Royal Irish Regiment

a-k-47

Hi, newbie on the military forum so be easy one me . I was interested in joining the irish army a few years ago but i was to old to, im 28. Ive always had an interest in doing something different and exciting as a career path but never got around to doing it, ended going to college studying for a job i never liked, then went and got myself a trade and now its all gone pete tong again .

The irish army states you must be under 25, ive logged onto the rir website and cannot find anything about age restrictions. Am i to old to recruit?. I find it abit ridiculous at still a relatively young age that i cannot join the forces. If anyone is reading this irish or brittish and in the Royal Irish Regiment, id love to hear some feedback if i am eligible for recruitment, can you tell me a little bit about the training programme involved in northern ireland and are irish citizens welcomed in the regiment. How do you gain entry, exams? entry exams? education level?

Thanks.

DanHendrix

I applied myself no problem with age though as im only 18:D . Im from Dublin and theres no problem with your age or that your Irish,it is 33 and under in the British Army. As regards to entry exams etc, you will be required to complete a BARB Test(British Army Recruit Battery). It is basically a bit of every thing like English tests to logical tests. If you pass this you will be required to complete a fitness test. Run 1 and a half(2.4km) in 12mins and 45secs. And this also requires more fitness activitys over a two day period. If you pass all this your are given a date for training and you do 6months infrantry training at Catterick traning camp in Yorkshire. If you want to become an officer you do training at Sandhurst but you have to be highly educated for this. The royal irish regiment or and the Irish Guards cant be based in the north as the IRA and various parties and people would not like it too much and it would cause mayhem. Hope this helps any more questions feel free to ask. Your better of going on the Brit Army website. MOD.co.uk

Zambia

Best I say nothing .... best of luck with that

a-k-47

DanHendrix wrote: »

I applied myself no problem with age though as im only 18:D . Im from Dublin and theres no problem with your age or that your Irish,it is 33 and under in the British Army. As regards to entry exams etc, you will be required to complete a BARB Test(British Army Recruit Battery). It is basically a bit of every thing like English tests to logical tests. If you pass this you will be required to complete a fitness test. Run 1 and a half(2.4km) in 12mins and 45secs. And this also requires more fitness activitys over a two day period. If you pass all this your are given a date for training and you do 6months infrantry training at Catterick traning camp in Yorkshire. If you want to become an officer you do training at Sandhurst but you have to be highly educated for this. The royal irish regiment or and the Irish Guards cant be based in the north as the IRA and various parties and people would not like it too much and it would cause mayhem. Hope this helps any more questions feel free to ask. Your better of going on the Brit Army website. MOD.co.uk

Thanks for the reply, best off not based in N.I. considering the history. Have you done the barb test?. How difficult are the english tests and logical tests? are there pre exam test. thanks.

DanHendrix

If you ring an Army Careers Test Centre in Northern Ireland tell them your looking to join and they will send you out application forms in the post and send you out a booklet of the BARB test. Its basically the exact same as the test it is so easy. It depends were your living if your living the in the north your best visiting a centre.:)

a-k-47

when are doing the barb test?.. let me know how you get on.. thanks.

p1akuw47h5r3it

DanHendrix wrote: »

I applied myself no problem with age though as im only 18:D . Im from Dublin and theres no problem with your age or that your Irish,it is 33 and under in the British Army. As regards to entry exams etc, you will be required to complete a BARB Test(British Army Recruit Battery). It is basically a bit of every thing like English tests to logical tests. If you pass this you will be required to complete a fitness test. Run 1 and a half(2.4km) in 12mins and 45secs. And this also requires more fitness activitys over a two day period. If you pass all this your are given a date for training and you do 6months infrantry training at Catterick traning camp in Yorkshire. If you want to become an officer you do training at Sandhurst but you have to be highly educated for this. The royal irish regiment or and the Irish Guards cant be based in the north as the IRA and various parties and people would not like it too much and it would cause mayhem. Hope this helps any more questions feel free to ask. Your better of going on the Brit Army website. MOD.co.uk

Is this like a definite "rule"?

goose2002

The royal irish regiment or and the Irish Guards cant be based in the north

Members of both regiments can and have been posted to duties in Northern Ireland. In fact the Royal Irish TA are based in Northern Ireland, in Palace Barracks. The regular battalion is based in England though, but no reason why they couldn't be based over here as far as I know.

a-k-47

goose2002 wrote: »

Members of both regiments can and have been posted to duties in Northern Ireland. In fact the Royal Irish TA are based in Northern Ireland, in Palace Barracks. The regular battalion is based in England though, but no reason why they couldn't be based over here as far as I know.

