# Peacekeeping

Irish history: 'For the first time since the Civil War, soldiers found themselves in combat'

Dr Eoin Kinsella shares an excerpt from his book documenting the evolution of the Irish Defence Forces.

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Jul 10th 2023, 11:00 PM

# Michael Beary

New approach needed to protect Irish and other peacekeepers from attack, top UN diplomat says

Former Major General Michael Beary spoke to The Journal about Ireland’s part in peace building.

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Jun 30th 2023, 12:05 AM

# North Kosovo

Kosovo tensions high after violent clashes as EU calls for calm across the Balkans

Violence sparked by disputed municipal elections left 30 soldiers from a NATO-led peacekeeping force injured on Monday after clashes with ethnic Serbs protesters.

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May 30th 2023, 2:02 PM

Trooper Shane Kearney no longer in critical condition after Lebanon attack

Trooper Kearney suffered a head injury in the shooting that killed fellow soldier Private Sean Rooney on 14 December.

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Jan 10th 2023, 1:24 PM

Last year

2022

No immediate plans for Taoiseach to visit Lebanon following deadly attack on Irish peacekeepers

Leo Varadkar said that he hoped to fit in a visit “sometime next year”.

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Dec 27th 2022, 6:30 AM

All time

# un missions

Irish Defence Forces officer warns staffing crisis jeopardising UN overseas missions

Raco are holding their annual conference in Kildare.

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Nov 23rd 2021, 2:23 PM

Expense of citizenship 'stopping some Defence Force members from serving on UN missions'

PDFORRA has called on Minister Coveney to ‘do the right thing’ and grant citizenship to migrant soldiers.

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Oct 7th 2021, 3:36 PM

First female Defence Forces officer achieves rank of Major General

Major-General Maureen O’Brien’s appointment to this rank was described as a “great source of pride for the Defence Forces” by Minister for Defence, Simon Coveney.

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May 25th 2021, 8:30 PM

Ireland takes its seat on the UN Security Council

The Taoiseach described it as an ‘enormous responsibility’.

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Jan 1st 2021, 8:04 AM

Over 100 peacekeeping troops arrive home from Lebanon after Covid-19 delay

Minister Paul Kehoe has thanked them for their service.

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Jun 22nd 2020, 10:41 AM

Cabinet to hear proposal to send Army Ranger Wing to Mali

If approved this would be the first deployment of the ARW overseas in their special forces role since their deployment to Chad in 2008.

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Jun 9th 2019, 11:28 AM

Good Morning

The 9 at 9 Here’s everything you need to know as you start your day.

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Jun 9th 2019, 8:58 AM

After facing a delay, Irish troops will return home from Golan Heights and Syria this evening

The soldiers are now due to touch down at Dublin Airport at 7.15pm tonight, where they will be greeted by their families.

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Apr 7th 2019, 1:56 PM

Defence Forces personnel recognised for their role in south Lebanon at special ceremony

There are 458 Irish personnel attached to Unifil.

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Mar 18th 2019, 2:30 PM

# Óglaigh na hÉireann

Bomb disposal, prison security, peacekeeping - The work of the Irish Defence Forces in 2018

There are currently 650 members of the Defence Forces serving in 14 countries.

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Dec 28th 2018, 11:32 AM

# Minister Paul Kehoe

'Inappropriate for a family occasion': Complaints after Defence Forces video shown at All Ireland semi-final

The video was played during the hurling encounter between Clare and Galway in July.

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Nov 1st 2018, 6:05 AM

Pride and sacrifice: Marking 60 years of Irish participation in peacekeeping missions

Ireland holds the record for the longest unbroken peacekeeping service of any nation in the world.

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Jun 24th 2018, 8:00 AM

# factcheck

FactCheck: Was Willie O'Dea really not aware of concerns over Lariam, while he was Minister?

The Fianna Fáil TD was asked four times by Vincent Browne, and four times denied that concerns were mentioned to him about the anti-malaria drug given to Irish troops.

