Inniskilling Piper
When we read of 'pipes' we tend to think of the Scottish regiments, their pipers playing the troops into battle. But the Irish also had pipes - there are those who will tell you that the pipes themselves were exported to Scotland. But the pipes are much older and much more universal than the Gaels would have us believe. They originated in Asia Minor before the dawn of written history and can be found throughout Europe in a variety of guises.

But it is the Scot and Irish who developed them into instruments that would inspire men to great deeds.

The Irish Toy Soldier Museum has commissioned a special figure - a piper of one of Ireland's most famous regiments at one of the most devastating battles of the First World War - the Inniskillings at The Somme 1916.
Inniskilling
Piper
The Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers were raised in 1689 by Colonel Zachary Tiffin as Tiffin's Regiment of Foot. It appears that when taken on the Establishment in January 1690 there were not enough red coats to go round and so they fought at The Boyne in white. But this piper 220 years later has a proper uniform. He wears khaki and the saffron kilt of the Irish and plays the War Pipes - a set with just two drones most attractive figure this piper is available exclusively from the Irish Toy Soldier Museum, who will also give full details of the other Irish figures they stock. Pipes to the front.