Former Soldier Posthumously Awarded Gold Medal for Bravery

The Ceann Comhairle, Seán Ó Fearghaíl TD, presented 26 National Bravery Awards yesterday to individuals from across Ireland who risked their own lives to aid others in peril.

The ceremony at Farmleigh House in the Phoenix Park, Dublin, brought recipients together to receive twenty six certificates, six Bronze Medals and thirteen Silver Medals. Brownstown, Curragh, Co. Kildare native and former member of the Irish Defence Forces, James Nicholl, received a posthumous Gold medal award for Bravery when he selflessly tried to save a man drowning in the River Liffey in April.

His Citation reads:

Citation ends.

Speaking at the ceremony, the Ceann Comhairle said:

“Today the Irish State recognises and celebrates the noblest impulse in a human being, the impulse to risk our lives in order to save someone else’s. But just as importantly, what these awards also do is mark the importance of the lives that were saved and also those that were lost.

I say this because in several instances, we are making awards where, in spite of brave actions and valiant efforts, lives were tragically lost. Those involved in these attempts know how hard they struggled, the families of those lost appreciate their efforts as do we, the Irish nation.”

The annual honours are awarded by Comhairle na Míre Gaile – the Deeds of Bravery Council – which was founded 76 years ago in 1947 to enable State recognition of exceptional Acts of Bravery. The Council is chaired by the Ceann Comhairle and includes the Cathaoirleach of Seanad Éireann, the Lord Mayors of Dublin and Cork, the Garda Commissioner, the President of the Association of City & County Councils, and the Chairman of the Irish Red Cross.

James Nicholl was the sole recipient of the highest award, the Gold Medal for Bravery. His parents Noreen and Jimmy accepted the award on behalf of their son.

Jimmy was homeless and suffered from drug addiction. He tells his story on Kold Turkey.

If you are or know of a veteran in need, support is available.

Irish United Nations Veterans Association

Arbor House,

Temple Hill Road,

Arbor Hill,

Na Cloch Road,

Dublin 7

Email: info@ iunva.ie or iunvahqd7@gmail.com

Phone: +353(0)1-6791262 or +353(0)85-1416459

First published 27 October 2018

Thank you to Michael Noone for the article and updated report on John.

To mark United States Navy Day we would like to share the story of Irish American John Casey. A remarkable man with a remarkable story. John is one of the unknown tens of thousands of Irish Americans who have served in the United States military. In John’s case he served in both the U.S. Army and Navy. We are lucky to have John’s story as he has spent most of his life in Ireland, and is currently living in Roscommon.

US Army and Navy veteran John Casey was born on the 3 August 1926 in Cambridge, Massachusetts, of Irish parents, James P. Casey and Mary F. O’Brien, who had emigrated to the Boston area sometime around the beginning of 1900. John had one brother, James, who was two-years older. Their father enlisted in the Army and served during the Great War. Still suffering from a gas inhaled during the war, he died in the mid-1930s and their mother took the two boys back to her family outside Athlone, Westmeath, Ireland until such time when they could return to the U.S. and the boys could take jobs.

Their plans were interrupted by Germany’s Hitler when he declared war on Poland and World War II began in September 1939. All transatlantic passenger ship traffic came to a halt and the Casey family was stuck in Ireland. Ireland remained neutral and the family were informed by the U.S. Consulate in Dublin to wait and see if the U.S. could guarantee safe passage to the U.S. Germany did allow one passenger ship from Europe to the U.S., but that one ship was full of US citizens from mainland Europe only. In 1942 John’s brother James turned 18, which meant he was eligible to enlist. He joined the U.S. army in Belfast, Northern Ireland. He volunteered as a member of the first American Ranger Battalion, who were trained by the British Commandoes. The unit made history in North Africa, Sicily and the Anzio Beachhead in Italy where he was captured and became a POW.

