Gubs for the day

War History Online has an article about a discovery of gubs in Northern Ireland:

Members of the Orange Order have discovered ten antique rifles that had been stashed away in a cupboard for over a hundred years. The cupboard where the rifles were concealed is located in a neglected room of Clifton Street Orange Hall in north Belfast, Northern Ireland.
The members were in the process of clearing out the cupboard, expecting to find stationery and banners inside, when they came across the rifles and ammunition. One of the Orange Order members, Ronnie McDowell, said they were initially panicked by their discovery:

“We were worried at first, as it's not every day that you open a cupboard and see rifles and ammunition staring back at you. Finding out they are antique weapons with an antique caliber is exciting.”

Following the discovery, the Orange members called the police, who took away the weapons. The police issued a statement confirming the discovery and its origin:

“All the weapons date from before World War One, and the circumstances in which they were found indicate that they had not been disturbed for many decades. Orange Order members facilitated a search of the hall to ensure that no other weapons were present.
“Police are satisfied that the Orange Order members contacted them immediately upon making the discovery, and that none of the existing members were aware of the existence of these weapons.”

Each of the ten rifles are stamped with Ulster Volunteer Force; this paramilitary force was set up, prior to World War One, to resist any attempts to take Ireland out of the United Kingdom. The force had tens of thousands of members and trained to defend any attempt to establish a separate Irish State. However, the outbreak of World War One prevented any confrontation over the issue of Irish Independence.
In 1914, the UVF, almost to a man, enlisted in the British Army and served with great distinction in the trenches, including at the Battle of the Somme. Many former UVF men were decorated for bravery during the war.
It is thought that the weapons were part of a 1914 shipment of twenty-five thousand rifles smuggled into Larne on board a coal ship, the Clyde Valley. Closer analysis of the ten rifles confirmed that they were manufactured in Austria in 1904 and formed part of a hoard of weapons from the 1914 Larne gunrunning operation. Once they reached the shore, it is believed that the guns were dispersed; some were used to arm the Ulster Volunteer Force, while others were hidden by unionists.
The ten rifles are now back at Orange Hall and are on public display in its museum.

Rico says they still have their rump state, and have to rely on the Brits to give them enough money to survive, while the Irish Republic is doing quite well, thank you...