Why did a pack of hunting hounds name Ireland's most notorious paramilitary police force?

Cultures · Published 30 September 2026 Swipe more like this →

In short: The Black and Tans were not an official military unit, but a desperate British recruitment drive during the Irish War of Independence. Named for their mismatched, improvised uniforms, these ex-soldiers became synonymous with brutal reprisals. Their legacy remains so toxic that even a century later, official commemorations trigger national outrage.

In January 1920, the British administration in Ireland began recruiting thousands of unemployed First World War veterans to bolster the overstretched Royal Irish Constabulary (RIC). Because of a severe uniform shortage, these new recruits were issued a jarring combination of dark green RIC tunics and khaki army trousers. The nickname 'Black and Tans' was born from a local joke comparing these mismatched colors to the famous Scarteen Hunt's 'Black and Tan' hounds, a pack of Kerry Beagles well-known in County Tipperary.

While some historians debate the exact definition, the Black and Tans were essentially regular constables, not a separate reserve force. They were often poorly trained in police methods compared to their Irish counterparts and were frequently deployed to the southern and western regions where the Irish Republican Army (IRA) was most active. Their reputation for violence—including arson, looting, and reprisal killings—was so severe that they are often described as the most notorious police force in the history of the British Isles.

The brutality of the Black and Tans, which included the burning of villages like Balbriggan and the killing of civilians, ultimately backfired on the British government. Their actions alienated public opinion in both Ireland and Britain, fueling support for the IRA and forcing British politicians to seek a peaceful resolution. Even today, the term 'Tan War' is used by Irish Republicans to describe the conflict, and the memory of their conduct remains a sensitive political flashpoint, as seen in the 2020 cancellation of a proposed RIC commemoration ceremony.

It is important to distinguish the Black and Tans from the Auxiliary Division, a separate, paramilitary counterinsurgency unit composed of former British officers. While the two are often conflated in historical memory, the Auxiliaries operated independently and were responsible for some of the most infamous atrocities, such as the Burning of Cork. By the time the RIC was disbanded in 1922, the Black and Tans had left a permanent scar on the Irish consciousness, immortalized in song and national identity.

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