Following in his brother’s footsteps, John headed for Belfast two years later and enlisted in the American Army. He was sent to England without training and then to France. John remembers well the boat across the English Channel on 7/8 May. As they approached the harbor, the sky lit up. The men sank in dread the Germans had somehow launched a new offensive. As it turned out it was celebrations to mark the unconditional surrender of German forces. In France the new recruits were trained by staff member who came ashore on D-Day. John was then sent to the Bremen Enclave in Northern Germany until he accumulated enough points to return to the U.S. for discharge. John rose to the rank of Sergeant.

In the U.S. John worked for the Boston Gas Company. He hated the job, hated the civilian life and decided to join the U.S. Navy under a four year enlistment. No boot camp training needed as he held the pay grade of an army corporal. John was sent to the Naval Air Technical Training Command in Memphis, Tennessee where he graduated as an engine specialist and transferred to Naval Air Station Quonset Point Rode Island. His job there was to conduct a “Yellow Sheet” inspection of repaired navy planes for the test pilots; part of which included warming up the engines. While at Quonset Point the Korean War broke out. President Truman immediately tacked on an extra year to John’s enlistment. He was transferred to Alameda California as a member of Ships Company on a “Jeep” aircraft carrier, the USS Bairoko CVE 115 which was brought back into service from the mothball fleet. After getting the ship ready to join the fleet, it was transferred to San Diego, her home port. Finally, with the carrier loaded with planes, marines and equipment for the fighting war with North Korea, she sailed to her overseas “home port” Yokosuka, Japan. John was assigned to the flight deck as a “Yellow Shirt” plane director and guided many pilots to the catapults for launching. When they returned from “in country” John was the fire “Yellow Shirt” to guide the pilots back aboard…….day or night. With an end to the conflict, the Bairoko’s cruise with the 7th Fleet was over and John’s five-year enlistment was coming to an end and John was discharged from the navy.

John took advantage of the GI Bill and spent three years at a government approved school of broadcasting, televising and movie making. He wound up working in Hollywood studios as an assistant film editor for several first run movies and many TV series. John decided to return to Ireland to take care of his mother and set up a photography studio; he is proud of photographing over 900 weddings. After his mother passed away, he met and married a Margaret Leo from Tuam, Co. Galway. Sadly, she died after 18 years from Cancer. John then moved from Athlone to Grange, Co. Roscommon. John who is now 96, is still living comfortably in a nursing home.

We would like to thank John’s niece Kathleen Cummings and the American Legion Post IR03 ‘Commodore John Barry’ for their help in this production.

It was great to spend the day recording the personal accounts of veterans from Ireland’s deployment to the Congo (1960 – 1964) with Opération des Nations Unies au Congo (ONUC). Seamus Ua Trodd, Thomas Gunn, Noel O’Neill, Shay Delaney, and Gregory Leech recalled their memories of service with the 1stInfantry Group, 34th 35th, and 39th Infantry Battalions. The memories of these men were remarkable. Wide and diverse recollections gave a full account of the Ireland’s service in the Congo and what the then young men or teenagers in some cases went through. The first time on a plane, long range patrols in a country the size of western Europe, the Siege of Jadotville, interaction and helping local people, movement controller for UN aircraft, and asking your comrades to write letters home for you.

To us these UN veterans are a national treasure and their accounts should be recorded for future generations

Thank you to the ONE Cathal Brugha for their support in this recording.

This project is supported by the Community Foundation for Ireland. 

You can support our projects by becoming a Patreon.

Veterans are a key to any military story; they are the people who served, they are the people who were there. Recording their story helps preserve our past and can give us lessons for the future. There isn’t a community in Ireland where you will not meet an ex-service man or women. For our Kildare Veterans and In the Service of Peace project, we met up with retired Company Sergeant Liam White, who has lived in North Kildare with his family since 1986. Many people in Celbridge may remember Liam and his wife Patricia from when they ran the Order of Malta unit in Celbridge in the 1990s.

