Irish Army
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The Irish Army (Irish: Óglaigh na hÉireann) is the main branch of the Irish Defence Forces. It was first formed in 1922 after the implementation of the Anglo-Irish Treaty and the subsequent foundation of the Irish Free State. It was originally formed from the pro-Treaty elements of the Irish Republican Army and its first task was to defend the new Free State from the anti-Treaty Irish Republican Army during the Irish Civil War.
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[edit] Roles of the Irish Army.
The roles of the Irish Army as decided by the Irish Government are:
- To defend the State against armed aggression.
- To give aid the civil power (ATCP).
- This means that the Irish Army will assist, when requested, the Garda Síochána, who have primary responsibility for law and order in Ireland.
- To participate in multinational peace support, crisis management and humanitarian relief operations in support of the United Nations.
- To carry out other duties which may be assigned to them from time to time.
- Assistance on the occasion of natural disasters, assistance in connection with the maintenance of essential services etc.
[edit] History
[edit] The beginning of the Irish Army
The Irish Army was set up in 1922 as the official Army of the new Irish Free State government under Michael Collins.
Initially it was expected that the Irish Republican Army - a guerrilla force that had fought the British in the Irish War of Independence (1919-21) - would fulfil this function. However, the bulk of the IRA were opposed to the Treaty that set up the Free State, believing that it compromised the Irish Republic which had been unilaterally declared in 1919. As a result, the new Free State authorities had to form a new force to put down Republican resistance in the Irish Civil War (1922-23).
[edit] The Civil War Period
In the early weeks of the Irish Civil War, the newly formed Irish Army, or "National Army", as it was called, was composed of pro-Treaty IRA units, especially the "Dublin Guard", whose members had personal ties to Michael Collins.
Its size was estimated at about 7000 men. However, the Free State soon recruited far more troops, the army's size mushrooming to 55,000 men and 3500 officers by the end of the Civil War in May 1923. Many of its recruits were war-hardened Irishmen who had served in the former regiments of the 10th (Irish) Division and 16th (Irish) Division of the New British Army in the First World War. Six Irish regiments territorially associated with the new state, included The Royal Dublin Fusiliers, the Royal Munster Fusiliers and the Connaught Rangers were all disbanded in July 1922 under the terms of the Treaty. Indeed, the Free State recruited experienced soldiers from wherever it could. Two of its senior generals in the Civil War had served in the United States Army - John T. Prout and "Ginger" O'Connell.
The British government supplied the new army with uniforms, small arms, ammunition, artillery and armoured units, which enabled it to bring the Civil War to a relatively speedy conclusion. Dublin was taken from Anti Treaty IRA units (or "Irregulars") after a week and a half of street fighting in July 1922. The Irregulars were also dislodged from Limerick and Waterford in that month and Cork and county Kerry were secured after seaborne landings in August. The remainder of the war was a counter-insurgency campaign against Anti-Treaty guerrillas. Irish Army units, especially the Dublin Guard, were implicated in a series of atrocities against captured Anti-Treaty fighters. The National Army suffered about 800 fatalities in the Civil War, including its commander in chief, Michael Collins. Collins was succeeded by Richard Mulcahy.
[edit] After the Civil War
Following the Irish Civil War, the Irish Army had grown too big for a peacetime role and was too expensive for the new Irish state to maintain. In addition, many of the civil war recruits were badly trained and undisciplined -making them unsuitable material for a full time professional army.
Richard Mulcahy, the new Irish Defence Minister, had to reduce the army to about 20,000 men in the immediate post Civil War period. This nearly provoked a mutiny among Irish Army officers in 1923-24, particularly among former IRA officers, who perceived that former British Army officers were treated better than them. The "mutiny" petered out however and the Irish Army has never since challenged the civil power in Ireland.
[edit] The Emergency Period
Ireland remained neutral for the Second World War, which was referred to as "The Emergency" by the Irish government.
However despite the Irish neutral stance the Irish Army was greatly expanded during the war. In fact the Irish Army grew from about 10,000 men up to about 40,000 by the end of the war (with more recruited to reserve forces). This expansion was enforced in order to ward off potential invasions from either the Allied or Axis powers (Both of whom had actually drawn up contingency plans to invade the island of Ireland).
In 1939, the remnants of the IRA stole a large quantity of the Irish Army's reserve ammunition from its dump at the Magazine Fort in Dublin's Phoenix Park. While this was seen as an embarrassment for the Irish Army, most of it was recovered.Moreover, as the War went on, more and newer equipment was purchased from Britain and the United States. For the duration of the war, Ireland, while formally neutral, tacitly supported the Allies in several ways. IRA men were interned in the Curragh along with the belligerent powers' servicemen, whereas Allied airmen and sailors who crashed in Ireland were very often repatriated, usually by secretly moving them across the border to Northern Ireland.
