British & Commonwealth Military Badge Forum

Recent Books by Forum Members

   

Go Back   British & Commonwealth Military Badge Forum > British Military Insignia > Military Buttons

 Other Pages: Galleries, Links etc.
Glossary  Books by Forum Members     Canadian Pre 1914    CEF    CEF Badge Inscriptions   Canadian post 1920     Canadian post 1953     British Cavalry Badges     Makers' Marks    Pipers' Badges  Canadian Cloth Titles  Books  SEARCH
 
Reply
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
  #1  
Old 25-02-17, 03:20 PM
Cribyn's Avatar
Cribyn Cribyn is offline
Member
 
Join Date: Sep 2013
Location: Carmarthenshire, Wales
Posts: 1,718
Default MYSTERY IRISH BUTTON 'FAUGH A BALLAGH'

An unknown Irish button that I have had for many, many years. It came with some military buttons but I am pretty certain that it is not military but given the very wide range of expertise on this Forum I am hoping that an Irish member or someone with a specialist knowledge of Ireland may know what it is.

I am thinking livery or club but have been unable to find any reference to it anywhere.

"Faugh A Ballagh" ("Clear the Way") was the motto of the old 87th Foot, after 1881 the Royal Irish Fusiliers, and I've held on to the button in the hope that it will turn out to be an Officer's Mess Waiters' button of theirs - I'm sure it isn't but what's life without hope!!

Also the motto was used by the US 28th Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry of the Irish Brigade and I'm sure by many, many other organisations.

Any suggestions?

Roger
Attached Images
File Type: jpg Irish 1.jpg (88.1 KB, 47 views)
File Type: jpg Irish 2.jpg (86.8 KB, 18 views)
Reply With Quote
  #2  
Old 25-02-17, 03:37 PM
Peter Brydon's Avatar
Peter Brydon Peter Brydon is offline
Member
 
Join Date: Oct 2007
Location: Chester
Posts: 10,357
Default

Roger,

In the light of this thread:

http://www.britishbadgeforum.com/for...ad.php?t=58468

could the regiment have had their own pack of hounds and this their hunt button ?

Peter
__________________
Interested in all aspects of militaria/military history but especially insignia and history of non regular units with a Liverpool connection

Members welcome in my private Facebook group “The Kings Liverpool Regiment ( 1685-1958 )”
Reply With Quote
  #3  
Old 25-02-17, 04:04 PM
GTB's Avatar
GTB GTB is offline
Member
 
Join Date: May 2012
Location: Malta
Posts: 2,645
Default

Sorry, I don't know for certain but my gut feeling is that it is not military. I tend to attribute it to a livery button - the torse beneath the shamrocks adds weight to this.

Perhaps even an Irish Pipe Band or Society.
Googling the motto may help too

GTB
Reply With Quote
  #4  
Old 25-02-17, 04:52 PM
Cribyn's Avatar
Cribyn Cribyn is offline
Member
 
Join Date: Sep 2013
Location: Carmarthenshire, Wales
Posts: 1,718
Default

Hello Peter

Many thanks for the link and suggestion. A Hunt button is a possibility, one I have not yet fully explored. Not that well up on Hunt buttons though, only got the one book which I suspect is a little out of date now.

Roger
Reply With Quote
  #5  
Old 25-02-17, 05:08 PM
Cribyn's Avatar
Cribyn Cribyn is offline
Member
 
Join Date: Sep 2013
Location: Carmarthenshire, Wales
Posts: 1,718
Default

Hello GTB

I tried Googling the motto some years ago (when the internet was still steam-powered) and only military references emerged.

I did search again much more recently and again it was almost all references (or oblique references) to military subjects but now including a reference to the 55th Battalion of the Australian 5th Division in WW1 which I forgot to mention. Not a likely candidate though!

I do think you are right, not military, and the torse would suggest as much, so livery, club, hotel, pipe band, take your pick!

Roger
Reply With Quote
  #6  
Old 25-02-17, 05:11 PM
Peter Brydon's Avatar
Peter Brydon Peter Brydon is offline
Member
 
Join Date: Oct 2007
Location: Chester
Posts: 10,357
Default

Roger,

So have I ( only got one book showing Hunt buttons, an edition of Baileys ) and it is not in that and whilst many regiment's had their own pack of hounds, the RIF do sound like they were a sporty regiment but it is buttons like this one that keep the interest in the hobby high.

There must be a member here surely with a good idea of who might have wore it.

Peter
__________________
Interested in all aspects of militaria/military history but especially insignia and history of non regular units with a Liverpool connection

Members welcome in my private Facebook group “The Kings Liverpool Regiment ( 1685-1958 )”
Reply With Quote
  #7  
Old 25-02-17, 05:48 PM
GTB's Avatar
GTB GTB is offline
Member
 
Join Date: May 2012
Location: Malta
Posts: 2,645
Default

THe nearest I got with googling was the Regimental Drum Major Association. Same Strap and Motto but with different centre

GTB
Reply With Quote
  #8  
Old 02-03-17, 05:36 PM
Lady of Doune Lady of Doune is offline
New Member
 
Join Date: Oct 2016
Location: Ontario, ORegon USA
Posts: 5
Default Faugh A Ballagh" ("Clear the Way

This was the motto of the Gough family which is from Limerick, but the crest presented (3 shamrocks) does not fit with the family blazon of arms. You may be correct that it is a button of a regimental pipe band. Unusual for a hunt button but ???.. I found the information if Fairbairn's Crests which is a valuable resource.
Reply With Quote
  #9  
Old 02-03-17, 06:43 PM
Peter Brydon's Avatar
Peter Brydon Peter Brydon is offline
Member
 
Join Date: Oct 2007
Location: Chester
Posts: 10,357
Default

LoD,

I wonder if like me, you wish there was some sort of index by subject ( e.g. bird,mailed fist, etc ) to Fairbairns, it would make a search much quicker than in effect going through the whole book from start to finish.

P.B.
__________________
Interested in all aspects of militaria/military history but especially insignia and history of non regular units with a Liverpool connection

Members welcome in my private Facebook group “The Kings Liverpool Regiment ( 1685-1958 )”
Reply With Quote
  #10  
Old 02-03-17, 06:51 PM
tarabelle tarabelle is offline
Member
 
Join Date: Oct 2013
Posts: 589
Default same but different

Hi
I was looking last year for what this was and all i could find was viscount gough of cork, i think his motto had the dragon head
This is the pic
T
Attached Images
File Type: jpg aaaaaaaaaa.jpg (7.3 KB, 12 views)
Reply With Quote
  #11  
Old 02-03-17, 09:08 PM
Cribyn's Avatar
Cribyn Cribyn is offline
Member
 
Join Date: Sep 2013
Location: Carmarthenshire, Wales
Posts: 1,718
Default

Hello all

Thanks for the comments so far.

Part of the problem is that the motto 'Faugh A Ballagh' seems to have been a popular one, used by a number of families and organisations.

I have searched through my usual books/resources on hunt and livery buttons to no avail. A pipe band, civilian or military is another possibility but the buttons for these do not seem to be well documented

One day I'm sure the answer will just appear!

Roger
Reply With Quote
Reply

Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off

Forum Jump

mhs link

All times are GMT. The time now is 02:11 AM.


Powered by: vBulletin
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.