Liam, who is originally from Dún Laoghaire, first joined the Irish Defence Forces/ Óglaigh na hÉireann in 1964 when he enlisted with B Company, 21st Infantry Battalion FCÁ. He has fond memories of marching in the annual 1916 commemorations during those early years. In 1967 Liam joined the Permanent Defence Force and was sent down to the Curragh Camp for recruit training. After passing out Liam was posted to McKee Barracks Company; the support unit for Defence Forces Headquarters. At this time the Army was only 7,500 strong. It was not long before Liam found himself on an NCO course and on 26 December 1968, he was promoted Corporal. With the outbreak of the Troubles the Defence Forces were put on high alert. Reservists were called up, and centres established to take in potential people fleeing the hostilities. When the border was established, Liam recalled periods when soldiers were meeting themselves coming off duties and patrols. The army had to expand due to the Troubles and initially there was no relief. Patrols, road blocks, and watching or hearing shootings along the border between Republicans and British Forces became the norm. On one occasion Liam collapsed after not sleeping for four days straight. One of the pictures Liam kept shows him having Christmas dinner while on the border.

In 1970 Liam was then assigned as a Cadre Training NCO with the 21st Infantry Battalion FCÁ which took him all over the battalion area of South Dublin and North Wicklow. His first deployment overseas was with the 20th Infantry Group, United Nations Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus (UNFICYP) in April 1971. During this period tensions were high between the two communities on the island; the mission brought new challenges for the young Corporal. Promoted Sergeant, Liam deployed overseas again in April 1974 with the 26th Infantry Group, United Nations Emergency Force (UNEF II) in the Sinai. Not a blade of grass could be found in the blistering hot desert. The Irish men found themselves once again in between two heavily armed factions and vast areas of unexploded ordnance and mines. The unit were only settling in when the Dublin and Monaghan bombings took place at home and the unit was rapidly brought home by the end of May 1974.

Liam served in various appointments in Defence Forces Headquarters including with An Cosantóir – the Defence Forces magazine and the Chief of Staff’s Branch. Liam retired from the Defence Forces in 1989 as a Company Sergeant. Thank you to Liam for telling his story and for his long service at home and overseas.

This recording is part of our Kildare Veterans series and In the Service of Peace – exploring Ireland’s contribution to world peace: a project in conjunction with The Organisation of National Ex-Service Personnel, The Irish United Nations Veterans Association and The Association of Retired Commissioned Officers. This production was made possible with support by Kildare Library Services, Kildare Creative Ireland and the Community Foundation.

Carlow native Nick Collier is one of the tens of thousands who left Ireland in the 1950s and 60s to find work abroad. Leaving Ballinkillin Nick settled in the United States trained as a motor mechanic. Military service was not on his mind. His father had served in the Great War and the fledgling Irish Defence Forces, while his brother served as an Irish peacekeeper with the UN in the Congo. At the time, the Vietnam War was raging.

Enlisting in 1968, Nick soon found himself in the US Army helicopter school. He deployed to Vietnam with F Troop ‘Blue Ghost’ 8th Cavalry Regiment. F Troop “Blue Ghost” served in Vietnam from 1 April 1968, until February 26, 1973. Initially organised on 27 October, 1866 as Company F, 8th Cavalry Regiment, the troop was reactivated in Vietnam using assets of C Troop, 7th Squadron, 17th Cavalry Regiment and was assigned to the “Americal” 23rd Infantry Division to provide aerial reconnaissance for the division. Flying Bell Cobra gunships, Nick would experience a different war from the air between 1968 and 1971. Following military service Nick trained as a commercial pilot and went on to become a successful engineer.

Today Nick lives in Texas where he writes poetry and plays. He has never forgotten Carlow, still calling it home he returns regularly. We captured Nick’s story on one of his visits home to Ireland.

Nick is one of the unknown number of Irish who served in Vietnam. If you know of an Irish veteran or served yourself and would like to tell your story please get in touch.

We would like to thank Irish Veterans CLG for their support in this video and Castletown House and Parklands for permission to record Nick’s story on the grounds.

Cycling for Veterans in the Footsteps of Wellington’s Army

Cycling for Veterans in the Footsteps of Wellington’s Army

This September George Chesney is taking on a solo unsupported 450-mile cycle trip from Madrid to Bayonne, in Southern France, to raise money for SSAFA – Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen and Families Association: funds will be divided between SSAFANI and SSAFA Republic of Ireland. George has named the route The Wellington Trail, as it roughly follows the route taken by The Duke of Wellington’s allied armies in the latter part of the Peninsular Campaign during The Napoleonic War in 1813; a large portion of whom were Irish.