True and as far as i know, southern irish have served in N.I also. Think id rather go to afghanistan!.

drac 3969

yes southren irish lads with 1 rir did serve in the north but as of 2005 members of 1 rir dont serve in northren ireland anymore

drac 3969

Think id rather go to afghanistan!.[/quote] youll change your mind with you get there my friend trust me on the have three tours done there i see your thinking of joining let me know how you get on and best of luck with basic..

irlinvader

hey all , I am 29 yrs old and just applied for the rir , i was told i would get a application form in the post within the next two weeks. my question how long does it normanly take once i send this off to hear back. Cheers

HellsAngel

irlinvader wrote: »

hey all , I am 29 yrs old and just applied for the rir , i was told i would get a application form in the post within the next two weeks. my question how long does it normanly take once i send this off to hear back. Cheers

You didn't think of lifting the phone and asking the RIR recruitment office themselves ??

irlinvader

as the title says .......
well considering its Saturday and no one is working today , i would of picked up the phone , but instead i thought id ask some people who actually know , and seen as YOU DON'T well then less of the smart answer's !!!!

time lord

irlinvader wrote: »

as the title says .......
well considering its Saturday and no one is working today , i would of picked up the phone , but instead i thought id ask some people who actually know , and seen as YOU DON'T well then less of the smart answer's !!!!

Well said that man. Still can't understand why they hop off newer posters, the lifeblood of any forum;)

Zambia

I thought you could do the whole thing online?

HellsAngel

irlinvader wrote: »

as the title says .......
well considering its Saturday and no one is working today , i would of picked up the phone , but instead i thought id ask some people who actually know , and seen as YOU DON'T well then less of the smart answer's !!!!

How do you know it's closed on a Saturday ?? And did it not occur to you that you might have someone on boards.ie who might just give you misinformation ?

If I was thinking of say, applying for a job with Intel, if I had questions I'd think it best to inquire of Intel themselves rather than a BSer on boards.ie

BlastedGlute

Wouldn't bother me hole with the RIR if I was you. Outstanding regiment, no doubt about it. But if your going to join the British infantry you might aswell join p company or the royal marines. Infantry are trade-less positions (so to speak) I remember when I was in training, my section cpl was in the royal welsh fussaliers and he always said if he could go back, he'd still join up, but he'd have gone engineers/artillery/armoured etc something to get a full trade in. And I have to agree it does make sense. Unless your goal is to enter private security and what have you, then infantry training is all your going to need anyway.


Just a bit of advice, while you still have the time, consider the other regiments you have access to, not just because your Irish and it seems to make sense to join the most paddy regiment,believe me we're all over the place when you get there. Armoured are a great choice, apart from getting a full H class driving license within the first 6 months, you get to play with some expensive toys and travel around(Canada and Germany for QRH) in a very short period of time.

Just read around a bit more and think it all the way through. Cat is a ****in hell hole at the best of times and I was based there. I'd hate to be a new sheep heading in to do training there and all!

And best of luck with everything.

BlastedGlute

irlinvader wrote: »

hey all , I am 29 yrs old and just applied for the rir , i was told i would get a application form in the post within the next two weeks. my question how long does it normanly take once i send this off to hear back. Cheers

Really depends on how busy they are but also on how much of a rush they are in. I know for me it was very paced. Every week we were moving forward, from meeting to barb to selection and so on. From the finishing selection I think it was 3 weeks later zoom zoom! Looms to be a bit of a recruitment drive again going from the increase in tv and media advertising. Could be quick

motivated1

Hello,
i have an interest in the RIR, but i would love to hear from people that have experienced it or are currently serving. I know there are a lot of people from the North in it, so I was just wondering (im from republic) is there much hassle between North and South there? Do many people from Ireland "turn their backs" if they see you are serving with the RIR?

