Tambour du 2e Bataillon du Royal Irish Regiment

Drum of the 2nd Battalion of the Royal Irish Regiment The origins of this infantry regiment date back to the English Civil War (1639–1651), but it was officially formed in 1684. After more than 250 years of service in the British Army, the regiment was disbanded in 1922 following the establishment of the Republic of Ireland. During the Battle of Mons on August 23, 1914, the 2nd Battalion of the Royal Irish Regiment, part of the 8th Brigade of the British 3rd Division, took part in the defense of the Obourg bridges alongside the Middlesex and the Gordon Highlanders. After halting the enemy’s advance, it received orders to withdraw at dawn on August 24, amid the chaos of roads clogged with refugees. This drum, a silent witness, tells this story of courage and brotherhood today. This drum, a polychrome wooden tenor drum, was made by George Potter in London after 1918. More than just an instrument, it embodies the identity and memory of a prestigious regiment. Its central face bears the royal coat of arms of the United Kingdom, framed by the emblems “Egypt” and “China,” testaments to the Royal Irish Regiment’s victorious campaigns. On either side, battle honors are depicted in succession, linked by Irish shamrocks, a powerful symbol of national attachment. Beneath the regiment’s name are two emblematic figures: on the right, a golden lion bearing the motto Virtutis Namurcensis Praemium—“Reward for Bravery at Namur”—and on the left, a golden harp with silver strings, a reminder of Irish identity. This drum was placed in Mons by the regiment after World War I as a token of remembrance and friendship. Its presence illustrates the deep bond between the city and British and Irish veterans, a bond forged through the trials of 1914. Leather, metal, wood, rope, paint. Dimensions: 35 cm, Diam. 52 cm Date: 1914–1918 Identifier: MAR-MMM-BVM-3-0115 Owner: City of Mons. Depositary: Mons Memorial Museum.