George from Ballymena, Co Antrim, is a graduate of Sandhurst and serving five years with the Royal Engineers and 24 with the Territorial Army. He is the Chair of the Reserve Forces and Cadets Association Northern Ireland.

I have no idea how far I will cycle as I meander through Northern Spain, avoiding all motorways and the steepest of climbs.  No doubt there will be thrills (probably just a few) and spills (hopefully none!) as I cycle the Wellington Trail.

As with many veterans, as time goes on, bits tend to fall off but have been glued back on. Thanks to the NHS, Surgeon Mark Chapman and the staff at the Sports Surgery Clinic in Dublin this is George’s second fundraising cycle trip, and should be a breeze after successful surgical repairs earlier this year.

We look forward to updating you with George’s progress as he takes on this mammoth challenge!

Thank you to the Northern Ireland Veterans Support Office for letting us know about George’s Wellington Trail and photographs.

You can support George on his JustGiving page.

https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/wellington-trail

ONE Launches Veterans’ Leadership Initiative

There are approximately 150,000 former members of the Irish Defence Forces, permanent and reserve. The majority still live in Ireland, an unknown number live abroad. Ex-service personnel go on to live very fulfilling lives and take on challenging new careers. A new initiative by the Organisation of National Ex-Service Personnel (ONE) sets out to explore and promote the leadership and resilience skills of former Defence Forces personnel in Irish society. On 6 April 2022, ONE will host its first ‘I Am A Veteran’ Seminar on Resilience and Leadership.

There are a wide profile of Defence Forces veterans across ages, branches, time served, and backgrounds. As part of the “I Am A Veteran” Campaign, ONE are seeking to reconnect with many former comrades to attract them into the organisation and to bring about a new way of engaging with the veterans’ community. The Seminar series initially aims to attract veterans with a career or business interest and to establish a new veteran business network.; a network of this type would bring value to the community and give a new way of engaging with ONE.

By establishing the business network, ONE seeks to identify veterans who could also serve as career mentors to some younger veterans (18-35) who have left service without much in the way of career support and guidance. The hope and aim is that if a veteran requests support, ONE will be in a position to connect them with a panel of mentors to source advice and guidance. 

Topic 1 – Walking the Walk – Reflections on Leadership

Moderated by Declan Power, Adjunct Lecturer at the NATO School and author of the film adapted book, Siege of Jadotville, Cathal Berry TD, a former officer/operator in the Army Ranger Wing, Eoin Rochford, Private Wealth Advisor at Goldman Sachs and Anita Hogan Organisational Psychologist, and Series Psychologist on RTÉ’s Ultimate Hellweekgive an account of what lessons in leadership they have taken from their Defence Forces experience and how it shapes their views of leadership as senior leaders within politics and business today.

Topic 2 – Carrying on Regardless – Instilling resilience in professional life

Led by moderator Wesley Bourke, a former journalist with An Cosantóir Magazine now the Creative Director and co-founder of The Irish Military Heritage Foundation CLG, Ray Goggins, Director at Coreskill Training & Chief Instructor of RTE’s Hell Week, Sinead Wearen, now a Behavioural Therapist with the Health Service Executive and James McCann, MD of ClearStory International, discuss the importance of resilience in their everyday professional lives and how their experiences in the Defence Forces instilled the ‘right stuff’ to carry on regardless of when it mattered.

Topic 3 – The Art of Team Building – Insights of how to build a winning team 

Moderated by Phillip Quinlan, Senior Manager, Technology at Ernst & Young, Jim Gavin, Director of People and operations, Irish Aviation Authority, Aviation Regulator, and former Dublin GAA Manager, Amy O’Connor, MD of AOC Consulting and John O’Brien, Operations Director with Manguard Plus outline their experiences in team building and what aspects are needed, from the individual to mindset, to building a winning and maintain a winning team.

