This is a landing page for my small collection of RIC uniform. I’ve been having tech trouble putting it all together, so my rather untechnical solution is to break it down into smaller sub-pages so that it will at least load. Hopefully in time I’ll either have a Eureka moment (unlikely), or someone who knows what they are doing will come to my aid. For now, this will do.

RIC uniform is unsurprisingly rare and correspondingly hard to find and can be expensive to buy. That said, you can be lucky as with anything. I’m fortunate to have a small amount, as listed below.

Dress Tunic and Trouser for a County Inspector

Although missing its shoulder cords and olivettes, this is a remarkable survivor, attributed to County Inspector (2nd Class) George Henry Walker Dobbyn who served from 1860 until 1904.

Described in the auction catalogue thus: Black Full Dress tunic of melton cloth with black velvet collar and cuffs. The rounded collar edged with black cord and narrow braid, ornamented with a double row of black Russia eyes and bearing Edwardian Crowned Harps in blackened metal with small red backing. Austrian knots to cuffs, edged with Russia eyes. The tunic edged all round with black cord and trimmed with five pairs of loops, each forming three “bullet-hole ” eyes above and below, and terminating in a crows-foot under a boss. Back-seam ornaments also of black cord and braid, forming Austrian knots at top and bottom. Quilted black lining bearing label of J.B. Johnstone named to G.H.W.Dobbyn, Esq County Inspector 31-1-84. Minimal moth; shoulder cords and olivettes now removed. Together with a pair of heavy black twill overalls with 1 1/2 in. black shamrock lace stripes. Some moth damage overall. (2 items)

County Inspector (2nd Class) George Henry Walker Dobbyn joined as a Cadet in 1860, rising through the ranks to hold the rank of County Inspector January 1884 and promoted to County Inspector 2nd Class in April of that year. He held posts at Antrim, Cork Armagh Louth, his last being at Carlow, he retired in 1904 and died in 1908. He now rests in St Colmanell’s Churchyard Ahoghill.