Irish Army

Rolls-Royce Armoured Cars pictured during the Civil War

Volunteer Force recruitment poster, 1930s

Irish ONUC troops (36 Bn) man a position over the Elizabeth road tunnel during the Congo Crisis, December 1961 (Image: Defence Forces)

Irish troops serving with UNIFIL in 2013

Two soldiers wearing ghillie suits for concealment while in sniper training

Chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear (CBRN) training

105mm L118 light gun crewed by the Artillery Corps (Army Reserve)

A member of an Irish Army Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) team

Army parade (march past) with Steyr AUG service rifles in service dress

Land component of the Defence Forces of Ireland.

- Irish Army

418 related topics

Defence Forces (Ireland)

The Defence Forces (Fórsaí Cosanta, officially styled Óglaigh na hÉireann) are the armed forces of the Republic of Ireland.

An Irish Army Cavalry Corps Mowag Piranha Close Reconnaissance Vehicle on UN patrol in Syria

Irish Air Corps AgustaWestland AW139 helicopter

Ceremony at Cathal Brugha Barracks in Dublin

They encompass the Army, Air Corps, Naval Service, and Reserve Defence Forces.

Irish Republican Army (1922–1969)

Anti-Treaty sub-group of the original Irish Republican Army , fought against the Irish Free State in the Irish Civil War, and its successors up to 1969, when the IRA split again into the Provisional IRA and Official IRA.

An Anti-Treaty IRA unit in Old Parish, County Waterford, c. undefined 1922.

Liam Lynch was the first Chief of Staff of the Anti-Treaty IRA. He died during the Irish Civil War.

Mick Mansfield, Staff Engineer, Waterford Brigade, 1922.

Memorial to anti-Treaty insurgents executed by Free State forces at Ballyseedy, County Kerry, designed by Yann Goulet.

Moss Twomey was Chief of Staff, 1926–36. IRA-Soviet relations began a year earlier with Felix Dzerzhinsky's OGPU.

During the 1932 election Cumann na nGaedheal attempted to use red scare tactics by linking Sinn Féin to the IRA, and the IRA to Communism.

Under Sean Russell's leadership, the IRA once again sought war with Britain

Seamus O'Donovan was a key figure in organising the S-Plan in 1939–40. He collaborated with the Abwehr.

Former Chief of Staff Sean MacBride formed a new political party in 1947 called Clann na Poblachta. Many of the members were also former IRA members who held left wing views

Some of the officers of the new Irish Army, led by Liam Tobin, formed an association called the "Old IRA" to distinguish themselves from the anti-Treaty fighters.

Irish Air Corps

Air component of the Defence Forces of Ireland.

Irish Air Corps Avro Anson C.19, operated from 1946 until 1962

de Havilland Vampire T-11 trainers of the Irish Air Corps in 1955

Irish Air Corps pilots filming Roger Corman's Richthofen & Brown, 1970. Lynn Garrison second from right, front row

Brigadier General Seán Clancy was General Officer Commanding of the Air Corps from 2017 to 2019.

Irish Air Corps retired Gulfstream IV, which was used as VIP transport

Pilatus PC-9M trainers in formation. The closest aircraft is carrying underwing machine gun and rocket pods which are used in the ground attack role.

Through a fleet of fixed and rotary wing aircraft, it provides military support to the Army and Naval Service, together with non-military air services such as Garda air support, air ambulance, fisheries protection and the Ministerial Air Transport Service.

Army Reserve (Ireland)

Airm) is the reserve land component of the Irish Defence Forces.

Army reservists on a training exercise in the Glen of Imaal carrying a FN MAG GPMG and a Steyr AUG assault rifle

A Sergeant from the Army Reserve leading a tactical exercise

Officers of the Army Reserve upon receiving their commission

It is the second line reserve of the Irish Army.

The Emergency (Ireland)

State of emergency in Ireland in the Second World War, throughout which Ireland remained neutral.

A memorial erected in Dublin in 1991 to members of the Irish mercantile marine lost during the Emergency

In the Christmas Raid in 1939, one million rounds of ammunition were stolen from the Irish Army by the IRA (though it was mostly recovered in the following weeks) and there were a number of killings, mostly of policemen.

Commandant

Title often given to the officer in charge of a military (or other uniformed service) training establishment or academy.

South African army commandant insignia 1950-1994

In the Irish Army, commandant (Comdt; ceannfort) is the equivalent of major in other armies.

County Kerry

County in Ireland.

Gallarus Oratory near Dingle, which dates back to the 6th century.

Little Skellig, as seen from Skellig Michael.

Ross Castle and Lough Leane, Killarney National Park.

In March 1923 Kerry saw a series of massacres of republican prisoners by National Army soldiers, in reprisal for the ambush of their men—the most notorious being the killing of eight men with mines at Ballyseedy, near Tralee.

Garda Síochána

National police service of the Republic of Ireland.

The two helicopters of the Garda Air Support Unit

Garda helicopter performing surveillance

A member of the motorcycle unit of the Garda Síochána

Garda Síochána Emergency Response Unit armed with an UZI submachine gun on duty in Dublin

An armed close protection officer from the Special Detective Unit protecting Queen Elizabeth II in 2011

New Garda recruits salute the President of Ireland, An Tóstal, 1954

Garda directing traffic in Dublin during the 1960s

R.I.C. Barracks near the Depot headquarters, Phoenix Park, c.1865-1914

Gardaí at the site of the proposed Corrib gas refinery in Erris, County Mayo

Garda Headquarters, Phoenix Park, Dublin

The Local Security Force (LSF) did not have the power of arrest, and part of the reserve was soon incorporated into the Irish Army Reserve under the command of the Irish Army.

CBRN defense

Chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear defence (CBRN defence or CBRNE defence) are protective measures taken in situations in which chemical, biological, radiological or nuclear warfare (including terrorism) hazards may be present.

Nuclear, biological and chemical (NBC) disposal technicians taking part in a training exercise.

Toronto firefighters don CBRN suits at a HAZMAT incident

Members of the Irish Defence Forces and Dublin Fire Brigade (DFB) at a CBRNE training exercise

U.S. Marines training exercise for temporary critical support to enable community recovery after a CBRNE incident

The Irish Army runs CBRNE defence courses, and has detection equipment, decontamination equipment and is reported to have purchased 10,000 protective CBRN/NBC suits, enough for all of its personnel.

United Nations Operation in the Congo

United Nations peacekeeping force deployed in the Republic of the Congo in 1960 in response to the Congo Crisis.

United Nations peacekeeping forces of Iran, the Philippines and Sweden in Kamina Air Base, January 1963

Swedish troops plan offensive actions for Operation Grandslam

Swedish UN soldiers armed with sub machine guns at one of the access roads to Niemba in November 1961.

A Swedish Terrängbil m/42, painted in the scheme used in the Congo

Major General Curt Göransson salute the Swedish flag on his arrival in Elizabethville, Congo and the Swedish UN troops. To the left is Colonel Jonas Wærn and Colonel Olaf Egge (with dark glasses).

The Irish Army's first large deployment to the Congo was in 1960.