[edit] United Nations Missions
Since 1945, the Irish Army has been deployed on many peacekeeping missions for the United Nations. A total of 86 Irish soldiers have died in the service of the United Nations since 1960.
[edit] Congo
The first of these missions took place in 1958, when a small number of observers were sent to Lebanon. However, the first major overseas deployment came in 1960, when Irish troops were sent to the Congo as part of the UN force ONUC. The Belgian Congo became an independent Republic on 30 June 1960. Twelve days later, the Congolese government requested military assistance from the United Nations to maintain its territorial integrity. On the 28th July 1960 Lt-Col. Murt Buckley led the men of the 32nd Irish Battalion to the newly independent central African country. This was the most costly enterprise for the Irish Army since the Irish Civil War, as 26 Irish soldiers lost their lives (9 died in one action, the Niemba ambush). One of the largest engagements Irish troops were involved in was the Siege of Jadotville, in which a small party of 150 Irish soldiers was attacked by a much larger force of Katangese troops. The Irish fought back ferociously until their ammunition ran out, they took no casualties and inflicted heavy ones on their attackers. A total of 6,000 Irishmen served in the Congo from 1960 until 1964.
[edit] Cyprus and the Sinai
Starting in 1964, Irish troops have served as UN peacekeepers in Cyprus (UNFICYP). Over 9,000 Irish personnel have served there to date, without suffering casualties.
In 1973, an infantry group and some logistical troops were pulled out of Cyprus at short notice to serve in the Sinai desert between Egypt and Israel as part of the UN force that supervised the ceasefire that ended the Yom Kippur War.
[edit] Lebanon
From 1978 to 2001, a battalion of Irish troops was deployed in southern Lebanon, as part of the UN mandate force UNIFIL. The Irish battalion consisted of 580 personnel which were rotated every six months, plus almost 100 others in UNIFIL headquarters and the Force Mobile Reserve. In all, 30,000 Irish soldiers served in Lebanon over 23 years.
The Irish troops in Lebanon were initially intended to supervise the withdrawal of the Israeli Defence Forces from the area after an invasion in 1978 and to prevent fighting between the Palestinian Liberation Organisation forces and those of Israel. Another Israeli invasion in 1982 forced the PLO out of southern Lebanon, and occupied the area. The following 18 years, up until 2000 saw prolonged guerrilla warfare between Israeli forces, their allies in the South Lebanon Army and Hezbollah. The Irish battalion, caught in the middle of the conflict, lost 47 soldiers killed and more wounded in the mission. Their role consisted of manning checkpoints and observations posts and mounting patrols. In addition to peacekeeping the Irish also provided humanitarian aid to the local population -for example aiding the orphanage at Tibnin. From 25 April 1995 to 9 May 1996, Brigadier General P. Redmond served as Deputy Force Commander of UNIFIL - a period that coincided with the Israeli Operation Grapes of Wrath offensive in 1996. Most of the Irish force was withdrawn from the area in 2001, following the Israeli evacuation of their forces, however 11 Irish troops remain there as observers. They were present during the 2006 Israeli-Lebanese war.
[edit] Iran/Iraq border
From August 1988 until May 1991, Irish soldiers were deployed, under the UN force UNIIMOG, on the border between Iraq and Iran to supervise the withdrawal of both side's troops back to within their respective borders after the end of the Iran-Iraq War. The total strength of the mission was 400, of which the Irish provided 177. The mission came to and end in 1991, when Iran and Iraq completed the withdrawal of their troops. A small number of Irish observers have also been stationed in Kuwait since April 1991 as part of UNIKOM.
[edit] The 1990s
Since the 1990s UN missions have proliferated for Irish troops. In 1993, 100 troops forming a transport company were deployed in Somalia, as part of UNOSOM II peace-enforcing mission. In December 2001, 221 Irish soldiers were sent to Eritrea as part of UNMEE, and were tasked with the defence of the UN headquarters there. Since 1996 a military police unit and some other troops have been stationed in Bosnia as part of SFOR (1995-2005) and EUFOR (December 2005 to present). From 1999 until the present Irish troops have been stationed in Kosovo as part of KFOR. Currently there are 208 Irish soldiers, part of an infantry group, there.
