This territorial regiment is built up of two formerly East India Company's battalions - the Madras Fusiliers and the Bombay Fusiliers, which in 1862 were amalgamated with the Imperial Army as the 102nd and 103rd of the Line.  Its military history is that of the upgrowth of our Indian Empire, and since it became territorialised it has not had the fortune to have been on active service; none the less, its past history is in every way brilliant, as its battle-roll evidences, for it contains the names of "Arcot", "Condore", "Wyndewash", "Sholinghur", "Nundy Droog", "Amboyna", "Ternate", "Banda" ,"Pondicherry", "Mahidpoor", "Guzerat", "Seringapatam", "Kirkee", "Beni-Boo-Ally", "Aden", "Punjaub", "Mooltan", "Goojerat", "Ava", "Pegu", and "Lucknow".

The "Madras European Regiment" ranked second in the Eastern Army, and its formation as a regular battalion, under Stringer Lawrence, dates as far back as 1748, from which date to 1758 it took part in 72 battles against the enemy, both native and French.  In 1760 it was increased to three battalions, organised as which it again took part in eighteen more battles, and the capture of ten forts; again increased by a fourth battalion in 1774, when it fought at Guzerat and seventeen other actions; and in 1791 it received the "Royal Tiger" as a badge.  By 1841 its battle-roll had been increased by seventeen more engagements, and the motto of "Spectamur agendo2 was granted the regiment for its arduous and continued service.  Its title changed in the course of years from the "Madras European Regiment" to the "1st Madras European Fusiliers". the "Royal Madras Fusiliers", and finally to that at present authorised.  It saw active service in Burmah in 1852 - 55 (for which "Pegu" appears on the colours), and in the Mutiny, when it was present at Allahabad, Futehpore (where it was the only regiment armed with the Enfield rifle), Aoung, Pundo-Nuddee, Cawnpore, Oonao, Basaarat Gunge, Alambagh, "Lucknow", and many other "affairs"; for which the last mentioned name closes the present list of honours.  The 2nd battalion of the regiment was formed for the protection of Bombay, part of the dower of the Queen of Charles II, at which time it wore scarlet with emerald green facings.  Its earliest important service was in 1733, when it took part in some operations near Thull; but in 1757 it saw more serious work at Chandernagore, Plassey, Buxar, Medura, and Palamcottah, and saw further fighting in the Malwan expedition in 1765; in 1767 against the Chaub Arabs, in 1768 against Hyder Ali, in 1779 against the Nawab of Surat, and other expeditions from that date to 1848, when it was present at Gujerat, at the time when the Punjaub was added to our empire.  The badge of the "Royal Tiger", already referred to, belongs to both regiments; but the 2nd battalion gave the superscription "Plassey", and "Buxar", while to the same regiment is due the elephant, superscribed with "Carnatic" and "Mysore".  It also bears the arms of the city of Dublin, by "permission of the Municipal Council".

The grenade, crowned, is worn on the button, and on the collar with the tiger and elephant; the grenade on the head dress plate bears, in addition, the arms of Dublin and the regimental motto "Spectamur agendo".  The shamrock appears surrounding the arms, and also with the harp, on the waist belt.

The Militia battalions attached to this regiment are the Kildare, the Royal Dublin City, and the Dublin County, with headquarters at Naas and Dublin.  The nickname of the 1st battalion is the "Lambs"; that of the 2nd the "Old Toughs", from their long and arduous service in India; but the "102nd" was known during the Mutiny as the "Blue Caps".

The regimental pet of the 1st battalion about the year 870 was a tiger cub named "Plassey", one of a pair captured by Captain Thackwell of the 5th Lancers, and presented by him to the "Madras Fusiliers".  Though quite tame, and even on friendly terms with two other pets (an antelope and a dog), and making the voyage home in company also with two young leopards, the fact that he was living unchained in the garrison at Dover so alarmed some of the inhabitants that he was reluctantly sent to the Zoological Gardens, where he died, retaining his amiability and his fondness for the dog to the very last.