Other than that is it the right way to go? I am young,fit,motivated and relish the opportunity for a military career and overseas experience. Can anyone shed some light on this particular career and any other useful information?

Thanks a million !

bluecode

Everyone I ever knew who served in the BA or people commenting here or on TV documentaries or in articles or books said there is no hassle between Northerners or Southerners or the English, Scots or Welsh for that matter.

As for people 'turning their backs' they still exist but there a just the usual minority and mostly safely ignored.

So go for it if you wish.

OS119

motivated1 wrote: »

...Other than that is it the right way to go?...

big picture? no. without particularly wishing to offend anyone, Infantry is, for 99.99% of Infanteers, a dead-end. i'm sure its all great fun when you're 19, but getting a bit tiring when you're 29, and when you're 35 you'll be thinking 'what the fcuk am i going to do when i leave?'.

little picture? also, probably, no. if Infantry is really what you want to do, then join an infantry unit that will give you other options - the obvious one being the Royal Marines: you'd be 'top class' infantry, and then you'd have the opportunity to try other things as you get a bit older and want a new, and commercially useful, skill. the Rifles, as an alternative, would give you the ability to move between Light role infantry, Commando role infantry, and Armoured role infantry for when your legs get a bit tired.

the RIR is the only single Bn regiment left in the BA outside of the Guards. the betting on it remaining after the next defence review is zero... heed the words of the bookies, as only a fool bets against them.

Kinza

BlastedGlute wrote: »

Wouldn't bother me hole with the RIR if I was you. Outstanding regiment, no doubt about it. But if your going to join the British infantry you might aswell join p company or the royal marines.....

Are you sure you have served in the British Army? As far as I am aware you don't "join" P Company, it is a course you take from your current regiment to make you Para qualified. Unless of course you meant join the Parachute Regiment.

RMD

bluecode wrote: »

Everyone I ever knew who served in the BA or people commenting here or on TV documentaries or in articles or books said there is no hassle between Northerners or Southerners or the English, Scots or Welsh for that matter.

Patrick Bury (Officer who served in 1RIR) wrote a brilliant book called "Callsign Hades", one of the things he mentioned which stuck with me and I found very impressive was that he said it's one of the very few places in the world the Tricolor can hang beside the Union Jack / Red Hand and a damn isn't given. An excellent read for anyone who wants to serve in 1RIR, albeit from an Officer's point of view.

whitelines

RMD wrote: »

Patrick Bury (Officer who served in 1RIR) wrote a brilliant book called "Callsign Hades", one of the things he mentioned which stuck with me and I found very impressive was that he said it's one of the very few places in the world the Tricolor can hang beside the Union Jack / Red Hand and a damn isn't given. An excellent read for anyone who wants to serve in 1RIR, albeit from an Officer's point of view.

The 'Red Hand' can't fly at all in Afghanistan, apparently...

Local-womanizer

RMD wrote: »

Patrick Bury (Officer who served in 1RIR) wrote a brilliant book called "Callsign Hades", one of the things he mentioned which stuck with me and I found very impressive was that he said it's one of the very few places in the world the Tricolor can hang beside the Union Jack / Red Hand and a damn isn't given. An excellent read for anyone who wants to serve in 1RIR, albeit from an Officer's point of view.

I have just finished the book, it really is an excellent read.

He also mentions the fact that troops from the north had a huge amount of respect for those who had joined from the south, something to do with the fact they go into the BA and no one at home knows they are in for fear of reprisals etc.

motivated1

do many irish join the marines? Ive heard it doesnt really matter where your from if you try to join them, it looks tough as hell, but something i would definately love to do, the training looks like torture but it appeals to me at the same the time as well as the reward at the end,it would definately be worth it. Infantry is what I would like.