[edit] East Timor
Also in 1999, Irish troops were sent to East Timor as part of the UNAMET observer group. Later in the year, a larger number of Irish transport and logistical troops were sent as part of INTERFET peacekeeping force. The Irish Army Rangers (the Army's special forces unit) were deployed in East Timor alongside the Australian SAS as part of UNTAET in 2000. This marked the second time that the Irish Army's elite force were officially deployed operationally outside of the state, the first being to Somalia in 1993. A total of 44 Irish soldiers remain in East Timor at present.
[edit] Liberia
Most recently, since May 2006, Irish troops have been stationed in Liberia as part of UNMIL. The Liberian mission is the largest Irish overseas deployment since the Lebanon mission and consists of one battalion (95th Infantry Battalion) comprised of 420 personnel. The UN force, UNMIL, is 15,000 strong and is charged with stabilising the country after the Liberian Civil War. The Irish troops are based in Camp Clara, near Monrovia and are tasked with acting as the Force Commander's "Quick Reaction Force" (QRF) in the Monrovia area. This means the securing of key locations, conducting searches for illegaly held weapons, patrolling and manning checkpoints on the main roads and providing security to civilians under threat of violence.
[edit] Border duties 1969-present
At home, the Army has been occasionally deployed as a back up to the Gardaí (Irish Police) along the border with Northern Ireland during the civil conflict in the north known as the Troubles (1969-1998). In the early 1970s, it was suggested that the Irish Army might cross the Border to protect the nationalist community within Northern Ireland. However this was never acted upon, although units were moved to the Border in 1969-70, in readiness for such a step. In addition, a captain in the army, James Kelly was sent to buy arms for Republican paramilitaries for the defence of nationalist areas in the North. When this emerged in public, it caused a scandal known as the Arms crisis. Kelly, however always maintained that he was only acting under orders from senior politicians.
The Army's most consistent role has been to try and impede the movement of Provisional IRA members across the border during its armed campaign. One Irish Army soldier was killed during the Troubles by the PIRA. This happened on December 16, 1983, when the PIRA kidnapped a supermarket executive named Don Tidey. He was traced to Ballinamore in county Leitrim and in the subsequent shootout, a trainee garda and an Irish soldier were killed. Recently, in 2006, the Army has been used to back up the Gardai in arresting and seizing the assets of smugglers along the border, many of whom have links with Republican paramilitaries.
[edit] Current Deployments
- Kosovo (KFOR) - 32nd Infantry Group (208 personnel)
- Bosnia (EUFOR) - MNTF (Finland) (41 personnel)
- Liberia (UNMIL) - 95th Infantry Battalion (420 personnel)
[edit] Composition
The regular army of Ireland has 8,500 personnel (plus a reserve army of 13,000), and consists of a single division sized element made up of three infantry brigades, each responsible for a geographical area of the country:
[edit] 1 Southern Brigade
- HQ 1 Southern Brigade
- 3rd Infantry Battalion
- 4th Infantry Battalion
- 12th Infantry Battalion
- 1 Field Artillery Regiment (FAR)
- 1 Cavalry Squadron
- 1 Field Engineer Company
- 1 Field Communications Information Services Company (CIS)
- 1 Brigade Military Police Company (MP)
- 1 Logistics Support Battalion (LSB)
- 1 Brigade Training Centre (BTC)
[edit] 2 Eastern Brigade
- HQ 2 Eastern Brigade
- 2nd Infantry Battalion
- 5th Infantry Battalion
- 27th Infantry Battalion
- 2 Field Artillery Regiment (FAR)
- 2 Cavalry Squadron
- 2 Field Engineer Company
- 2 Field Communications Information Services Company (CIS)
- 2 Brigade Military Police Company (MP)
- 2 Logistics Support Battalion (LSB)
- 2 Brigade Training Centre (BTC)
[edit] 4 Western Brigade
- HQ 4 Eastern Brigade
- 1st Infantry Battalion
- 6th Infantry Battalion
- 28th Infantry Battalion
- 4 Field Artillery Regiment (FAR)
- 4 Cavalry Squadron
- 4 Field Engineer Company
- 4 Field Communications Information Services Company (CIS)
- 4 Brigade Military Police Company (MP)
- 4 Logistics Support Battalion (LSB)
- 4 Brigade Training Centre (BTC)
[edit] Defence Forces Training Centre
In addition to the three brigades in the Irish Army, there is also the Defence Forces Training Centre (DFTC). This element is responsible for providing professional training to the Irish Army through three separate colleges:- Military College
- Combat Support College ( Cavalry / Engineering / Signal,(cis) Schools)
- Combat Service Support College ( Transport / Ordnance / Military Police / Medical / Admin / Catering(in Dublin) & Physical Fitness , Schools
There are also several units located at the DFTC that are not part of the brigade structure:
- Operational Units
- Army Ranger Wing (Sciathán Fianóglach an Airm)(DFHQ)
- 1 Bty Air Defence Regiment (AD)
- 1 Armoured Cavalry Squadron
- B Company 3rd Infantry Battalion(Detatchement)
- Support Units
- Supply and Services Unit
- Defence Force Logistics Base
- DFTC Military Police Company
[edit] Army Corps
[edit] Infantry Corps
These "foot soldiers", are the backbone of all armies. The Irish Army infantry corps are regarded as operational troops who must be prepared for tactical deployment in any location at short notice. In wartime this means that they will be among the front line troops in the defence of the State. In peacetime however they can be seen daily performing operational duties in Aid to the Civil Power(ATCP) such as providing escorts to cash, prisoner or explosive shipments, patrols of vital state installations and border patrols, including check points.
