Battalions of the Regular Army
Regimental Depot
Ballymullen Barracks, Tralee
1st Battalion
August 1914 : in Rangoon, Burma. Returned to UK and landed at Avonmouth on 10 January 1915. Moved to Coventry and came under orders of 86th Brigade in 29th Division.
16 March 1915 : sailed from Avonmouth for Gallipoli, going via Alexandria and Mudros, where it halted on 10 April. Landed at Cape Helles on 25 April 1915.
Between 30 April and 19 May 1915, following heavy casualties, the battalion and 1st Royal Dublin Fusiliers formed one composite unit, called the ‘Dubsters’.
1 January 1916 : evacuated from Gallipoli to Egypt.
13 March 1916 : sailed from Port Said to Marseilles for service in France.
25 April 1916 : transferred to Lines of Communication.
28 May 1916 : transferred to 48th Brigade in 16th (Irish) Division and absorbed troops from disbanded 9th Bn.
22 November 1916 : transferred to 47th Brigade in same Division and absorbed more than 400 troops from disbanded 8th Bn.
19 April 1918 : absorbed troops from 2nd Bn and next day transferred to 172nd Brigade in 57th (2nd West Lancashire) Division.
The badge of the regiment as depicted on a CWGC grave headstone.
2nd Battalion
August 1914 : in Malplaquet Barracks at Aldershot. Under command of 1st (Guards) Brigade in 1st Division.
14 August 1914 : landed at Le Havre.
14 September 1914 : after suffering heavy casualties at Etreux, left Division and became Army Troops.
9 November 1914 : transferred to 3rd Brigade in 1st Division.
30 May 1916 : absorbed troops from disbanded 9th Bn.
3 February 1918 : transferred to 48th Brigade in 16th (Irish) Division.
13-14 April: absorbed the 19th Entrenching Battalion.
19 April 1918 : reduced to cadre, surplus troops going to 1st Bn.
31 May 1918 : cadre transferred to 94th Brigade in 31st Division.
6 June 1918 : rebuilt by receiving troops from disbanded 6th Bn. Ten days later left Division and moved to Lines of Communication.
15 July 1918 : transferred to 150th Brigade in 50th (Northumbrian) Division
3rd (Reserve) Battalion
August 1914 : at Tralee. A depot/training unit, it moved on mobilisation to Berehaven, going on in October 1914 to Cork. Moved to Aghada in May 1915 and in October 1917 to Ballincollig. Moved in November 1917 to Devonport and then in April 1918 to Fort Stamford in Plymouth as part of the Plymouth garrison. Absorbed 4th and 5th Bns in May 1918.
4th (Extra Reserve) Battalion
August 1914 : at Kinsale. A depot/training unit, it moved on mobilisation to Queenstown, going on in November 1914 to Aghada, May 1915 to South Shields. Moved in September 1915 to Fermoy, February 1916 to Bere Island and April 1917 to the Curragh. Moved again in August 1917 to Castlebar (Mayo). Moved to Dreghorn in November 1917 and finally to Plymouth in May 1918 where absorbed by 3rd Bn.
5th (Extra Reserve) Battalion
August 1914 : at Limerick. A depot/training unit, it moved on mobilisation to Queenstown, going on in October 1914 to Bere Island, March 1915 to Crosshaven. Moved again in May 1915 to North Shields, September to the Curragh and in August 1917 to Galway. Moved to Invergordon in November 1917 and Fort George in April 1918, finally to Plymouth in May 1918 where absorbed by 3rd Bn.
Battalions of the Territorial Force
As the Territorial and Reserve Forces Act of 1907 did not call for the creation of TF units in Ireland, the regiment had no TF battalions.
Battalions of the New Armies
6th (Service) Battalion
Formed at Tralee in August 1914 as part of K1 and came under orders of 30th Brigade in 10th (Irish) Division. Moved to the Curragh.
May 1915 : moved to Basingstoke.
9 July 1915: embarked at Liverpool and sailed to Gallipoli via Mudros. Landed Suvla Bay 7 August 1915.
2 October 1915 : moved via Mudros to Salonika.
3 November 1916 : absorbed the 7th Bn.
9 September 1917 : sailed from Salonika for Alexandria in Egypt for service in Palestine.
30 April 1918 : left the Division and sailed from Port Said, arriving Marseilles 1 June.
5 June 1918 : absorbed by 2nd Bn, although a cadre remained and was disbanded on 3 August after a brief period under 117th Brigade in 39th Division.
7th (Service) Battalion
Formed at Tralee in August 1914 as part of K1 and came under orders of 30th Brigade in 10th (Irish) Division. Record same as 6th Bn.
3 November 1916 : absorbed by the 6th Bn.
8th (Service) Battalion
Formed in October 1914 as part of K2 and came under orders of 47th Brigade in 16th (Irish) Division. Moved to Fermoy, then Mitchelstown in November, Templemore in February 1915 and back to Fermoy in May. Moved to England in September 1915, going to Blackdown.
18 December 1915 : landed at Le Havre.
30 May 1916 : absorbed more than 200 men from disbanded 9th Bn.
23 November 1916 : disbanded in France, troops going to 1st Battalion.
9th (Service) Battalion
Formed in October 1914 as part of K2 and came under orders of 48th Brigade in 16th (Irish) Division. Moved to Kilworth, then Ballyvonare in January 1915 and Ballyhooley in June. Moved to England in September 1915, going to Blackdown.
20 December 1915 : landed at Le Havre.
30 May 1916 : disbanded in France, troops going to 1st, 2nd and 8th Bns.
Other Battalions
1st (Garrison) Battalion
Formed in Cork on 1 April 1917 as a Home Service Bn., from the 1st (Home Service) Garrison Bn, the Durham Light Infantry. Moved to Prees Heath in England in November 1917, when it was renamed 1st (Garrison) Bn, and proceeded to Italy, where it then remained on Lines of Communication duty.
2nd (Home Service) Garrison Battalion
Formed at Prees Heath in November 1917 from one Company of the 1st (Garrison) Bn. Moved in April 1918 to Cosham and became part of the Portsmouth Garrison.
“In memory of those men of Munster who died fighting for freedom. A tribute erected by the people of the province and Cork its capital city”. This beautiful and fitting memorial stands in the shadow of the rebuilt Cathedral in Ypres. It is not, strictly, a regimental memorial but this is as good a place as any to display it.