The Canadian Mounties were the brainchild of a distinguished Tipperary man named William Francis Butler.

On an August night in 1870, a young Irishman set off from Fort Gary in the Red River Valley of Manitoba on a historic journey at the request of the Canadian government.  He was William Francis Butler, a native of Suirvale, Golden, Co., Tipperary.  His journey would take him thousands of miles across an immense land, traveling by foot, horseback, canoe, and dog-train.

He traveled along mighty rivers, one of which was the Saskatchewan River, which flows for 1330 miles before flowing into Lake Winnipeg.  He traveled through the Red Indian country before finally reaching the majestic range of the Rocky Mountains.  A further trek brought him to Three Medicine Hills, a place of wild beauty.  As Butler stood on the summit of these hills and gazed across the lakes, woods, prairies, and towering snowclad mountains, he named the place 'The Bridge of the World.'

The task assigned to Butler by the Canadian government related specifically to the preservation of law and order in the Northwest, where much disorder had recently prevailed among the various settlements along the line of the Saskatchewan, and the local authorities were almost powerless to protection of life and property in that region.

The instructions given to Butler read as follows: It is the desire of the Lieutenant Governor of Manitoba that you should examine the matter entirely from an independent point of view, giving the government your views of the state of the line of the Saskatchewan in reference to the necessity of troops being used there, basing your report on what you shall find by actual examination.

In August 1871, Butler completed his survey.  In the matter of law and order, the document had far-reaching results.  Butler's recommendation was to create a well-equipped force of about 100 to 150 men, one-third of which were to be mounted, to establish and maintain the rule of law and order in the Northwest Territories.  His proposal was accepted by the Canadian government and two years later, led to the foundation of the Canadian North-West Mounted Police, commonly known as the Mounties.

The motto of the force was "Maintain le droit", translated from French, meaning "Maintain the right."  In August 1873, the Canadian government passed an act providing for the legal establishment of the force. The first members of the force were training in the winter of 1873-1874.  In that following summer, some 300 riders headed west across the plains between Manitoba and the Rocky Mountains. They soon established posts there and quickly halted the smuggling of whiskey across the border.  To the Native tribes and the white settlers, the passing of the act became a symbol of trust, honesty, and fair dealings with the men who wore the red tunics.  In alliance with the Blackfoot Chief Crowfoot and other Indian leaders, the NWMP soon brought order to the plains.

In what is now central Saskatchewan, the Northwest Rebellion broke out in 1885. The Mounties assisted the militia to stop the revolt, and later helped many settlers who wanted to build homes on the prairies.

Subsequent to the defeat of General Armstrong Custer, Chief Sitting Bull and members of the Sioux Indian tribe crossed the American border north of the state of Dakota.  They were met by two RCMP officers, one a man of Irish descent.  The officers informed Chief Sitting Bull that he and his warriors were welcome in Canada, but they had to first lay down their weapons.  This impressed Chief Sitting Bull.

The NWMP also helped maintain order during the gold rush to the Klondike in the Yukon gold camps, opening a new chapter in the history of the Mounted Police.  The Mounties were very capable of keeping the peace and bringing criminals to justice.  "They always got their man" became a slogan for the Mounties.

In 1904, King Edward VII officially recognized the North-West Mounted Police when he granted it the prefix Royal. In 1920, the force merged with the Dominion Police and became known as the Royal Canadian Mounted Police and took over federal law enforcement. The RCMP today is a fully equipped force with all the technology of modern law enforcement, including helicopters, computers, and forensics, but they are also a colourful reminder of romantic days in early frontier history.

In 1977, the Mounties visited Ireland.  Thousands of people thronged the grounds of the Royal Dublin Horse Show to see the RCMP execute their spectacular equestrian acts.  The audience was awed by the display of the superb riders in their brilliant, crimson tunics and the magnificent, dark horses flashing across the green field.  During their visit to Dublin, the RCMP was entertained by the Gardai at the Gardai Headquarters in Phoenix Park.  Good craic!

Thar ya are now!