Col Tim Collins' inspirational speech on The Eve of Battle 🇬🇧🇬🇧🇬🇧 Kenneth Branagh recreates Col. Tim Collins' speech to 1 Batt., Royal Irish Regiment, on 19 March 2003, immediately prior to the invasion of Iraq. The speech, which was given more or less off-the-cuff to the 1st Battalion The Royal Irish Regiment (1 R IRISH) Battle Group on 19 March 2003, several days before crossing the Iraq border on Operation TELIC, became famous worldwide. It was recorded in shorthand by Sarah Oliver, a M