The Sprig of Shillelagh

The Journal of The Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers

The Beginning

'The Sprig of Shillelagh' the Regimental Journal of the Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers, was founded in 1890.  Its founder and first editor, Lieutenant V D'Oyly Noble, last described how he had conceived the idea when he was serving with the 1st Battalion at Portsmouth, and had virtually gone into print before the Commanding Officer heard about it.  Colonel Dooner, however, was very supportive of the idea and the first Edition - which appeared on 1 October 1890 - was such a resounding success that it very quickly sold out and more had to be obtained.  Although the cover of that first edition appears to give Enniskillen as its point of origin it was, in fact, conceived, planned, published and printed in Portsmouth.

'The Sprig' was design to be read by all ranks in the Regiment and by a wide field outside, in that copies were distributed to other regiments and similar journals.

Lieutenant Noble's address was given as The Orderly Room, 1st Battalion The Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers, Portsmouth, and the publishers and printers were the local firm of Messrs W H Charpenter & Co.

Its aim was simple - to forward everything in connection with the old Regiment - and so it was priced to suit all pockets.  It was to be published monthly and cost two pence a copy, with an annual subscription of two and sixpence.  The title of the journal was taken from the great blackthorn used as the Drum Major's mace but although Noble later refers to the residence of Lord Fitzwilliam adjoining the town of Shillelagh in Co. Wicklow, it is not entirely clear how the full title came about.

I suggested a drawing of the Drum Major's Staff the great blackthorn, mounted with a silver castle...  For though I had thought to call the paper after the Regimental March it seemed a good idea in include a sketch of the 'Sprig' of imposing dimensions which had been presented to the Regiment by the Earl of Enniskillen some twenty years before.  And Fawkes not only drew the staff but included in my sketch my servant Casey, who had been called in to hold it up, in his vest and pants, just as he was!  This is how there came to appear on the first page of so many early 'Sprigs' a little drawing that present day readers find, I am told, something of a puzzle.

The cartoon  of Private Casey (above) holding the Drum Majors Mace

It is interesting, nevertheless, to consider the significance of the words of the title, which had a much wider use in the Regiment.  Officers and some NCOs - I recall the Provost Sergeant, for example, doing so - carried a blackthorn stick but we never referred to these a shillelaghs.  That word, we believed, related only to those green ribbons, sold to tourists.  Our sticks, therefore, of blackthorn not oak, would appear to have had nothing to do with the title but, like so many other things, fact and fancy became entwined.  Another article in 'The Sprig' says for many years now, the Regiment has taken a lively interest in the Prunus Spinosa, or Common Blackthorn - our officers' sticks are cut from it, our Regimental Police are equipped with it, our Journal is called after it, and wherever Inniskilling officers foregather, there is certain, sooner or later, to be talk of it.

By Lt Col Condon

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