods from the 1930's & 1940's onwards. And still to this day. Until 2010 all Garda caps were handmade in Ireland by MizenHead Ltd., County Cork and previously they were made by Dermot Meade & Co. 14 Aughrim Street Dublin under the Capucius Ltd., brand and later by Mary Meade, Howth Road, Dublin under the Carnacille brand. Most current Garda uniform items (peak caps, shirts, pants etc.) have been subcontracted out by the J.B.S Group County Monaghan, in 2010 who got the government's uniform supplier contract for An Garda Síochána, Irish Defence Forces & Irish Prison Service and are currently manufactured in Pakistan & Inida (made in Pakistan by Uniform Accessories & Anwar & Sons.), brought back here (and also to England) and labelled for the Irish (or U.K) market with an Irish or indeed even an English company's brand label. I.e. current Garda uniform items are supplied by Hunter Apparel Solutions, Headquarters in Derry City – uniforms are labelled Hunter Apparel & Churchill Workwear brands. Jeeves of Liverpool make current WCH wallet holder badges and Wyedean Weaving Co., U.K make current belts and crested buckles. See J. & M. Co. badge attached.
    2. That helmet is incorrect! It is a "Second Issue" later '6 panel' helmet which was imported from England in the early 1940's and issued to Cork & Dublin Gardaí. They originally just had a rose top finial and An Garda Síochána Day Helmet Plate. The original old "First Issue" Garda helmets in 1922 were only 4 panel helmets and were made in Dublin by John Ireland & Son, Ellis Quay Dublin 6. Those 4 panel cork material bell shaped helmets are the only helmets that had those silver ball top finials, silver shamrock boss side fixings and silver chainlink chinstraps. That helmet was more than likely mocked up as an original by a Dublin Theatre company in the 1950's and 1960's. See attached a genuine old 'First Issue' Garda Day plated 4 panel helmet.
    ×
    ×
    • Create New...

    Important Information

    We have placed cookies on your device to help make this website better. You can adjust your cookie settings, otherwise we'll assume you're okay to continue.