The infantry corps consists of a total of nine battalions, with three assigned to each brigade. A single company of the 3rd Infantry Battalion is stationed at the Defence Force Training Centre, and serves as the training unit for the Mowag APC.
The Irish Army has two major infantry units deployed overseas:
- 32nd Infantry Group - this is part of the KFOR mission in Kosovo. It consists of an infantry company, logisitc support section and headquarters, and contains approximatley 200 personnel of all ranks.
- 95th Infantry Battalion - this is part of the UNMIL mission in Liberia, and is drawn primarily from personnel of 2 Southern Brigade. The battalion's primary roles are to serve as the UNMIL commander's Quick Reaction Force, conduct "cordon and search" operations for weapons in weapon free areas, and ensure the security of lines of communication. In October 2006, personnel of the 95th Battalion were decorated by the UN for their work in securing the peace in Liberia [1]. There are approximately 400 personnel of all ranks in the 95th Battalion.
[edit] Artillery Corps
The Artillery Corps provides fire support as required by infantry or armoured elements. The Corps was founded in 1924 and today consists of two main branches: Field Artillery and Air Defence. Between them, the two branches of the Corps provide several vital services;
- Fire support of Infantry or Armoured troops.
- Ground to low level air defence.
- Light field battery support to Irish overseas battalion.
- Aid to the civil power duties.
Each brigade has a single field artillery regiment, while the army's single air defence regiment is stationed at the Defence Force Training Centre.
[edit] Cavalry Corps
The Cavalry Corps has a significant part to play in the conventional operations of the Army. The Corps is equipped with armour to carry out its role of reconnaissance, making first contact with an enemy and providing security to the infantry in offensive and defensive operations. The key word in the Cavalry Corps is "mobility", and it enjoys a reputation of flexibility and readiness to undertake any task. In peacetime the Cavalry carries out various duties in aid to the Civil Power, such as:
- Border operations supporting Gardai.
- Escort duties - cash, explosives, prisoner.
- Patrolling Government installations.
Other Activities include:
- Presidential Motor Cycle Escort.
There are no cavalry regiments in the Irish Army; instead, each brigade has a single cavalry squadron equipped with a mix of Mowag Piranha recce vehicles and Panhard AML armoured cars. A fourth cavalry squadron, 1 Armoured Cavalry Squadron, is stationed at the DFTC and is equipped with the FV101 Scorpion.
[edit] Corps of Engineers
The Corps of Engineers is responsible for all combat engineering and general engineering matters within the Defence Forces. Engineering originated as a military function and in today's army an Engineer has a most demanding role. He/She must become an expert in combat engineering, and general engineering. Soldiers of the Corps of Engineers all possess a recognised trade, engineering discipline or other specialist skill.
[edit] Ordnance Corps
The responsibility for the procurement and maintenance of all ordnance equipment is vested in the Ordnance Corps and encompasses a spectrum of equipment ranging from anti-aircraft missiles and naval armament to the uniforms worn by military personnel. The corps is also responsible for the procurement of food and provision of commercial catering services. These tasks are of a technical nature and the corps personnel are appropriately qualified and with the expertise to afford technical evaluation of complete weapon systems, it also includes embracing weapons, ammunition, fire control instruments and night vision equipment. The Ordnance Corps provide the only Explosive Ordnance Disposal service within the state, in support of the Garda Siochana. The Corps must keep abreast of current developments in international terrorist devices and the equipment needed to counteract these devices. Courses are conducted for its own personnel and for students from the military and police of many other nations. Ordnance Corps personnel continue to serve in overseas missions and are an essential component of missions involving troops.
[edit] Transport Corps
The Transport Corps is responsible for the procurement, management and maintenance of all soft skinned vehicles, and the maintenance of all armoured vehicles within the Defence Forces. It is also responsible for the driver training, testing, certification, maintenance of driving standards and provision of vehicle fuels, oils and lubricants. The Transport Corps provides heavy lift capability for the Defence Forces.
