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  • Irish Drill

    Anyone have any information on the development of the Irish foot and arms drill style?

    When was the first Irish drill manual published?
    What drill was used by the volunteers?
    Have there been many revisions?


    Tom Garvin, in his book 1922 The Birth of Irish Democracy points out that the drill style was intentionally different from the British Army system, and suggests German influences in the form of Reichsweher officers who came on a training mission to Ireland in the 20's. There was also an Irish military mission to West Point in the same period.

    Did these or other factors influence things much?

  • #2
    Has any body seen the British Army foot drill manual its bloody enermous. To become a drill instructor you have to be at Corporal level and the course takes 6 weeks at the Guards depot pirbright. They even have drill competitions with other countries. Apparently the Guards drill instructors are the best in the British Army all 3 services have different methods of foot drill the RAF is the closest to the Army because they have their origins in the Royal Engineers. The Royal Navy has the quirkiest drill of all.

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    • #3
      Further research in G. White and B. O Sheas Irish Volunteer Soldier 1913-23 states that the Volunteers produced their first drill manual in 1917. This was called SlĂ­ na Saoirse and was basically an Irish translation of the British Infantry Manual 1911.

      So when did they change over to the newer style?

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      • #4
        I've seen pictures of Eoin O'Duffy giving a BA salute, both during the Civil War and the 1930's.
        "The dolphins were monkeys that didn't like the land, walked back to the water, went back from the sand."

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        • #5
          I remember a pathe newsreal commenting that "their drill is nine tenths America". Of course, we don't know where the hell they got tht figure from
          Meh.

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          • #6
            Re: Irish Drill

            [i]Tom Garvin, in his book 1922 The Birth of Irish Democracy points out that the drill style was intentionally different from the British Army system, and suggests German influences in the form of Reichsweher officers who came on a training mission to Ireland in the 20's. There was also an Irish military mission to West Point in the same period.

            Did these or other factors influence things much? [/B]
            Funnily enough tthat you mention the US influence from West Point.
            When I was in the US a few weeks ago, I visited the site of an old pre
            Civil War fort. There was a display showing diagrams of US Army rifle drill movements. They seemed somewhat similar to the Irish Army
            drill movements for the Lee Enfield. Can' t speak for the foot drill
            movements, though....
            "Well, stone me! We've had cocaine, bribery and Arsenal scoring two goals at home. But just when you thought there were truly no surprises left in football, Vinnie Jones turns out to be an international player!" (Jimmy Greaves)!"

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            • #7
              Then on the other hand,when the Cadets carried out the Funeral Drill at Arlington during JFKs funeral,the US army later adapted it..


              Catch-22 says they have a right to do anything we can't stop them from doing.

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              • #8
                Goldie,

                Is this true or another popular Irish myth?

                -C
                Meh.

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                • #9
                  Dunno If This Will Work..........

                  I have digital photos of old US arms drill movements, from my visit to the
                  site of the old US Army fort I mentioned above.... they're on CD-ROM, so I'm
                  unsure how to transfer them over to here. If someone can tell me how I can transfer these from disk over to a mail on this site, I' ll post a few up.......
                  "Well, stone me! We've had cocaine, bribery and Arsenal scoring two goals at home. But just when you thought there were truly no surprises left in football, Vinnie Jones turns out to be an international player!" (Jimmy Greaves)!"

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                  • #10
                    Irish Drill

                    There definitely was an American influence in the origins of Irish drill. This was quiet deliberate. As regards our pre-Steyr very impressive funeral drill, a Volunteer called John Pinkman writes in his book that it was designed by troops stationed in Beggars Bush Bks, between the Treaty and the Civil War.

                    This must read book is called " In the Legion of the Vanguard" by J Pinkman and edited by Francis E Maguire, published by Mercier Press, 1998

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                    • #11
                      Irish Drill

                      Also, I have somewhere a manual of Battalion Drill, issued I think in 1923. I must put my hands on it!

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                      • #12
                        Saw footage of supposedly the biggest every Irish military salute at the Eucharistic Congress 1932. The Army officers all had swords, when did they stop using them?
                        There seems to be something wrong with our bloody ships today Chatfield
                        Admiral of the Fleet David Beatty, 1st Earl Beatty GCB OM GCVO

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                        • #13
                          They didnt.


                          Catch-22 says they have a right to do anything we can't stop them from doing.

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                          • #14
                            Army, Naval Service and Slua officers have swords. FCA officers don't.

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                            • #15
                              Would you trust a FCA officer with an edged weapon? :D

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