museumtom Posted 7 November , 2009 Share Posted 7 November , 2009 I picked up the following badge die; http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a40/clondaleek/badge.jpg today at a militaria fair in Dublin. Now here is the question, is it the London Irish or the RIC and if so how can you tell the difference?. I have an idea but would like other views on it to confirm. Kind regards. Tom. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
max7474 Posted 7 November , 2009 Share Posted 7 November , 2009 RIC. London irish had different proportions. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
squirrel Posted 7 November , 2009 Share Posted 7 November , 2009 Agreed - London Irish Rifles do not have a buckle on the on the top horizontal part of the harp. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
museumtom Posted 7 November , 2009 Author Share Posted 7 November , 2009 I was told the difference in an RIC badge and London Irish badge is there is a big gap under the crown for RIC. So if the harp has a buckle on the top left hand side it is RIC?. Regards. Tom. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
squirrel Posted 7 November , 2009 Share Posted 7 November , 2009 If it has a buckle on the harp it is not London Irish Rifles. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
museumtom Posted 7 November , 2009 Author Share Posted 7 November , 2009 Is there any KC London Irish cap badge images on the net that you know of please? regards. Tom. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
museumtom Posted 7 November , 2009 Author Share Posted 7 November , 2009 Please have a look at this and give me your impressions, is this a London Irish badge? http://cgi.ebay.com/Royal-Irish-Constabula...=item2ea8c72954 Regards. Tom. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
max7474 Posted 7 November , 2009 Share Posted 7 November , 2009 This is London Irish. Your ebay postcard is of a reproduction London irish badge. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
museumtom Posted 7 November , 2009 Author Share Posted 7 November , 2009 Hello Max. The postcard was issued by the Irish National Museum, could they be incorrect? Regards. Tom. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
max7474 Posted 7 November , 2009 Share Posted 7 November , 2009 Quite easily. Are you the seller of this card as I cannot see that in the description? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
museumtom Posted 7 November , 2009 Author Share Posted 7 November , 2009 I am not the seller of the card I just looked on ebay for a badge to compare mine to. In the ad it says'The postcard is an unusual and collectable postcard produced by the National Museum of Ireland, and not available on-line. In perfect condition.' What do you think? Is it or is it not? Regards. Tom. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
max7474 Posted 7 November , 2009 Share Posted 7 November , 2009 I think that is is a genuine postcard but I stand by the statement that it is not a picture of a genuine badge. The one shown above is. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
museumtom Posted 7 November , 2009 Author Share Posted 7 November , 2009 Thank you Max. I have learned a lot this evening. Kind regards. Tom. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
archangel9 Posted 7 November , 2009 Share Posted 7 November , 2009 Tom, Apologies for interrupting but you mentioned a "militaria fair in Dublin". Is this a regular event and where? Cheers. John Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
museumtom Posted 7 November , 2009 Author Share Posted 7 November , 2009 That fair is held four times a year in the North Star Hotel just off O'Connel Street, Dublin. Its a fiver in, which is way too much. The next Irish fair is in Cork in two weeks time and there will be 26 dealers at it. Entrance to the Cork fair is free. There is supposed to be fairs in the Teachers Club in Dublin four times a year but they are sporadic, have few tables, 2 euro entrance and are very badly advertised which is a dis-incentive for traders/dealers to travels to sell at it. One other fair is held in Gorey, County Wexford once a year in the summer. Here is a few words I put together about todays fair for a different forum; I was there at opening time and there was a good crowd. Paid me fiver and first table I went to had an open top .455 webley holster in dryish condition. He wanted 90 but would take 80, it was a bit too stiff for me so I left it there. The Frenchman had a great selection of swords which were not too dearly priced and in good condition. He also had a swept quillon sword and it took a while for me to get through to him that I wanted to know was there a special way of holding these swords, basically he said no, it just a fancy hand guard. But, wait for it, on his table was a plug bayonet, begor, I have never seen one of those for sale in Ireland before. I did not even ask the because I would only upset myself. Among the usual traders was a new couple and they sold mostly flintlocks, percussion boot guns and other obsolete weapons. Prices were a bit stiff but guns are not my market and would not know a good price from a bad one. They als had a very nice ww2 heliograph in its leather case with the brass topped tripod, all in great condition for 300. Not bad, but not what I was looking for. Another trader sold some de-acs and also had some AK47 rubber movie props for 60 smackers. Among the badges and insignia I came across this little peach;- http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a40...leek/badge.jpg and snapped it up. I was after a few 1905 pattern British leather bandoliers. The guy who had the dry .455 holster also had a matching dry leather bandolier which he would let me have for 70 euro so I passed it and went to another. He wanted 60 but took 50 and everyone was happy. It was in better condition. One of the nice things I seen there was a C98 Broomhandle mauser, de-ac and , wait for it, it came with its original stock holster, leather cradle and cleaning rod. He wanted 750 for it. He would get more for it on ebay. There seems to be an abundance of Gustav leather punches on the market over the past few years and this fair there were two. I did not ask the price as I was not interested. Lots of the ‘modern’ military uniforms, equipment and load bearing kit was available as was one stall that sold only ww2 Luftwaffe items. There was great selection of swords and bayonets brought back from the Belgian fair. The most unusual thing I seen there was a complete Knights Templer or Masonic uniform. It looked really well but where would one wear it? There were other older ww1 uniforms from the Dublin Fusiliers and the Inniskilings to ww2 German. Lots of insignia, badges and medals. As I said to herself last night, that’s about the size of it. Next fair is in Cork. Free in and all tables are now booked which means it will be bigger than the North Star. It will be interesting to see how it goes as it is its first time out. Regards. Tom. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
archangel9 Posted 8 November , 2009 Share Posted 8 November , 2009 Tom, Cheers. Might get to the Cork fair with a bit of luck and recession permitting!! John Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
museumtom Posted 8 November , 2009 Author Share Posted 8 November , 2009 Compared to the English fairs our Irish ones are smaller but perhaps there is different stuff at them. Here is the site for the Munster Fair; http://munstermilitariafairs.com/ Regards. Tom. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dez Posted 23 January , 2010 Share Posted 23 January , 2010 Sorry to come in late on this one, but I was backtracking on uniforms and badges when I came across it. For future reference, intended for those seeking London Irish cap badges, the following points might help to eliminate the R.I.C. badges from the scene. All these pointers refer to R.I.C. type cap badges, (1) the harp strings and the space between the harp and crown are always voided. (2) no R.I.C. badge was made with a slider, they were all looped. (3) R.I.C. and R.U.C. cap badges up to 1952 are the same patterns. (4) the officers and or's use two different versions of the harp, the or's pattern being very similar to the badge used by the London Irish. (5) the officer's badges are blackened white metal and the or's, blackened brass. (6) keep an eye out for R.I.C. patterned badges to appear in brass for both officers and or's, with non voided strings, no loops, and c/w sliders - these were produced for the Ulster Home Guard during W.W.2 and were used by them alone. Now when going through those badge boxes you find what you now suppose to be an R.I.C badge, dont throw it back, as they are very collectible in their own field and are a sure seller or excellent swop material. Good luck with finding your London Irish badges. Regards. Dez Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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