Regimental Mascots

Irish Guards 1967 to 1985

The next mascot was Samando Silver, otherwise known as Fionn. He was bred by Dr. & Mrs. May, by Outhwaite Boroughbury Brosha out of Celestine Quendon, born November 21st, 1966. He was only 10 months old when he took up his duties.

The magazine Dogs' Life of November 11, 1967 carried an article entitled Forces mascots - a dying breed? which read: 'Throughout the history of the armed forces, animal mascots have been associated with certain regiments, ships and camps. Strangely enough, many of these have been unofficial, and today there are few known mascots and fewer still officially accorded rank and status. Of these only two are dogs.
Some regiments favour goats and others rams, but for over 50 years the mascot of the 1st Battalion Irish Guards has been, appropriately enough, an Irish Wolfhound.
'The latest in the line of Wolfhound mascots is ten-month-old Fionn who recently replaced Sean, the dog who was with the regiment for seven years and was the first of its mascots to be pensioned off, at the age of eight. The others have all died during their tour of duty.
'Sean at the Palace
'Sean mounted guard with the regiment at Buckingham Palace and accompanied his Irish colleagues on recruiting tours of Britain. Now he will spend the rest of his days at a new home in Scotland.
'His replacement, Fionn, was presented to the Guards by Mr. and Mrs. D.F. Leet of Banbury, and he wears the traditional full dress for special occasions. This includes a silver collar with the cap star of the Irish Guards, and a scarlet Irish linen coat. In bad weather he sports a blue-grey cape. On St. Patrick's day he will be bearing a sprig of shamrock as proudly as the rest of the regiment.

Fionn and Sean 
 Wolfhounds on parade! Left, Fionn; right, Sean.

'Fionn appears on T.V.
'Already Fionn has established himself as a public relations expert and appeared on television. That is how he earns his keep, since the money to look after him comes out of regimental funds. "He's at least recovered what it costs to keep him," said a spokesman for the Guards.
'His home comforts are not forgotten for Fionn has a vast bed to accommodate his shaggy six foot frame, and his daily diet includes three pounds of steak not to mention the odd titbits between meals.
'Apart from the Irish wolfhound, one other dog is recorded as being a regimental mascot, and that was the Staffordshire Bull terrier of the 5/6 Battalion North Staffordshires. They were a Territorial Army regiment and disbanded earlier this year.
'Some other units keep unofficial dog mascots, but the only one actually recorded is that of the Royal Marine Commandos, who adopted a Labrador called Oscar while they were in Aden, and brought him home with them when they left.
'With so few known mascots, are these canine heroes a dying breed?'

Queen Mother with Fionn 
 HM Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother giving shamrock to Fionn
with the help of the Quartermaster during the 1968
St. Patrick's Day celebrations
 HM The Queen Mother with Fionn
 The 1968 St. Patrick's Day celebrations
 1968 St. Patrick's Day Celebrations
 1st Battalion Irish Guards - St. Patrick's Day, 1968 (Fionn in the right hand corner)
 
Presentation of shamrock 
 Fionn being presented to the Queen Mother
 
Fionn 
 Fionn in his ceremonial coat, presented by the Irish Linen Guild
 
 In September, 1968 the Regiment undertook a recruitment tour in Ulster, on which Fionn accompanied them. The first engagement was for the Band to play in the "Miss Portrush" Beauty Contest:
 Fionn alongside Miss Portrush
 L/Cpl. O'Toole and Fionn with "Miss Portrush"
 Fionn leading the Regimental Recruiting Team
 The Regimental Recruiting Team. led by Fionn, leaving the arena
at Londonderry.

Soldier magazine of February, 1970 carried an article headed Military mascots - Shaggy dog story: "Fionn is a brawny six-footer in the Irish Guards. He has posed with beauty queens and air hostesses for publicity stunts and appears in films and television." (for full article, click here)

   
Fionn Fionn
Two views of Fionn between 1970 and 1975
 
Postcard 
 Postcard - Windsor Castle, Berkshire
The band of the Irish Guards and their Mascot
marching down Castle Hill with the Round Tower
in the background
 
 LKA, 1972
 Fionn on the right with his handler at the LKA in 1972
 
card depicting Irish Guards and mascot 
Pop-out card depicting Irish Guards & mascot on the march 

Fionn retired in 1976, when his place was taken by Sanctuary Cormac of Tara, presented by the Misses Harrison & Atfield. Cormac was born on December 8th, 1976, by Sanctuary Mighty Monarch out of Cleveragh Clare.

 
 Cormac official portrait
 Official portrait of Cormac, by Tod Ramon
 
 presentation of shamrock to Cormac
 HM Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother presenting Cormac
with his sprig of Shamrock on a St. Patrick's Day in the 1980s

Cormac was the first of the Irish Guards mascots to be entered on a Company Conduct Sheet for "Conduct to the prejudice of good order and military discipline contrary to section 69 of the Dog Act 1955". In fact, he was entered twice; the first time for "failure to eat the sweets offered to him by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother" (for which the witnesses were the World Press and a Parade of hundreds), and the second time for trying "to take a nip out of the Japanese High Commissioner" (for which the witness was Mrs. M. Thatcher).

St. Patrick's Day 1984 
 St. Patrick's Day, 1984 at Pirbright
 St. Patrick's Day 1984
 
During March, 1984 the Band of the Irish Guards visited Northern Ireland: 
 Cormac with Miss Northern Ireland
 LCpl. Rutherford and Cormac with Miss Northern Ireland, March 1984
 on parade in Belfast
The Regimental Band, led by Cormac, parade down Royal Avenue, Belfast 
 
 Marches from the Classics
 The picture on the cover of The Band of The Irish Guards
Marches From the Classics LP, 1984
with Cormac leading the Band
Cormac 
 The photo of Cormac with L/Cpl Rutherford on
the back of the LP cover

At Crufts, 1985 Cormac was introduced to Prince Michael of Kent and Mrs. Florence Nagle of the Sulhamstead Irish wolfhounds.

Crufts 1985 
 Mrs. Florence Nagle, the grand old lady of dogdom, celebrated her
ninetieth birthday this year, as full of drive and energy as ever. At
Crufts she met Prince Michael of Kent who was visiting the show;
here they admire one of her favourite breed being used as a
regimental mascot. (Dog World Annual, 1985)

Cormac served with the Irish Guards until 1985.

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Updated 10/4/2008