This is the oldest Irish infantry regiment. The arms of Nassau (the lion on the top) were conferred, along with the motto 'Virtutis Namurcensis Premium', by King William III as a reward for their gallantry in the siege and assault of Namur in 1695. Egypt and the Sphinx were conferred as a battle honour in 1802.
It was raised as the Royal Regiment of Ireland in 1695 and served until 1751, when it became the 18th (The Royal Irish) Regiment of Foot. It was disbanded in 1922 on the partition of Ireland.
This is a die-struck brass badge, with its original lugs. There is some distortion to the face of the plate, which is not easily visible, but this does not really affect the general look of the piece and could be corrected with a little gentle heating in boiling water.
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[Militaria : Badges : British : 19th Century]
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