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The Royal Hibernian Military School (1765-1924)
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The Royal Hibernians lay up their colours

Colours will be placed in Windsor Castle (from The Times September 1924)

The King has been pleased to take charge of the colours of the Royal Hibernian Military School, which will be deposited in Windsor Castle next Friday. On September 2, 1853, the school received its first colours from the Prince of Wales, afterwards King Edward VII. Fifty years later, on July we, 1903, King Edward presented new colours to the school, and these colours were carried on parage for the last time on July 15, 1924.

The school at Shorncliffe has been closed down, and the boys have been transferred to the Duke of York's Royal Military School at Dover. About 1,250 old boys served in the Great War. Of these 80 were killed or died of wounds, 54 were wounded, one was awarded the V.C., a great number received decorations and medals for bravery in the field, and 51 were promoted to commissioned rank.

The Hibernian Society in Dublin was founded in 1760 for maintaining, educating and putting to trades the orphan children and other children of soldiers in Ireland. In 1806 the school was taken over by the War Office, the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland becoming the president and Commander of the Forces in Ireland vice-president. It became known as the Royal Hibernian Military School and was granted a charter by Queen Victoria in 1871.

In its old Dublin home the school was one of the sights of the old capital. It was a perfectly organized, self-contained unit, with its own farm, laundry, workshops, swimming bath, churches, hospital, Post Office savings bank and telephone system. Its band always enjoyed a high reputation. The majority of boys on leaving school volunteered for service in the Army.

Later, the Hibernian colours were moved from Windsor Castle to the Duke of York's school and now hang in the chapel. If anyone knows what date the colours were moved from Windsor Castle to the Duke of York's school the information would be appreciated by this editor.

 

Royal Hibernian colour party marching up the hill of Windsor Castle to lay up its colours

Royal Hibernian colours laid up in the Duke of York's chapel

Close-up of the Royal Hibernian King's colour in the Duke of York's chapel


Table of Contents - Royal Hibernian Military School
Introduction
1769 Petition
1806 Pay and Allowances
1806 Weekly Governor's Report
1806 Time Table
1819 Charter
1819 Diet
1819 Staff Duties
1819 General Regulations
1844 Return of Religions
1849 S.S. Pemberton Orphans
1856 School Inspector Gleig
1857 China
1873 Religion
1900 Review at Phoenix Park
1918 Lost Boys
1919 Roll of Honour
1919 Recollections
1919 Lives of the Hibernians
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
1922 Last cricket match
1924 A soldier's orphan's story
1924 Last roll call
1924 Laying up the colours
1924 The final era
1937 A military misfit NEW
1969 The bicentenary reunion
1994 Capt. Harry Bloomer MBE
2001 IGS No.25 History
2004 Newsletter
2005 The last known Hibernian
2007 Sources of Hibernian documents
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