OnThisDay 1924 – Óglaigh na hÉireann/Irish Defence Forces Formally Established
Defence Forces Crest
The Defence Forces (Temporary Provisions) Act, 1923, provided that the Irish Free State Executive Council to raise and maintain an armed force to be called Óglaigh na hÉireann. The Council also had to set a date for the formal establishment of the Defence Forces. The date fixed was 1 October 1924.
On 11 October a recruiting article appeared in the Connaught Telegraph.
“Óglaigh na hÉireann have made the Free State possible and maintained its authority in a period of peril which is all too fresh in our minds.’ It is no small boast to have been a member of forces which will hand such a heritage to posterity, The Defence Forces of Saorstát Éireann will be second to none when their organisation and training are completed, and now that we have complete responsibility for our forces, there is no reason why the undoubtedly excellent soldier-making material in our own country should not be available. Military service makes a traditional and irresistible appeal to all healthy young Irishmen.”
Recording the Story of the 18pdr with Sgt Robert Delaney
Photos by John O’Byrne and Michael Coyne
First published on 26 August, 2022. Updated 1 March 2023.
Delighted to release our production of: The Four Courts QF 18-pounder ‘9168’ Field Gun – From Restoration to Museum Display. This video was recorded on location last August in the Curragh Military Museum last August with Sgt Robbie Delaney, Irish Defence Forces Ordnance Corps. This video tells the story of the recently restored Ordnance QF 18-pounder Field Gun ‘9168’; one of the very same that fired the opening shots of the Irish Civil War in June 1922. Variants of the Ordnance 18-pdr served throughout the Great War – primarily with the British Artillery Regiments, in the early years of the National Army following the establishment of the Irish Free State, and with the Irish Defence Forces’ Artillery Corps up until the 1960s. This particular gun was sold off in the 1950s and disappeared across the Atlantic. As it turned out it stood guard outside a diner in Virginia, United States until historian Kenneth Smith-Christmas came across it and recognised it as an Irish Army 18-pdr. From there he contacted Lar Joye in the National Museum of Ireland , not long after a team was on its way over to inspect the gun. Brought home to Ireland the ‘Ivy Patch Gun’ as it was known has now been fully restored to as it was in 1922 by the team at the Ordnance Corps in the Curragh Camp. This is the story of The Four Courts QF 18-pounder ‘9168’ Field Gun – from restoration to museum display. In this video Sgt Robbie Delaney takes viewers through the history and service of the gun and the restoration and conservation process. An incredible undertaking and a credit to all the team involved. The restoration and conservation project is complemented by a exhibition in the Curragh Military Museum, depicting the firing on the Four Courts 28-30 June, 1922.
The 18pdr Field Gun is currently on display in the National Museum of Ireland Collins Barracks, Dublin.
Thank you to Military Archives, Kenneth Smith-Christmas, and British Pathé. This project was supported by Kildare Decade of Commemorations and The Dept. of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media.
You can red the full story of the Ivy Patch Gun prior to its restoration and its journey back to Ireland in Kenneth Smith-Christmas article by clicking here.
Big thank you to Sgt Robert Delaney Ordnance Corps and the team at the Curragh Military Museum.
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
Shay Delaney, and Gregory LeechThomas GunnSeamus Ua TroddNoel O’Neill
Thank you to the ONE Cathal Brugha for their support in this recording.
This project is supported by the Community Foundation for Ireland.
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Company Sergeant Liam White (Rtd) McKee Barracks Coy
UNFICYP – UNEF II
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.
Corporal Tony Maher, Maynooth Platoon, C Company, 7th Infantry Battalion FCÁ
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.
Corporal Tony Maher, Maynooth Platoon, C Company, 7th Infantry Battalion FCÁ
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.
Tony Maher in German uniform while filming the Blue Max.
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.
As part of a project to record Ireland’s contribution to world peace, we visited Post 11, the Irish United Nations Veterans Association (IUNVA), in the Curragh Camp Co. Kildare. There we met and spoke with Irish Defence Forces veterans Company Quartermaster Sergeant Tony O’Reilly, Sergeant Major John Murray, and Sergeant Denis Gratten; who between them served on 34 missions around the world. Both John and Denis are Kildare men all their lives, while Tony came to the Curragh in 1974 from Waterford and has called it his home ever since.
The three men have unique perspectives on service overseas due to their diverse skillsets including logistics, communications, and crime scene investigation. They served in missions such as: United Nations Iran-Iraq Military Observer Group (UNIIMOG); United Nations Interim Force In Lebanon; United Nations Operation in Somalia II (UNOSOM II); European Union Monitoring Mission (EUMM) Bosnia and Herzegovina; and with the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) mission in Afghanistan. It was remarkable to hear the evolution of peacekeeping and overseas operations spanning almost 50 years. Even though retired the veterans of IUNVA are still giving back and helping in the local community and supporting veterans.
