1 R IRISH deploy at short notice on Op BANNER.

Although the 1st Battalion The Royal Irish Regiment (R IRISH) had been due to deploy to Northern Ireland on Operation BANNER in December 1995, due to the IRA ceasefire the Battalion remained in England as the Rural Reinforcement Battalion. However, on the 9 February the IRA Docklands bombing ended the ceasefire and within five days 1 R IRISH was deployed to various locations in Northern Ireland to reinforce the Armagh Roulement Battalion, the East Tyrone Battalion and the Fermanagh Roulement Battalion.

The Companies were situated at the following locations:

Battalion Headquarters and elements of HQ Company - Drumadd Barracks, Armagh.
A Company - Bessbrook Mill near Newry.
B Company - Keady, Middletown and Armagh City.
C Company - Killymeal House, Dungannon.
MSP* Company - Lisnaskea, Clogher and Newtownbutler.

*
Support Company was retitled Manoeuvre Support Company.