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Oct 13th 2016, 8:01 PM

# Virtual Reality

European police and soldiers will be trained by a €2m game made at Trinity College

The college is leading a project that aims to improve skills needed in peacekeeping missions.

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Feb 5th 2016, 12:37 PM

# scotch irish

'I wanted to keep the peace, and joining the Irish army was the best way to do that...'

The number of women officers in the Defence Forces is finally on the rise and Catherine Smyth is one of them. But Catherine is Scottish, not Irish.

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Jan 31st 2016, 7:45 AM

Irish troops could free up France to fight Isis

France is considering withdrawing from some peacekeeping missions.

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Nov 19th 2015, 11:58 AM

# Srebrenica

WATCH: Serbian PM stoned while attending commemoration for victims of massacre

More than 1,000 of the bodies of those killed are yet to be recovered.

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Jul 11th 2015, 7:05 PM

# Haiti

UN peacekeepers 'traded food and medicine for sex'

About a third of alleged sexual abuse involves minors under 18.

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Jun 11th 2015, 8:19 AM

# Attack

Irish troops safe after mortar attack injures two UN peacekeepers in Golan Heights

The two soldiers were evacuated to Israel for medical care.

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May 4th 2015, 12:16 PM

# Lebanon

Irish peacekeeping troops 'safe and accounted for' after death of Spanish soldier

The Spanish soldier was killed when the Israeli military shelled border areas in southern Lebanon.

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Jan 28th 2015, 9:05 PM

Ireland had almost three bomb disposals a week last year

The Army had 430 troops serving on peacekeeping missions in 16 countries in the past 12 months.

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Dec 30th 2014, 7:00 AM

Lebanon will do 'everything in their power' to pursue justice over killing of Irish soldiers

Privates Derek Smallhorne and Thomas Barrett were killed by the South Lebanon Army in an attack in 1980.

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Dec 6th 2014, 2:18 PM

# Golan Heights

Defence Forces test water supply amid claims Irish troops are at risk of E Coli

The troops are part of the UN peacekeeping mission in the Golan Heights.

8.6k

Oct 28th 2014, 7:29 PM

# tensions rising

As Coveney mulls decision on Irish troops, Israel shoots down Syrian plane in Golan Heights

It’s the first time since 1985 that Israel has downed a Syrian plane.

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Sep 23rd 2014, 5:41 PM

Syrian troops and Islamist rebels exchange fire near peace line in Golan Heights

Defence Minister Simon Coveney wants a UN review of the peacekeeping

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Sep 1st 2014, 10:30 PM

# Your Say

Poll: Should the Irish UN peacekeepers be pulled out of Golan Heights?

The Defence Minister has called for a UN review of the mission.

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Sep 1st 2014, 9:55 AM

Opinion: The lives of our peacekeeping troops are being recklessly risked at the Syrian border

The situation at the border is far too volatile for the UN mission’s remit – it seems the only reason to keep it there is for political posturing.

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Aug 30th 2014, 8:00 AM

# UNDOF

Filipino UN peacekeepers defy Syrian rebels in Golan Heights standoff

Syrian rebels captured 43 Fijian soldiers yesterday.

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Aug 29th 2014, 7:25 AM

Man suspected of killing two Irish soldiers in Lebanon to be deported from US

Mahmoud Bazzi entered the US illegally but is not charged with the deaths.

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Aug 11th 2014, 10:37 PM

# 34 Years

Silent vigil for two Irish peacekeepers tortured and murdered in Lebanon

The families and friends of Private Derek Smallhorne and Private Thomas Barrett are looking for their killer to be questioned about his past life – before he moved to the US, settled down and started working as an ice-cream man.

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Apr 18th 2014, 7:45 AM

Column: 'With a few surviving classmates, I stepped carefully over the dead and dying'

As a 13-year old schoolgirl, Setsuko Thurlow became a survivor of the atomic bombing of Hiroshima. Her harrowing testimony is a continuing reminder of the importance of nuclear disarmament, writes Jamie Walsh.

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Mar 27th 2014, 7:30 PM