IUNVA Post 11 veterans Tony O’Reilly, Denis Grattan, and John Murray. Photo by John O’Byrne.
Thank you for your service.
This project is supported by Kildare County Council Heritage Office, Creative Ireland, Irish United Nations Veterans Association, the Organisation of National Ex-Service Personnel, and the Association of Retired Commissioned Officers.
Members of the 2nd Infantry Battalion Association paraded at Dublin’s Mansion House today to commemorate the convening of the Second Dáil on 16 August 1921.
Lord Mayor of Dublin, Cllr Alison Gilliland inspecting the Guard of Honour provided by the veterans of 2nd Infantry Battalion Association
Taking the salute from the veterans at the Mansion House the Lord Mayor of Dublin, Cllr Alison Gilliland, said: “It is an honour to welcome the Second Infantry Battalion veterans Association to the Mansion House today to mark the centenary of the first meeting of the Second Dáil in the Round Room at the Mansion House.”
Wishing the Irish Defence Forces a happy 96 birthday. Under the Defence Forces (Temporary Provisions) Act, 1923 the Executive Council formally established Óglaigh na hÉireann – the Irish Defence Forces on 1 October 1924. Its predecessor – the National Forces 1922/1924 – had been a pillar in helping form the democratic institutions of the new Irish Free State. Since that time the Irish Defence Forces have remained steadfast to that mantra on land, sea, and air. No matter what the deployment, emergency, or task, the permanent and reserve men and women of the Defence Forces have stood fast to defend the people of Ireland and the democratic institutions of the State at home and overseas.
Irish troops depart for the Congo July 1960. (Image: Defence Forces Archives)
Ireland Deploys to Congo 60 Years Ago Today
60 years ago today, Ireland deployed troops on its first battalion size United Nations deployment.
The Congo became independent from Belgium on 30 June 1960, in turn triggering a sequence of destabilising events. The Belgian commander, Lieutenant General Émile Janssens, refused to rapidly ‘Africanize’ the officers’ corps of the Force Publique (the army), resulting in disorder and mutinies. To protect Belgians remaining in the country, the Belgian government decided to intervene. Belgium also sent troops to support Moïse Tshombé the President of the mineral rich breakaway province of Katanga. South Kassi also seceded.
Amid continuing unrest and violence, the United Nations deployed peacekeepers to help the central government in Léopoldville under President Joseph Kasa-Vubu and Prime Minister Patrice Lumumba. Involvement by the Soviet Union split the Congolese government further worsened the situation.
The United Nations Operation in the Congo (French: Opération des Nations Unies au Congo, ONUC) was rapidly established. ONUC was formally established by UN Security Council resolution 143 (1960) of 14 July 1960, by which it decided:
“to authorize the Secretary-General to take the necessary steps, in consultation with the Government of the Republic of the Congo, to provide the Government with such military assistance as might be necessary until, through that Government’s efforts with United Nations technical assistance, the national security forces might be able, in the opinion of the Government, to meet fully their tasks”
ONUCs initial mandate was to ensure the withdrawal of Belgian forces from the Republic of the Congo, to assist the Government in maintaining law and order, to provide technical assistance, and help to establish and legitimise the post-colonial government. It was modified as the situation evolved. The first troops reached Congo on 15 July 1960, many airlifted by the United States Air Force as part of Operation New Tape.
Dáil Éireann quickly passed legislation allowing the deployment of Irish personnel to the Congo. Ireland became one of thirty countries from around the world to provide peacekeepers for the mission. Just over two weeks later the 635-strong 32nd Infantry Battalion ONUC departed for the Congo on 27 July 1960. A month later the Irish contingent was brought to 1,000 with the arrival of the 33rd Infantry Battalion ONUC. The Irish contingent was further boosted when an Armoured Car Group began operations in the Congo on 15 January 1961.
Irish troops in the Congo 1960. (Image: Defence Forces Archives)
The ONUC mission in the Congo lasted from 1960 to 1964 during which time 6,000 Irish troops served. During that time twenty six Irish soldiers lost their lives in the service of peace.
Taking part in our Kildare’s Veterans’ Story project today was Óglaigh na hÉireann / Irish Defence Forces veteran Dr Cathal Berry TD 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 in 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.
Dr Cathal Berry TD with two members of his team: Lesley Walsh and Philip Coy, both of whom are also former members of the Defence Forces. Lesley, a Newbridge native, spent 24 years in the Defence Forces, serving in the 3rd Infantry Battalion, DFTC, and Chief of Staff’s Division, DFHQ. Philip (Busty) is a Curragh native serving 24 years in the Defence Forces primarily in the Military Detention Unit and the Transport Company in the DFTC. (Photo by John O’Byrne)
Wesley Bourke interviewing Dr Cathal Berry TD . (Photo by John O’Byrne)
This supported by Kildare County Council Heritage Office and Creative Ireland.