I got a reply earlier about the royal irish regiment, they said that it looks like they wont be around after the next budget or something ?
The RIR looks amazing as well, something I would definately love to do,as well as the marines.
i dont know which to choose from,thanks for replying earlier, just looking for the better option really.

OS119

motivated1 wrote: »

...just looking for the better option really.

personally, i think the RM are the most professional infantry based force that i've ever worked with - if i had my time again and wanted an Infantry based career, they are without question the numbers 1, 2 and 3 on my list.

its not just the quality, but for the individual its the range of specializations available - everything from boat handling with the Assault Sqn and the LCP/LCT's, to aircraft handling, crewing and piloting with the Brigade Air Squadron, to the SBS, or Mountain Leader Training Cadre, or the Commando Logistic Regiment or Signals/Int work with 30 Cdo IEG.

i would really, really recommend that you take a closer, harder look at what they have to offer.

discus

motivated1 wrote: »

do many irish join the marines? Ive heard it doesnt really matter where your from if you try to join them,

I've met quite a few Irish lads in the Royal Marines, from the north, who play GAA in England. Didn't expect to hear that from them when they told me!

OS119

tac foley wrote: »

... the RM are either at Lympstone or Poole....or deployed...

slight correction - 40 Cdo are at RMB Chivenor in north Devon, 42 Cdo are at Plymouth, 43 (Fleet Protection) Cdo are at Faslane, 45 Cdo are at Arbroath, the odds and sods are at Poole and the Training Units are at Lymptone.

40 particularly have a big surfing pedigree - and their BBQ's and beach parties are legendary, 45 are the mountain goats, 42 are the six fingered banjo players, and 43 glow in the dark. 30 are all perverts because they listen to other peoples conversations.

and steal underwear from washinglines.

motivated1

is it possible to serve a few years in the RIR and then if i was to take the notion apply for the marines?
i'd really love to experience both.
thanks again everyone for all the feedback much appreciated.

OS119

motivated1 wrote: »

is it possible to serve a few years in the RIR and then if i was to take the notion apply for the marines?
i'd really love to experience both...

you can, in that its perfectly possibly to do so, but i don't understand what you think is so great about RIR that it would be worth doing...

as an infantryman, you are going to be prone to injury - its bloody hard work - personally i would not take the risk of spending 4 to 5 years in my '2nd choice' unit knowing that the next bit of grinding pain in my ankle might keep me out of my first choice career.

what are your motivations for experiencing 1RIR, what is it that you think you'll experience there that would be different/not-as-good elsewhere? if we know what you're looking for, we can help you find it.

motivated1

ya i realise infantry would be tough, i have past experience with infantry and its something i love doing. The reason for the RIR is because i am Irish and have been told by numerous people that it is the place to go if ur irish and that it is one of the most toughest bn's around and that it is a "home away from home" in the sense its the only place really you can go away from ireland and still be surronded by people whom are irish, regardless of north or south,doesnt matter to me.

its only an interest at the moment,i have applied for the forms and i hope to set up a meeting with the closest unit soon, from there il ask them everything i want to know and if im satisfied i may go on with it.

RMD

I'm not 100% sure here so correct me if I'm wrong but if you plan to serve in 1RIR and then the RMC's the only way you can go about doing so is by leaving the army and going through the RMC application process as a civilian. My understanding is the only way you'll get onto the AACC is if you're part of a battalion attached to 3 Cdo Brigade, the only infantry unit of which is 1 Rifles. To do a full switch from 1RIR to any of the Cdo battlions I'm quite sure you must receive a discharge and then reapply from a civilian perspective. This is what I was told on the PRMC forum anyway. The only direct swaps from Army to RMC I've heard of before was in the case of an exceptional Officer attached to 3 Cdo Brigade.

tac foley

Good points, RMD. As I've noted elsewhere, the Royal Marines are part of the Royal Navy, and inter-service transfers are amazingly rare.

