Gilt/Gilded Harp Badge with Blades - Any Ideas?

[Paddy]

Hello All

I recently received a small collection of badges and one of the badges is pictured below. It is a gilt or gilded (maybe even pristine gilding metal) harp with 2 blades to the rear and measures approx. 17mm wide by 31mm tall. Does anyone have any ideas as to it's use? I will more than likely be moving it on once I find out what it is.

Many thanks in advance

Paddy

[ebro]

Paddy,
My first thought would be the South African Irish Regiment. They usually have a scroll below, this may be an officer's badge or something.
My second thought would be the Irish Prison Service.
Eddie

[Paddy]

Eddie

Many thanks, it's never had a scroll attached and I've had a quick search for Irish Prison Service but no sign of this particular badge yet.

Paddy

[mule-73k]

Hi,
Definitely not Irish Prison Service. Does have a South African Irish look to it! However, it may be one to the porters/messengers from either in the Four Courts or Government Buildings in Dublin.

Regards,

Dave

[craigen]

Hi Paddy

Looks like SA Irish to me too but not quite like anything I have seen before. Maybe a regimental association badge or for some social purpose related to the regiment?

Are those measurements correct though?

All the best
Craig

[ebro]

I remember hearing that when the British handed the prisons over to the new Irish government a lot of prisoners expected to be released on an amnesty.
This didn't happen, instead the Prison Warders were paraded and made to remove the Crown cap badge and replace it with a Harp.
When I saw the harp on this thread it reminded me of this story.
Eddie

[mule-73k]

This pattern of harp was also used some by the Irish National Vols. (INV) officers pre-1914, however, it looks too new from the pics to be that old. One thing to bear in mind is that there has been a lot of this stuff manufactured in the last number of years for all the commemorations and various re-enactment groups that have sprung up!

I'm not saying that it is one of these 'copies' but it is just something to consider!

Regards,

Dave

[Alex Rice]

I don't think it's SA Irish, never seen this badge here and the blades aren't used on SA badges.
Cheers,
Alex

[craigen]

After a bit more thinking I would agree that the SA Irish is not the most likely option, although it does seem to be the design used by the SA Irish.

The London Irish used the same harp design as the SA Irish in the King's Crown days and I think there was also a similar Royal Irish badge.

There were also other units that used variations of the design but the ones I have seen are not quite the same. I don't know about the other units mentioned above though.

Regards
Craig

[peter monahan]

For an Irish pipe band - civilian?

[Paddy]

Dear All

Many thanks for all your suggestions so far, looks like it is one of those ones that could have had several uses whether that be military or civilian.

Paddy

[ebro]

Paddy,
I came across this harp badge on the internet which looks like your one.
I hope this helps.
Eddie[
I N V.jpg

[mule-73k]

Eddie,

On what site did you find this was it the Irish Volunteer site? Unfortunately, not all the badges they display are correct and some are modern reproduction, or commemorative as they like to call them!

The one shown here is in my option a modern copy.

Dave

[ebro]

Dave,
I have seen a number of modern fakes on the same site but I felt this one looked genuine, but I am not infallible
If you google 'Images for Irish national volunteers' and scan through and you will find the image.
Eddie