Republic of Ireland Irish Volunteer or IRA Cap Badges real or not.

[Brendan]

I first saw the cap badge in the image below in Cyril Wall’s shop about ten years ago. When I showed an interest in it he explained to me he found images of several cap badges in a notebook compiled by a Frongoch inmate. He had copies of several pages from the notebook with drawings and descriptions of the cap badges, he told me and the notebook made it clear the designs were proposed designs for cap badges to be worn by various brigades throughout Ireland and Cyril said they were never produced at the time but he had some made using the drawing from the notebook.

Recently while doing some research I found a website of the Irish Volunteers Commemorative Society 1913 – 1922 which has images of several of these cap badges with the implication that they were genuine and used by the Irish Volunteers.

Does anyone know it they were produced by the Irish Volunteers and does anyone have any photos of them being worn. When I see any photos of Irish Volunteers or I.R.A. in uniform I always check buttons, cap badge and belt buckle but to date all I have seen as far as cap badges are concerned are the I.V. harp and the sunburst FF.

[Kev in Deva]

Hallo Brendan,

just a thought,is it possible that this was a proposed badge for wear by members of the "Irish Volunteers" before the 1916 Rising kicked off,

I did see reference to such a group being trained under British military supervision in Castlebar, Co. Mayo, they even had an allotment of .303 rifles, which were subsequently stolen, the did meet regularly and do drill etc..etc.. many of them subsequently joined the British Army en-mass to go and fight in WW1, often being marched to the train station by their own formation Brass band.

Kevin in Deva. :D

[Brendan]

Hi Kev,

The Frongoch notebook would have been written after the Rising and as the designs in the notebook were described a proposed this would rule out anything before the end of 1916 when the detainees were released. If the badges were manufactured this must have taken place between 1917 and April 1923 when the Civil War ended. Considering Volunteers avoided any sort of recognition during the War of Independence and cap badges would have been the last thing on the mind of either pro or anti treaty forces during the Civil War I though the period between the 1921 July truce and the beginning of the Civil War would be the most likely time.

I have written to the Irish Volunteers Commemorative Society 1913 – 1922 website, as they have the pictures of the badges on their website they might be able to give me some background.

Brendan.