The Irish Guard is a group of uniformed students that leads the Band of the Fighting Irish

Band of the Fighting Irish

The Band of the Fighting Irish is the marching band of the University of Notre Dame. The over 380 members of the band represent nearly every field of study, and include students from all fifty states as well as from overseas...

 onto the field at home games. They are considered one of the integral parts in the pageantry, lore, and legend of Notre Dame football.

History

The Irish Guard was formed in 1949 as a part of the University of Notre Dame Marching Band

Marching band

Marching band is a physical activity in which a group of instrumental musicians generally perform outdoors and incorporate some type of marching with their musical performance. Instrumentation typically includes brass, woodwinds, and percussion instruments...

. The uniform of the guard was based on the pattern of the traditional Scottish kilt

Kilt

The kilt is a knee-length garment with pleats at the rear, originating in the traditional dress of men and boys in the Scottish Highlands of the 16th century. Since the 19th century it has become associated with the wider culture of Scotland in general, or with Celtic heritage even more broadly...

 and incorporates the unique Notre Dame tartan

Tartan

Tartan is a pattern consisting of criss-crossed horizontal and vertical bands in multiple colours. Tartans originated in woven wool, but now they are made in many other materials. Tartan is particularly associated with Scotland. Scottish kilts almost always have tartan patterns...

. When wearing the entire uniform, a member of the guard stands eight feet tall to the top of the shako

Shako

A shako is a tall, cylindrical military cap, usually with a peak or visor and sometimes tapered at the top...

. They serve as body guards for the Fighting Irish Marching Band at away games throughout the season, and at all home games at Notre Dame Stadium. The Irish Guard often travels with the Band of the Fighting Irish to away games and marches with the band on campus, but many of the traditions of the Irish Guard are carried out separately from the marching band. Some of these traditions include the famous Victory Clog to the tune "Damhsa Bua" performed after every Irish football win, and the gameday Inspection of the Guard, which draws many spectators.

Requirements

Irish Guard members must be physically strong, mentally tough, well-coordinated, and most importantly, at least 6'2". Given the popularity of the Guard, tryouts are held annually in August at the beginning of the school year. Up to 60 candidates will try out for the Guard to fill any openings in the 10-member Guard each year.

These representatives of the Notre Dame Irish Guard, past and present, do not seek public recognition for their service to the University or for the hours of work they put each day into maintaining the highest standards of excellence.

John Fyfe, a native of Glasgow, Scotland, and former employee of the University of Notre Dame, provided members with background and experience as to the proper way to dress, march, and act in public. Mr. Fyfe taught the Guard to act in a fashion similar to the stoic and silent members of the Irish Guards

Irish Guards

The Irish Guards , part of the Guards Division, is a Foot Guards regiment of the British Army.Along with the Royal Irish Regiment, it is one of the two Irish regiments remaining in the British Army. The Irish Guards recruit in Northern Ireland and the Irish neighbourhoods of major British cities...

, British Guards, and Scots Guards

Scots Guards

The Scots Guards is a regiment of the Guards Division of the British Army, whose origins lie in the personal bodyguard of King Charles I of England and Scotland...

from the Britain and Ireland.