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
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27 - July , 2020
Ireland Deploys to Congo 60 Years Ago Today
01 - July , 2020
IUNVA Mark Peacekeepers’ Day
The Irish United Nations Veterans Association (IUNVA) today marked the International Day of UN Peacekeepers at Arbour Hill. The earlier planned annual commemoration to coincide with 29 May (UN Peacekeepers Day) was cancelled due to Covid-19 restrictions. Today’s event was in full compliance with Covid-19 guidelines. The International Day of United Nations Peacekeepers, offers a
13 - September , 2015
TEN DAYS IN ÉLISABETHVILLE – Interview with CQMS Jimmy Clarke
First published in Spring issue 2015. (Archive images and photos courtesy of Irish Defence Forces Military Archives and A Company Association.) Anyone familiar with the Irish Defence Forces United Nations (UN) service in the Congo during the 1960’s will be familiar with A Company, 36th Infantry Battalion and the Battle of the Tunnel. For ten