One of my instructors was a Lt [RN]. She married a RAF pilot and was successful in transferring over to the RAF, but only because her MOS [Int] was one that was required in the RAF, albeit in a slightly different role.

tac

motivated1

thanks for the feedback.
just wondering are u currently serving with the british army? (RIR/RAF etc? )
if so could you please give me any info on the army and the RIR if at all possible?
thanks again.

thecommietommy

motivated1 wrote: »

thanks for the feedback.
just wondering are u currently serving with the british army? (RIR/RAF etc? )
if so could you please give me any info on the army and the RIR if at all possible?
thanks again.

Tac was a private in the Territoral army, that's all, though he has been known to embellish his career !!!!

motivated1

tac i didnt realise u were a Pvt in the TA, fair play to ya.
could u tell me what it was like while u were training as a recruit and if u know any information on what recruit trainin is like fr the RIR,anything at all would be grand.
watched a documentry on RTE1 radio about the RIR in afghanistan, really appealed to me.
sorry for all the questions its just its really hard to find info on anything about it,cant even find anything on the site.
ive applied for the forms and hope to set a meeting up with them in the next few weeks to ask them a load of questions but id just like to know a bit about recruit training so i dont go up lookin a bit thick.

thanks again,much appreciated.

RMD

No offense intended to Commietommy but on topics related to the British Army I'd generally take his posts with a large pinch of salt as he has a tendency to derail them or push a Republican agenda.

AFAIK Tac has had a fairly long and successful career seeing him rise through the ranks from private to W01, to then receive a commission as a Major if I'm not mistaken. Without intention to sound like a lickarse here, there's not many better people to listen to on boards when it comes to the BA and their experiences within them.

merlinengine

Hi all,
I'm going through recruitment at the moment and currently waiting for a BARB test date. I'm a little older myself (30) and going for 1 R Irish. Did the original poster go for it in the end? Motivated, what stage are you at?
P

tac foley

RMD and all - sadly, my information is a long time out of date as I retired in 2000 - a history ago as far as the Army of today is concerned. OS119 has a good eyeball for what is current, as have any of the posters here who are in the British Army [there are a few, too]. All I can really talk about is the ethos of the British Armed Forces, and what is required to make a commitment like that, one that really involves you giving the British Government a blank check that can be cashed to the very maximum value, it it happens that go that way. Even on this board there can be found many detractors of ANY kind of military life, let alone on that involves joining a foreign army, but those who make these comments have no idea of what it is to give and to serve, no matter what country it might be for.

WE, as soldiers, have shared things that nobody on earth who has not done the same can even begin to imagine. We are ALL special in a way that no civilian can ever understand.

To my simple mind there are just two kinds of people.

One kind of people are those who are destined by their mental make-up to be soldiers, and make it in the military life. Others, of a similar mind-set, for some reason are just not meant to be soldiers, but still have something in them that calls to a life of duty. For the most part these others become our firefighters, our police, our paramedics, our teachers, our doctors and nurses and health workers and sometimes our priests. They are the kind of folks who think that there is nothing better to do in life than to help other people to live the best life they can.

And then there are the gob****es.

It's pretty easy to figure out which are which.

Best of luck.

tac

tac foley

Uh, NO TA time. Only regular, sorry I can't oblige the person who posted that little lie.

tac

thecommietommy

RMD wrote: »

No offense intended to Commietommy but on topics related to the British Army I'd generally take his posts with a large pinch of salt as he has a tendency to derail them or push a Republican agenda.

AFAIK Tac has had a fairly long and successful career seeing him rise through the ranks from private to W01, to then receive a commission as a Major if I'm not mistaken. Without intention to sound like a lickarse here, there's not many better people to listen to on boards when it comes to the BA and their experiences within them.

With the exception of Manic Moran and he really does know his stuff, he's definetly the real deal, an officer in the American army (tank battalion I think). Anyone can just use Google and aarse.co.uk. to BS about a military career in the Brits.

