Ireland's Military Story

Tag: Dublin Port Company

  • The Emergency Air Corps

    The Emergency Air Corps

    Project – Dublin Port’s Emergency Story

    Photos by Ken Mooney

    Aviation historians Tony Kearns and Michael Whelan in the Air Corps Museum, Baldonnel.

    We had the pleasure today of meeting two of Ireland’s leading aviation historians – Corporal Michael Whelan (Museum Curator) and Tony Kearns (Volunteer historian) – at the Air Corps Museum, Casement Aerodrome. The Air Corps museum is a credit to the service. A dedicated team help record and preserve the military aviation heritage of Ireland. For our project on Dublin Port during the Emergency Michael and Tony took us through the story of the Air Corps during the period and the system in place with the Air Defence Command. During the period the Air Corps with limited resources patrolled Irish air space in order to deter belligerent aircraft and spot U-boat activity. Dublin port was key to Ireland’s survival The Defence Forces developed the Air Defence Command which used information from a network of observation and look out posts around the country. If a belligerent aircraft was spotted and flying over Irish air space the respective anti-aircraft and Air Corps units would be notified. In the early days of the Emergency the Air Corps only had three Gloster Gladiator biplane fighters. As Tony explained Gladiators were scrambled to intercept Luftwaffe aircraft but by the time, they were airborne the German aircraft were out of Irish airspace.

    The museum has several exhibits and artefacts from the period including an Avro Cadet, a Bofors L/60 antiaircraft gun, and wreckage from various aircraft. Although entering service after the Emergency the Avro XIX in the museum collection is similar in design to the Avro Anson used by the Air Corps during the war years. The story of the Avro Cadet is a remarkable one. Entering service with the Air Corps in 1932 it went on to serve during the Air Corps in various support roles. The Cadet in the museum was given to farmer after the Emergency. For 40 years it was laid up to be eventually restored in England and then sold to a collector in New Zealand. In 2007 the Irish State purchased the aircraft for the Air Corps museum.

  • Sergeant Noel McGivern: retired Emergency and United Nations veteran with the Irish Defence Forces.

    Sergeant Noel McGivern: retired Emergency and United Nations veteran with the Irish Defence Forces.

    Project: Dublin Port’s Emergency Story

    Noel with his wife Patsy. (Photo by Ken Mooney)

    This week we had the pleasure of meeting Noel McGivern and his wife Patsy. Noel gave us a remarkable insight into life in the early Defence Forces. His father Daniel McGivern had served during the War of Independence in County Down with the Irish Republican Army. Moving south he enlisted in the new National Army and served in the Curragh Camp. Noel was initially born in the Curragh 91 years ago. Moving to married quarters in Arbour Hill Daniel served with the 2nd and 5th Infantry Battalions. On the outbreak of the Emergency in 1939, he was transferred to the 11th Infantry Battalion in Greystones to help train the new entries.

    Noel in 1945 and later on UN service in Cyprus.

    Noel’s memories of life in Dublin during the Emergency were remarkable. Rationing was the order of the day but living in married quarters meant the army families could receive some extra rations from McKee Barracks. He remembered clearly the frightful early morning of 31 May 1941, when four Luftwaffe bombs fell on Dublin, one of which fell at the Dog Pond pumping works near the Zoo in Phoenix Park. This wasn’t all that far from Arbour Hill. Noel enlisted for the first time in 1945 near the end of the Emergency serving with the 2nd Infantry Battalion. He left the army in 1947 as the army was rapidly scaled down and went to England to work. Twelve years later Noel read in the news of the Irish Defence Forces deploying to the Congo on peacekeeping duties with the United Nations Operation in the Congo (ONUC: French: Opération des Nations Unies au Congo) and he headed for home. He was barely back in uniform and he was on a plane to the Congo to serve with the 34th Infantry Battalion – Jan 1961 – Jul 1961. He deployed a second time with the 36th Infantry Battalion – Dec 1961 – May 1962. Noel went on to complete two tours with the United Nations Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus (UNFICYP). Back home Noel and Patsy lived in married quarters in Arbour Hill. As Patsy told us: ‘it was a great place to live. When Noel was overseas or on the border, everyone looked after each other’. Serving in Collins Barracks with the 5th Infantry Battalion Noel went on to carry out his duties until he retired in 1981 at the rank of Sergeant.

    Not forgetting his comrades Noel helped establish the Irish United Nations Veterans Association (IUNVA) and both himself and Patsy volunteered, until the present day, helping veterans in IUNVA. The two still live happily not far from Arbour Hill.

    Noel on service in Cyprus.

    If you know any Emergency veteran please do get in touch as it would be an honour to meet them and record their story.