Royal Irish Rifles arrive in South Africa, Boer War

The 2nd Battalion The Royal Irish Rifles, on 25 October 1899, marched from Belfast Infantry Barracks* to the Great Northern Railway Station*, Belfast and entrained for Queenstown**, County Cork, where it embarked on the Britannic (right) bound for South Africa. Its strength was 27 officers and 872 other ranks.

The Battalion had been directed to mobilize on 9 October and their strength on departure had been due to a successful turnout of reservists - some 695 reported out of a total number recalled of 704. The remaining nine never appeared and were assumed to have died.

When the Royal Irish Rifles arrived in Table Bay on 13 November, Major General Gatacre boarded the Britannic with his staff and the Battalion then sailed to East London where it disembarked on 16 November. Having entrained for Queenstown, in Eastern Cape Colony, on 17 November they arrived at their destination, Putter's Kraal, on 22 November 1899. Their first bloody battle against the Boers was to be at Stormberg Junction on 10 December 1899.

*
Today, this route would be described as from Victoria Barracks to Great Victoria Street Station; the Belfast Infantry Barracks was renamed Victoria Barracks following the death of Queen Victoria.

**
Described as the Cove of Cork in 1750, the port was renamed Queenstown, following a visit by Queen Victoria in 1849, until it’s name was changed to Cobh in 1920 when the Irish Free State gained independence.