The 1st Battalion left Aldershot by rail on the afternoon of April 9, 1861, for Liverpool, where they embarked for Dublin, which they reached on the 10th, and landing on the 11th occupied Richmond barracks.
On the 29th they marched by route to Naas, and thence on the next day to the Curragh camp.
During their stay at the Curragh they marched to Dunamase near Maryborough; where they encamped, using the ‘tentes d’abri’ for the first time, and returned to the Curragh on the next day.
On September 17 the Battalion left the Curragh, marching that day to Naas, and on the next to Dublin, where they re-occupied Richmond barracks.
During the time the Battalion was in the garrison of Dublin, a question arose as to the Castle guard, which is mounted at the residence of the Lord Lieutenant, when furnished by the Rifle Brigade carrying a colour. One of the colours of regiments of the line is ‘trooped’ and carried by this guard; but the Rifle Brigade having no colours, the attempt to make the subaltern for guard carry it was of course resisted. Sir George Brown, who then commanded in Ireland, though he had served many years in the Regiment, wished to insist on the colour being carried. But the officer commanding the Battalion referred the matter to His Royal Highness the Colonel-in-Chief; and in consequence the following memorandum was issued from the Horse Guards June 10, 1861:—
‘His Royal Highness the General Commanding-in-Chief has received the commands of the Queen to notify that Her Majesty is pleased to dispense with the use of colours when guards of honour or guards over the Royal person are furnished by Regiments which do not ordinarily carry colours.
‘By command,
‘(Signed) J. Yorke Scarlett, A.G.’
The American ship ‘San Jacinto’ having boarded the Royal Mail Packet ‘Trent’ and forcibly removed Messrs. Mason and Slidell, Commissioners from the Southern Confederate States proceeding to London and Paris, the Government, having resolved to demand reparation for this outrage on the British flag, ordered a force to proceed to Canada for the defence of that country in the event of a war. The Battalion was therefore ordered on December 4 to hold itself in readiness for active service, and having been inspected on the 7th by Major-General Ridley, embarked on the 11th at the North Wall, Dublin, in two divisions on board the ‘Windsor’ and ‘Trafalgar,’ under the command of Lord A. G. Russell, for Liverpool. They arrived there on the following day and were immediately transferred to the hired steam-ship ‘Australasian.’ Their strength being
| Field-officers | Captains | Subalterns | Staff | Staff-Sergeants |
| 3 | 10 | 21 | 6 | 5 |
| Sergeants | Buglers | Corporals | Privates | Total |
| 38 | 16 | 37 | 738 | 874 |
At 7 P.M. on December 13 the ‘Australasian’ started, with orders to make the passage of the St. Lawrence, if possible; which was, however, doubtful in consequence of the ice in the depth of winter. They had fair weather till the 23rd, when they sighted Cape Race. But at midnight it came on to blow a gale, with snow, or rather ice, falling so thick that it was impossible to see a foot before them. The ‘Australasian’ continued tacking all the 24th, and at midnight it was found she was off the southern coast of Anticosti. The captain now declaring that he was averse to trying to enter the St. Lawrence in such weather, it was resolved (after consultation with the commanding officer and the officer of the Royal Navy on board) to make for Halifax, which, after a dangerous passage between Cape Ray and St. Paul’s Island, they reached at midday on the 26th.