[edit] Medical Corps
The Army Medical Corps has the responsibility of maintaining health and preventing disease in the Defence Forces and providing treatment of its sick and wounded. While these functions are of prime importance in time of war they also continue in peacetime. The Corps provides Dental as well as medical care for all personnel. The service provided includes surgery, physiotherapy and nursing. Their personnel have served in all the major UN missions providing medical and dental support. They also fill an important role in the provision of humanitarian assistance to the local civilian population giving medical aid in circumstances in which local medical services are unlikely to function adequately.
[edit] Military Police Corps
The Military Police are responsible for the prevention and investigation of offences, the enforcement of discipline and the general policing of the Defence Forces. In wartime, additional tasks include the provision of a traffic control organisation to allow rapid movement of military formations to their mission areas. Other wartime rules include control of prisoners of war and refugees. Traditionally, the Military Police have also had a considerable involvement at state and ceremonial occasions. In recent years the Military Police have been deployed in many UN missions (e.g. Iran /Iraq) and later in the former Yugoslavia (SFOR). They enjoy a very close working relationship with An Garda Síochána at national and local levels. The Gardai assist in providing specialist police training to the Military Police in the field of crime investigation.
[edit] Communication and Information Services Corps (CIS)
Formerly the Army Corps of signals, this corps is responsible for providing all communication and information technology services to the Defence Forces. This role includes the development and maintenance of a countrywide private Defence Forces Telecommunications Network (DFTN), which can support both voice and data services, and the provision, and maintenance of military radio equipment for use by Defence Forces personnel at home and abroad. The DFTN provides advanced telecommunications services including desk to desk dialling and networked IT services such as E-mail, Internet and Intranet access, as well as fax and paging services. The CIS Corps also provides communication links to all overseas missions including a satellite link from DFTN to Irish Transport Company, Kosovo and Irish Guard, Eritrea for voice and data.
[edit] Rank Structure
The rank structure of the Irish Army is organised along standard military rank and command structures. These consist of the following ranks:
[edit] Other Ranks
- Cadet
- Apprentice
- Recruit
- 2* Private
- 3* Private
- Corporal
- Sergeant
- Company Quartermaster Sergeant
- Company Sergeant
- Battalion/Regimental Quartermaster Sergeant
- Battalion/Regimental Sergeant Major
[edit] Commissioned Ranks
- Second Lieutenant
- First Lieutenant
- Captain
- Commandant
- Lieutenant Colonel
- Colonel
- Brigadier General
- Major General
- Lieutenant General
Note: As there are only 3 Infantry Brigades the number of senior officers in the Irish Army is small.
[edit] Weapons
The Irish Army has historically purchased and used Weapons and equipment from other western countries, mainly from European nations and especially from Britain. Generally all equipment is of NATO standard design, Ireland usually doesn't produce its own armaments and has a very limited arms industry (almost non-existent).
In the beginning the Army used the British Lee-Enfield Rifle, which would be the mainstay for many decades after independence. In the 1960's some modernisation came with the introduction of the Belgian-made FN FAL 7.62 mm assault rifle.
Currently the standard weapon for an Irish Army soldier is the Austrian made Steyr AUG 5.56 mm assault rifle (also used in the other branches of the Defence force). The Steyr began to replace the older FAL in 1988, although some of the Reserve forces continued to use the FAL until 2002.
Other weapons in use by the Irish Army are the FN MAG, known as the General Purpose Machine Gun (GPMG), the FGM-148 Javelin Anti-tank guided missile (replacing the MILAN).
[edit] Vehicles
The Irish Army has historically preferred Light vehicles to the heavy Armour types used by other European nations, and this preference continues today. The most recent purchase was of a large number of the Swiss made Mowag Piranha Armoured fighting vehicles which have become the Army's primary vehicle in the Mechanised infantry role. These are equipped with 12.7 mm HMGs, but recently the army has ordered an additional number of Piranhas with a mix of weapons systems, made up of Kongsberg Defence & Aerospace remote weapon station with a 12.7mm heavy machinegun-equipped vehicles and Oto Melara 30mm cannon equipped vehicles.
The Irish Army's only tank type is the British-made FV101 Scorpion light tank, with a 76.2 mm main gun. Other vehicles include the Panhard AML (with 90 mm gun).
[edit] See also
- Modern weapons of the Irish Army
- Modern vehicles of the Irish Army
- Modern Irish Army Uniform
- Irish Defence Forces cap badge
- Irish Defence Forces
- Reserve Defence Forces
- Communications and Information Services Corps
- Irish Army deafness claims