Topic 4 – Does the Defence Forces create entrepreneurs? 

Moderated by Deirdre Carbery, Board Member of ONE and Rapid Response Manager at Google, Gabriel D’Arcy, Chairperson, EnergyCloud, Morgan Mangan, Partner at AMROP and Shane Henry, CEO of Reconnaissance Group discuss business building and the key lessons they took following their experience in the Defence Forces on their own entrepreneurial journey. 

Please register your interest to attend here:

https://clearstoryinternational.formstack.com/forms/i_am_a_veteran_seminar_sign_up

Cover image: Members of Maynooth Platoon, C Company, 7th Infantry Battalion FCÁ, at Gormanstown Military Camp.

Kildare has a long military history and to this day people from the county continue to serve or have served all over the world. Due to the Curragh Camp and Defence Forces Headquarters, Kildare has a large number of serving and former members of the Defence Forces/Óglaigh na hÉireann. Prior to the pandemic we began an oral history project aimed at capturing the testimonies of military veterans and ex-service personnel from County Kildare. Each of these recordings is a window into Kildare’s past. Memories of a Curagh Camp tell of a military base that resembled a small town with its own cinema, while others recollect the artillery barracks in Kildare town and the Apprentice School in Naas now closed over two decades. Thousands from the county have served around the world on United Nations peacekeeping missions; from the early deployments to the Congo to as recently as Mali. Many of those who serve go on to join the charities The Organisation of National Ex-Service Personnel and The Irish United Nations Veterans Association; both of whom have reached out across their membership and network to find those willing to tell their story.

Often overlooked are the memories of the part-time volunteers who served locally as members of the Local Defence Force during the Emergency, or in later Cold War decades in An Fórsa Cosanta Áitiúil (FCÁ), the Red Cross or Civil Defence. During these uncertain periods every town, village and area in Ireland had such units with locally trained members. Their story is as important as their full-time counterparts. It is part of our local and national heritage. Many of these stories have been lost over time, but there are still many out there who remember the old units, the buildings they trained in and the exercises they took part in. In this recording Tony Maher reflects on his time as a reserve Corporal with Maynooth Platoon, C Company, 7th Infantry Battalion FCÁ, Irish Defence Forces/Óglaigh na hÉireann.

Today, Tony lives in Celbridge, County Kildare. He is well known for his community work in the area and anyone involved in the sprot of canoeing would know him very well, during the 1960s Tony was a member of Maynooth Platoon, C Company, 7th Infantry Battalion FCÁ. During the Emergency period (1939 – 1946) and the Cold War (1947 – 1991) Ireland remained neutral, however, the threat was still real. During these two periods the reserve elements of the Irish Defence Forces were greatly expanded. Nearly every village in the country had a platoon size or more of reservists stationed there. North Kildare was no different. During the Emergency the North Dublin Battalion of the Local Defence Forces had a Company in North Kildare, with a platoon in Celbridge, Maynooth, and Kilcock. Following the Emergency and the establishment of Fórsa Cosanta Áitiúil (FCÁ), this transitioned to the North Dublin Battalion FCÁ and in 1959, C Company 7th Infantry Battalion FCÁ.

At the time Tony lived in Lexlip and recollects some amazing stories of Lexlip and the surrounding areas in the 1950s and 1960s. Tony grew up not far from where Sergeant Hugh Gaynor lived and had very fond memories of him. Sadly, Sergeant Gaynor was one of the nine Irish peacekeepers killed in the Niamba ambush in the Belgium Congo on 8 November 1960. It was Sergeant Gaynor and the service of Irish peacekeepers that inspired Tony to enlist. The reservists met several evenings during the week and at the weekends. The headquarters for the C Company platoons were as follows: the Methodist Church (now Cunninghams Funeral Directors), Celbridge; the town hall in Maynooth; and the old church off the centre in Kilcock. Life in the reserve infantry back then was defined by marching and the .303″ Lee-Enfield rifle, which Tony remembers like it was yesterday. He proudly still has his rifle competition trophies. Drill, local exercises, training in Gormanstown and the Glen of Imaal, St. Patrick’s Day Parades, and 1916 commemorations were the annual routine.

