An Cosantóir

| 27 Ulster Volunteer Force on parade in January 1913 worn fastened by a round brass clasp bearing the words 'Óglaigh na hÉireann'. This inscription was later incorporated into the standard Volunteer cap-badge designed by Eoin MacNeill. However, the new Volunteers were powerless without weapons and although some members were able to equip themselves with personal weapons such as hunting rifles, supplies of combat weaponry were urgently needed for everyone else. The first effort to alleviate this situation came early in 1914 when Sir Roger Casement, on his own initiative, travelled to England and raised £1,500 to purchase arms. This money was handed over to the London Volunteer Committee who selected Darrell Figgis to travel to Antwerp to purchase a quantity of combat rifles. Erskine Childers and Conor O'Brien offered to transport the arms back to Ireland in their yachts and Bulmer Hobson was tasked with making the necessary arrangements for their unloading. In Antwerp, Figgis managed to purchase 1,500 rifles and 45,000 rounds of ammunition, which were loaded onto a transport ship before being transferred to the two yachts in the North Sea. Childers' yacht Asgard took 900 rifles and the remaining 600 went onto O'Brien's yacht, before both vessels sailed separately to Ireland. Childers arrived at Howth on the morning of Sunday July 26th where almost 800 Volunteers, 200 of whom were armed with wooden batons, were waiting to unload the cargo, having allayed RIC suspicions by feigning participation in a routine Sunday route march. Once the consignment was safely ashore the Volunteers were given the option of purchasing a rifle, paying for them in weekly instalments, or delivering the weapons to their respective company commanders. The remaining rifles were distributed throughout Dublin City and several taxis and bicycles were used for this purpose. For the most part the operation was a success. However, one group was halted by a British Army and RIC patrol on the Malahide Road and, after a short scuffle, lost 19 precious rifles. The remaining weapons came ashore at Kilcoole, Co Wicklow, on August 1st and the movement's morale was at an all-time high. enjoy very substantial freedom within the Empire. But Ireland armed will, at any rate, make a better bargain with the Empire than Ireland unarmed." When the speeches finished stewards mingled among the crowd distributing enrolment forms and in excess of 3,000 adult males enlisted on the spot. A series of similar meetings were held throughout the country and within six months the active strength of this new force had risen to 75,000. Military units began to emerge as groups of Volunteers banded together calling themselves corps, brigades, and regiments, and gradually the organisation took on the trappings of what it actually was - an emerging national army. In this context it soon became clear that if the new organisation was to be taken seriously it also had to look the part and so, in early 1914, a uniform sub-committee was appointed to draft a design for the Volunteer uniform. Having searched the country for material without success, a sample of suitable grey-green cloth was eventually found in England but most woollen mills were reluctant to take the order as all resources were being ploughed into the British war effort on the continent. Eventually the Morrogh Brothers at Douglas Woolen Mills, Cork, agreed to manufacture the material. The sub-committee next turned their attention to the matter of uniform design and it was agreed that all ranks and units would wear a standard tunic with rolled collar, dark green shoulder straps and pointed cuffs complete with brass buttons bearing an Irish harp and the letters IV. Breeches and puttees of light serge to match the tunic would also be worn and a brown leather bandolier and white canvas haversack were approved for carrying ammunition and equipment. Headdress would consist of a round crowned cap with a black patent-leather peak and chin strap and a soft hat of similar pattern to that worn by the Boers in South Africa was selected for 'field work'. A brown leather waist-belt would also be The Tralee Battalion being reviewed by Col Maurice Moore (the Volunteers Inspector General) The Rotunda, Dublin An Irish Volunteer's Belt Buckle and Leather Belt Artist Bill Younghusband's impression of an Irish Volunteer's uniform www.military.ie the defence forces magazine

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