The Irish Defence Forces Cap Badge (or "FF badge" as it is sometimes called) is – in distinction to the practice in British, Commonwealth, and many other militaries around the world – common to all services and corps. Although principally associated with the Irish Army

Irish Army

The Irish Army, officially named simply the Army is the main branch of the Defence Forces of Ireland. Approximately 8,500 men and women serve in the Irish Army, divided into three infantry Brigades...

 (Defence Force regulations in fact describe it as "the Army Badge") it is also worn by and appears in elements of the insignia of the Naval Service

Irish Naval Service

The Naval Service is the navy of Ireland and is one of the three standing branches of the Irish Defence Forces. Its main base is in Haulbowline, County Cork....

 and Air Corps

Irish Air Corps

The Air Corps is the air component of the Defence Forces of Ireland providing support to the Army and Naval Service, together with non-military air services such as search and rescue and the Ministerial Air Transport Service...

.

Origin and early usage

The badge was designed in 1913 by Eoin MacNeill

Eoin MacNeill

Eoin MacNeill was an Irish scholar, nationalist, revolutionary and politician. MacNeill is regarded as the father of the modern study of early Irish medieval history. He was a co-founder of the Gaelic League, to preserve Irish language and culture, going on to establish the Irish Volunteers...

, a founding member and chairman of the Irish Volunteers

Irish Volunteers

The Irish Volunteers was a military organisation established in 1913 by Irish nationalists. It was ostensibly formed in response to the formation of the Ulster Volunteers in 1912, and its declared primary aim was "to secure and maintain the rights and liberties common to the whole people of Ireland"...

. Variations existed for territorial commands, but the majority of volunteers wore the Óglaigh na hÉireann badge. It was worn by republicans in the 1916 Easter Rising

Easter Rising

The Easter Rising was an insurrection staged in Ireland during Easter Week, 1916. The Rising was mounted by Irish republicans with the aims of ending British rule in Ireland and establishing the Irish Republic at a time when the British Empire was heavily engaged in the First World War...

. It was rarely worn by the Irish Republican Army

Irish Republican Army

The Irish Republican Army was an Irish republican revolutionary military organisation. It was descended from the Irish Volunteers, an organisation established on 25 November 1913 that staged the Easter Rising in April 1916...

 in the War of Independence

Irish War of Independence

The Irish War of Independence , Anglo-Irish War, Black and Tan War, or Tan War was a guerrilla war mounted by the Irish Republican Army against the British government and its forces in Ireland. It began in January 1919, following the Irish Republic's declaration of independence. Both sides agreed...

 as doing so could lead to a prison term. Eventually the Free State Army adopted the badge for their new uniforms before the Irish Civil War

Irish Civil War

The Irish Civil War was a conflict that accompanied the establishment of the Irish Free State as an entity independent from the United Kingdom within the British Empire....

.

Description

The design of the Army Badge which is prescribed in Defence Force Regulations as follows:

"...As a component of rank insignia and which is specified in the Third Schedule as the form of the cap badge, shall be a sunburst - An Gal Gréine, surmounted by an 8-pointed star, a point of the star being uppermost, bearing the letters "FF" (in Gaelic characters) encircled by a representation of an ancient warrior's sword belt on which the words "Óglaigh na hÉireann" are inscribed."

Inscription

• "FF" - Fianna Fáil - Soldiers of Destiny (not named after the political party, Fianna Fáil
  Fianna Fáil
  Fianna Fáil – The Republican Party , more commonly known as Fianna Fáil is a centrist political party in the Republic of Ireland, founded on 23 March 1926. Fianna Fáil's name is traditionally translated into English as Soldiers of Destiny, although a more accurate rendition would be Warriors of Fál...
  
  )
• "Óglaiġ na h-Éireann
  Óglaigh na hÉireann
  Óglaigh na hÉireann , abbreviated ÓnaÉ, is an Irish language idiom that can be translated variously as soldiers of Ireland, warriors of Ireland, volunteers of Ireland or Irish volunteers...
  
  " - Irish Volunteers

Irish Army

In the Army

Irish Army

The Irish Army, officially named simply the Army is the main branch of the Defence Forces of Ireland. Approximately 8,500 men and women serve in the Irish Army, divided into three infantry Brigades...

, the badge is worn by all ranks on all head-dress. Enlisted and non-commissioned ranks wear a "Stay-Brite" anodised aluminium brass replica. Some enlisted ranks, particularly older soldiers, wear the original Brass Badge which, although no longer official issue, is considered a symbol of lengthy service. Commissioned Officers and Senior NCOs, such as Sergeant Major and Battalion/Regimental Quartermaster, wear a larger dark bronze version. This tradition is assumed to have begun on the death of Michael Collins

Michael Collins (Irish leader)

Michael "Mick" Collins was an Irish revolutionary leader, Minister for Finance and Teachta Dála for Cork South in the First Dáil of 1919, Director of Intelligence for the IRA, and member of the Irish delegation during the Anglo-Irish Treaty negotiations. Subsequently, he was both Chairman of the...

 during the Irish Civil War

Irish Civil War

The Irish Civil War was a conflict that accompanied the establishment of the Irish Free State as an entity independent from the United Kingdom within the British Empire....

 when officers dulled their badges with boot polish in Commemoration of the General. The bronze badge was introduced in 1924.

These two variations are worn by all ranks. However, on the Service Dress Uniform, the ranks of Colonel, Brigadier, Major and Lieutenant General and the Head Chaplain have a gold bullion version on a red cloth backing. The same version is worn on the Mess Dress Uniform peaked cap by all officers.

Irish Naval Service

In the Naval Service

Irish Naval Service

The Naval Service is the navy of Ireland and is one of the three standing branches of the Irish Defence Forces. Its main base is in Haulbowline, County Cork....

, the "Stay-Brite" version of the badge is worn by Seamen and Leading Seaman on their cap and on the operational beret.

Irish Air Corps

The Air Corps

Irish Air Corps

The Air Corps is the air component of the Defence Forces of Ireland providing support to the Army and Naval Service, together with non-military air services such as search and rescue and the Ministerial Air Transport Service...

previously wore army uniforms. On the introduction of a distinct blue Air Corps uniform in 1994, cloth cap badges were introduced for the forage caps and peaked caps; these have a smaller less detailed version of the badge embroidered into the design, which incorporates an eagle.