Thankfully Tony was an avid photographer and he has kept a remarkable collection of the reservists in North Kildare. It wasn’t all drill and more drill. During this time the FCÁ got called upon to provide extras for the movie the Blue Max; directed by John Guillermin and starring George Peppard, James Mason, Ursula Andress, and Jeremy Kemp. During 1965 Tony found himself in a German World War I uniform and charging across no-man’s land in the Wicklow mountains. Tony managed to smuggle his camera on set.

The history of many of these reserve units has been lost. We are trying to build up the history of the reserve in Kildare and would like to talk to former members. Please get in contact if you would like your story recorded.

This project is supported by Kildare County Council and Creative Ireland.

Cathal Berry TD, Commandant Rtd, Irish Army 1995–2019

Taking part in our Kildare’s Veterans’ and Ex-Service Personnel oral history project is Óglaigh na hÉireann / Irish Defence Forces veteran Dr Cathal Berry T.D. in Newbridge, Co. Kildare. Cathal is an Independent TD for the constituency of Kildare South. Cathal is a father, husband, doctor, veteran and is a resident of Portarlington, Co. Laois. He is married to Orla and is the proud father of their young children Tom and Katie.

Prior to becoming a TD, Cathal spent 23 years in the Irish Defence Forces. He entered military service with the Cadet School, Military College, Curragh Camp in 1995. After a tough 21 months training he was commissioned into the Infantry Corps. During his time in the Defence Forces, he spent six years in the Army Ranger Wing (ARW) and served overseas in the Balkans, Africa and the Middle East. In 2008, Cathal led an ARW unit in Chad. He later took a self-funded career break to qualify as a medical doctor in Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland He subsequently worked in the HSE Ireland hospital emergency departments all over the country and then returned to the Defence Forces where he was appointed head of the Military Medical School in the Curragh, Co. Kildare. He retired from service at the rank of Commandant.

This project is supported by Kildare County Council Heritage Office and Creative Ireland.

A Strong Voice for Veterans – The Veterans Commissioner For Northern Ireland

Recognising the challenges facing veterans today Danny Kinahan was appointed as Northern Ireland’s first Veterans Commissioner in September 2020. Since that time Danny, a British Army veteran himself, and his team – Alan Murphy and Rachael Harger – have been working with veterans’ support organisations throughout the island of Ireland, advocating for better supports, listening to the challenges, and urging veterans to get in touch.

Many who leave the armed services may not require help – but others do across a number of areas.  This might include mental or physical health – or to other matters such as housing and retraining. Getting the right supports to veterans is an ongoing challenge.

Over the past eight months we have been working with Danny and his team to help produce a series of videos to help introduce him and his team, and promote their work and veterans supports throughout the island of Ireland. We would encourage veterans’ charities/organisations and veterans themselves to share this video in order to help communicate the message: if you need help there is support.

If you are a former member of the British Armed Forces on the island of Ireland that needs support or you know a such a veteran that needs support you can contact the Northern Ireland Veterans Commissioner’s Office or the Northern Ireland Veterans’ Support Office, details below.

Northern Ireland Veterans Commissioner’s Office

Web: www.nivco.co.uk

E: commissioner@nivco.co.uk

 Tel: +44 (0) 28 90527734

Northern Ireland Veterans’ Support Office

Web: www.nivso.org.uk

E: info@nivso.org.uk

Tel: +44 (0) 28 95216784

We would like to thank the following organisations for their help during the production of this video: Decorum NI, Frontier Pipes and Drums, Inspire Wellbeing, Horses for People, The Not Forgotten Association, The Royal British Legion (Northern Ireland), The Royal British Legion (Rep. of Ireland), and The Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen and Families Association

This project was made possible with kind support from The Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media, the NI Veterans Commissioner’s Office and the NI Veterans’ Support Office.

This video is a production of The Irish Military Heritage Foundation CLG: (RCN) 20203159.

You can help support our projects on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/user?u=56748863 The Dept. of Tourism Culture Arts Gaeltacht Sport and Media