NSW Irish badges

[badgecollector]

hi all
i have these 2 NSW Irish badges.
these are definitely australian as the came from a box of unfinished badges i picked up many years ago from a NSW badge maker
the large badge was already finished, the smaller one i have had finished being cut out and lugged.
the small badge is obviously a collar but what's the other one?
cheers
bc

[John Mulcahy]

An interesting post.

I can't comment on the use of the large badge by the NSW Irish, but it appears that it may have had multiple uses.

It is reputed to be part of the shoulder title used by the Royal Irish Reserve Regiment (see below Prof C. Thomas collection Thomas Del Mar auction 24/4/2018 lot 357) and also reputed to be worn by the Irish Guards Mounted infantry coy as a collar badge in the Boer War. I don't think I have any primary references I shall need to look.

John

[kingsley]

My understanding is that only the smaller first badge (with the stalk flowing straight on to the shamrock) is NSW Irish. In the past I have been offered different sizes of the second type (separated samrock leaf) and did enough research at the time to establish that it was British, can't remember whether Irish Guards or some other regiment.