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THE LAST OF the 340 Irish troops who have been serving with the 108th UNIFIL Battalion in Lebanon will fly into to Dublin Airport at around 1pm this afternoon.
Their replacements from the 170-strong 42nd Infantry Group have flown out over the last week or so, and are now settling into their new digs at ‘Camp Shamrock’ ahead of a six month tour-of-duty. 171 personnel from the last deployment are due home this afternoon; the rest flew back last week.
The soldiers have taken part in a number of special projects in recent months, including 13 humanitarian projects, programmes to install water pumps and generators, and a ‘community integration’ effort which involves Irish troops teaching English to local schoolchildren.
It’s a joint Irish-Finnish UNIFIL mission: on the next six-month deployment a Finnish commander will be in charge, taking over from Ireland’s Lieutenant Colonel Tony McKenna.
Lieutenant Colonel Ray Yorke, from Edgeworthstown in Longford is the new commander of the Irish troops, who are headquartered around around 7 km from the blue line boundary between Lebanon and Israel, south of the village of At Tiri.
The United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon was established in 1978 following the withdrawal of Israel’s troops, with the aim of restoring peace and security. Its mandate has been renewed every year since.
In excess of 400 Irish troops will be spending Christmas overseas this year, in Lebanon, Syria and elsewhere.
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Big welcome home and well done
Well done to these men & women & welcome home.
For sitting around drinking tea & watching telly! Yes well done, I love a good fraud!
Why don’t you go out there so if you think it’s that easy
Say that to their face, oh no I forgot you’re staying incognito so you can say what you like and have a little laugh to yourself, it’s called cowardice.
That was for You know who, but I don’t and the other one, I’m not going to even try.
Are these men and women conscripted? No. None of them are. They are paid CAREER soldiers who were attracted to the lifestyle for whatever reason. Taxi driving in Dublin is more dangerous than handing out soup in Lebanon.
Yeah right, sure only 86 of them have been killed while on UN duty, sure it’s a doddle
I’d sooner be a live “coward” than jump in front of live fire for the “UN”. There are things I would die for, but the “UN” certainly is not one of them. Anyone who dies in the name of that globalist entity is a downright fool IMO.
Still, I’m sure the Facebook photo opportunities are great.
Sir, you are a fool !!!
There are plenty of spaces for Micks who want to be cannon fodder for the UN. You even get to wear a blue hat and pat poor people on the head.
The bomb disposal unit that went to Afghanistan were not handing out soup. I guess a little more research on your side will help your understanding. For whatever is being said about the U.N. I certainly can’t defend it but these blue cap Irish peace keepers are recognized as the best in the world. It’s said that if they had been in Srebrenica in the 90s that may have turned out different as their Dutch counterpart made a balls of it resulting many deaths. That recognition is enough for me to be proud of my troops & my army.
You know who
Soldiers are not paid for what they do but for what they may be called on to do.
When earning their pay someone is in all likelihood in danger including when they drive 4 wheel drive vehicles in ice and snow to people’s farms, just as a simple example. The extreme being of course when shooting is going on.
Given the choice I prefer them sitting around, drinking tea, don’t you?
We need an army. What we don’t need is a lap-dog state willing to risk the lives of well-meaning patriotic men and women in the name of a global construct called the “UN”. Those in power use the Irish Defence Forces so that people like Mary Robinson can fly first class to New York and leverage the “most respected army in the world” image for their own gain. You won’t see Mary Robinson’s son, Aubrey, volunteering to protect the Irish constitution — he’s too committed to “social justice” and busy making films while occupying Dame Street.
Cannon fodder? We are not talking about ww1.
You say we need a army but you don’t say where we need it. Ireland is not fighting any wars or at risk of being invaded. Serving with the UN is good. The Irish army gets a lot of respect wherever it goes.
Excuse me but my partners is in the army due back today until u hear the horrors of what goes on over there u really should not judge
“Taxi driving in Dublin is more dangerous than handing out soup in Lebanon”
+1
International standards the Irish army is like the little scout group camping in the woods.
They’d be more use sweeping roads (remember the 1980′s)
I came back from Lebanon last May,I also served in Liberia and Tchad in Africa.kevin shaw get in touch with me and call around for some of that soup you were talking about you and you know who and I’ll show you exactly what skills I learned!!!.big man behind you key board.you should educate yourself on the help we give those less well off than ourselfs.you sir are and idiot !!
Fair play to ya
Paul don’t rise to it. Just vermin on keyboards all over thejournal,ie and thescore.ie for the last 2 days applauding the attacking of women and robberies in Finglas.
Thejournal and score need to sort these boys out our the site will be ruined. Their a virus at the moment.
These boys wouldn’t tie your shoes laces. Best of luck on your service and enjoy your holidays at home.
I’m sure the citizens of Syria don’t think their efforts are a waste of time. I’m glad that our army is doing something that helps thousands rather than dying for one mans ego.
Well I for one am glad they are not in active combat, and also – although I don’t like armies – that we can be more proud of their role than the armies of some other countries, not mentioning any names…
The George will need to hire extra staff now!
Handing out soup is tough work.
Sir, you are a Gob$ite !!!
Hi Matt, what did you do today besides reading the Journal.The Irish army so called are a waste of money.
@ Kevin shaw,put the cra#k pipe down and get a job you degenerate sc#m.pop around you nearest barracks and and usher those words instead of spending your day on this trolling.if you call spending 6 months away from family and friends to put your life on the line to assist people in conflict zones a holiday then yes it is.you sir are a whole new class of idiot
Handing out soup with big thick gloves on…. Impossible for anything dangerous to happen!
What interests me is why someone would create a twitter account about an hour ago just to troll for attention. Low self esteem and poor self image would be my best guess.
I think the “soup” references trigger certain psychological buttons ingrained deep in the Irish psyche since the famine.
Kevin shaw and “you know who” were Steo yesterday and Jack Muth folks, and is trolling all over the score and here so ignore his comments.
What do these wasters do? People on the dole contribute more than these morons
If they hear a bang its groundhog and then the lot of them go underground,If a war broke out God help us.
Hi Steven How can ye be serious. I wont sign up for a bunch of clowns who run around after the guards protecting the money for the ATMs. Ha Ha
@paul. I am not using a keyboard you waster. All holidays you just spouted out there. Holidays were you get over ten grand of tax payers money when you return. What new skills would you teach me lesson with????? The only skill you have you waster is how to avoid a bumming in the army barracks.
Im in work now you arsehole. I am a printer, running a ten coulour machine, thats worth around 5 million. Your life on the line, well thats complete bullshit, I have mates and family in the army wasters. They put up pictures of these so life threatening advents they supposedly go through on facebook. Partying partying and more partying. Then you get a lump sum on top to party more when you get home. The George loves when you army boys come home loaded.
Thank god it’s colours you work with you illiterate fool.
You sound like a wannabe hard man who hasn’t done anything with his life and goes around pretending he’s important.
You’ve been shouting all night like a poor victim about how everyone else is not as productive as you are with your expensive electric crayon.
You have no idea what these men and women have been doing all around the world since before the day you were mistakenly conceived.
Grow up, show some respect to your betters or F off and crawl back into that sad little existence you call life.
Your old lady. Why don’t you give him a reach around you rat. Snitch. A rat will do anything to survive. And John bloke isn’t going to enjoy it at home. He was on a six month holiday paid by the tax payer. Waster
Lady boy you are a puff rat. Teacher teacher he’s being bold. I say you were a little victim when you were younger and now.
Paddy or Daddy?!
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