bandoliers

“The Irish Volunteers was a paramilitary organisation formed in November 1913. It was set up in response to an article by Eoin MacNeill in the nationalist newspaper, An Claidheamh Soluis. The article called on nationalists to arm themselves in order to achieve Home Rule.

With the advent of the First World War, there was a split in the Irish Volunteers. This was because the leader of the Nationalist Party, John Redmond, called on all Irish Volunteers to support the British war effort. Those who agreed with Redmond became the National Volunteers. Those who did not want to support the British in the war remained the Irish Volunteers, many of whom eventually took part in the 1916 Rising”

"the first item on the agenda of any Irish organisation is the split"
- Brendan Behan

Great to see there is a Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy in Company B ...

[Aside] - www.youtube.com

beachcomber australia I was wondering which of you would suggest this!

The catalogue says this is September 1914, the same month the Volunteers split over support for WW1

Niall McAuley Missed September. Mea culpa!

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.

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)