DipStick McSwindler

This post has been deleted.

motivated1

best of luck in your BARB and the rest of the recruitment process !
im at no stage. all ive done is applied and received the forms earlier. i was going through them and im thinking now of what to do next. I think i should return to college and finsih my degree and then see what happens, if i still want to join the RIR i will. but everyone is tellin me to return to college and finish the degree first.

Before i do anything next i just want to get all the information i possibly can. although i think i will go to the "First meeting" and ask them everything there.
could you tell me how that went for you? did it put the nail on the coffin for you in regards that it really made you want to join?
any information you can give me on anything would be really appreciated,
thanks man.

RMD

thecommietommy wrote: »

With the exception of Manic Moran and he really does know his stuff, he's definetly the real deal, an officer in the American army (tank battalion I think). Anyone can just use Google and aarse.co.uk. to BS about a military career in the Brits.

Reservist if I'm not mistaken, 2 tours. Could be wrong on that. Knows more about military history and hardware than anyone I've come across to date on this forum by a long way, but I'd still happily listen to Tac and OS119 when it comes to advice on the BA.

What are your grounds out of curiosity for calling Tac a Walt? You haven't produced any decent evidence to support your claims.

thecommietommy

RMD wrote: »

Reservist if I'm not mistaken, 2 tours. Could be wrong on that. Knows more about military history and hardware than anyone I've come across to date on this forum by a long way, but I'd still happily listen to Tac and OS119 when it comes to advice on the BA.

What are your grounds out of curiosity for calling Tac a Walt? You haven't produced any decent evidence to support your claims.

Well you could ask why do I think Manic Moran is the real deal, common sense and experience of internet forums.

tac foley

Yawn.

CommieTommy - put up or shut up.

Ah, that's right, I can't see your responses as I've put you on my ignore list.

Oddly enough, you are the only person on it. A suggestion - put ME on YOURS, then you won't get all this 'hair-on-fire' feeling whenever you see a post by me.

tac

merlinengine

motivated1 wrote: »

best of luck in your BARB and the rest of the recruitment process !
im at no stage. all ive done is applied and received the forms earlier. i was going through them and im thinking now of what to do next. I think i should return to college and finsih my degree and then see what happens, if i still want to join the RIR i will. but everyone is tellin me to return to college and finish the degree first.

Before i do anything next i just want to get all the information i possibly can. although i think i will go to the "First meeting" and ask them everything there.
could you tell me how that went for you? did it put the nail on the coffin for you in regards that it really made you want to join?
any information you can give me on anything would be really appreciated,
thanks man.

Cheers mate. I was thinking of studying an evening course when I get over, get settled in and if my routine allows. Thats an another option worth considering. How do you yourself feel about the college vs army thing without taking into account other peoples opinions?

The first meeting was definitely worth doing. It was about 10 days ago and it was held by a sargent from 1 R Irish. He is 28, an approachable guy, and has been to Iraq and Afghan if you have any questions there either. He gave a presentation and answered any questions we had along the way. He went through what you can expect during your time in the army and what your routine will be like on and off ops, the places you go, the training, the skills you'll learn and how they translate to civillian life and a whole host of other things - the point being you'll learn a lot if you go.

There was a sargeant from the Irish Guards there too but I didn't meet him. It didn't put the final nail in the coffin because I made my mind up years ago but truth be known I put my life on hold for a woman...lesson learned lol.

Let me know if you need anything else buddy.

BlastedGlute

I'll be back in basic before christmas. Couldn't get away with a refresher course as I've been out for too long. Besides, new uniform and new training program should make life interesting back in Bassingbourne

Border-Rat

IrishFeeney92 wrote: »

Motivated1 Pay no attention to republican enthusiast commietommy, As for joining the RIR I say if you want it go for it, but the British Armed Forces are drastically cutting numbers so your chances of getting in, the withdrawal of combat troops in Afghanistan, then the unit surviving the disbandment is dropping to say the least.

I wonder what the director of public prosecutions in the Irish Republic might have to say about this sub-forum? Assuaging, convincing and encouraging military service for a foreign state publicly in the Republic of Ireland is illegal, where this forum is hosted from (Cavan, according to whois).