First authorized on 29 August 1914 as the 55th Regiment in Montreal, Quebec.[1] It recruited primarily from Montreal's Irish community where along with the rest of the local militia provided home defence in the Montreal area. In the summer of 1915, the regiment would recruit an entire company for service with the newly raised 60th Battalion (Victoria Rifles of Canada), CEF. Later that same year, the regiment was the prime recruiter for the newly raised 199th Battalion of the Canadian Expeditionary Force, of which most of the men recruited primarily came from the 55th Regiment.[3][4][5]
On 1 April 1920, it was Redesignated as The Irish Canadian Rangers as part of the 1920 Canadian Militia Reorganization following the Otter Commission.[6]
On 1 February 1936, The Irish Canadian Rangers were disbanded along with 13 other regiments as part of the 1936 Canadian Militia Reorganization.[1][7][8]