bandoliers

several of them are wearing wrist watches, it's the first time I have seen watches being worn in these period pictures ?

Foxglove Only one other that I remember, but then Waterford people were always ahead of their "time"...

Definitely colonials, Oz, could be Field Artillery Brigade (FAB).

Suck Diesel I think you're right about Australia / New Zealand. It's the slouch hats...

I think the lapel badges are that of the Australian Commonwealth Military Forces.

A group of Redmondite volunteer Non Commissioned Officers in full regalia! I don't think I've seen anything like this before. All patriotic and well meaning and caught out by the Rising in 1916 and the decision of their leaders to support Britain in WW1 in the hope of gaining Home Rule by peaceful means. Many of them joined the war effort in Europe and lost their lives and many more changed over and took an active part in the war of independence. They are surprisingly well equipped with rifles, those are Lee-Enfield Mark II riflles the standard issue to the British Army at that time though they are sporting Boer War bandoliers.

Swordscookie Thanks, Sean, for condensing 10 turbulent years of Irish history into a few lines, and for the techie information. I've tagged from what you've said. You say "surprisingly well equipped". The rifles may have been up to date, but I wonder how many of those rifles the Volunteers had - not just those that would be displayed for PR reasons in a photo like this?

Swordscookie Pigsticker = Bayonet??

National Library of Ireland on The Commons Of course. The chap near the pointy end better not move in a hurry or he'll be bleeding like a stuck pig!

Swordscookie Thank you for that eloquent and evocative descripion! :)

at first glance it could be mistaken for an alpine hunting party. they seem not to be dressed to rough it as a flying column, so it would have been a prepared photocall?

May be a red herring, but a Capt. McGrath was appointed Quartermaster to the 55th Infantry Battalion in a list issued in March 1923 (Freeman's Journal). Would he have been based at the Prison Garrison in Waterford? Bit of a stretch?

Foxglove Was just reading recently that the shirt, collar, and tie (though not everyone here has one on) were to denote respectability. Also learned the Irish for Flying Column is Colún Reatha (running column) which I think is lovely.

Foxglove yes that was my thought.

Wonder was Mr.Poole blindfolded on his way to take it ? Lots of "photoshopping" on the background...... I have a similar posed photograph from Castlecomer.

Scarily easy using Google Lens -

"Saturday, January 22, 1916
Officers training camp began at Volunteers Hall, Sheares St, Cork, instructed by JJ O'Connell.
The course was to cover field work, elementary drill, physical drill, and lectures, according to the notice placed in the Irish Volunteer newspaper.
Most of the companies in the county mainly formed in the previous six months thanks to organisers like Terence MacSwiney, Sean Nolan and Daithi Barry were represented."

From - www.irishexaminer.com/news/arid-20375606.html

Text on the back of the photo reads:

MEN OF THE WEST (SHEARES ST. CORK - 1915)

INCLUDED IN THIS GROUP :-
1. Seán Sullivan (R.I.P)
2. C Ó Gormáin (Bailitheóir Cánach)
3. Seán Hales (Shot Dead - Dublin)
4. T. Hales (New F.F. T.D.)
5. Tadg Barry (Shot Dead - Ballykindlar Camp)
6. Comdt. O'Connell (Army)

All the names here - freepages.rootsweb.com/~bwickham/genealogy/uniforms.htm

"Officers Training Camp at Volunteers Hall, Sheares Street, Cork commenced Jan 22, 1916.

Front Row seated: Cornelius J. Meany, Cornelius Mahoney, Patrick J. Twomey, Martin O'Keefe, Michael Leahy, William Kelliher, James Murphy, Chris McSweeney.

Second Row: Sean O'Sullivan, Christopher O'Gorman, Michael Lynch, Sean Lynch, John Manning, Charles Wall, James Walsh, Sean Carroll, Riobard Langford, Maurice Ahern, Tom Hales, Tadgh Barry, Captain J. J. "Ginger" O'Connell.

Back Row: Paud O'Donoghue, Cornelius Ahern, Sean O'Driscoll, Eugene Walsh, Denis O'Brien, Sean Collins, Seamus Courtney, Jeremiah Mullane, Michael Hyde, Liam O'Brien, Michael McCarthy.
(Click here for Larger 160k photo)

(Identifications from "Rebel Cork's Fighting Story") "

Is this the place? I'm not 100% sure - maps.app.goo.gl/8h9KvhECqNi7JZXS6

More convinced it is the right streetview, "St Francis Hall, 20 Sheares Street" - www.corkcity.ie/en/cork-rocks-for-rory/rory-gallagher-sto... (relevant history)