What is Ireland's Royal Garrison Artillery

irishbarb · 13-09-2012 03:11AM #1

I believe I am related to a man on this list:

http://www.failteromhat.com/military/clarerga.htm

He doesn't show up on any of the census records, and I started to google his name and I think it's him because Fagan isn't exactly the most popular name in Clare. There were no Fagans on the census for Clare at all actually. Anyway, can anyone explain what this is in layman's terms, and what he would have been doing, thanks!

shanew · 13-09-2012 09:37AM

The Royal Garrison Artillery manned guns in forts and fortresses, including coastal artillery batteries around Britain and Ireland, and also batteries attached to each infantry division.

e.g. the batteries at Tarbert Co. Kerry, or Dún Laoighaire, Co. Dublin

see : http://www.dlharbour.ie/content/history/harbour/east_pier_battery.php

I believe the list is a selection of Irish born men serving with the unit.

Shane

pedroeibar1 · 13-09-2012 11:20AM

The list confused me a little – most but not all of the addresses are Clare/Limerick and most of the names are ‘local’, so it could be recruits from those counties. His military record would give more detail including service locations; otherwise you will have to search all the forts/major barracks that had a RGA presence.

There is a wiki on the RGA here http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Royal_Garrison_Artillery
Pre WWI the RGA was fixed artillery. Have you searched the Census for him at any of the big bases (e.g. Fort Camden or Fort Carlisle in Cork?)

Here is a photo of a fixed emplacement at one of the latter:

What is Ireland's Royal Garrison Artillery

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