The Defence Forces are on a mission to recruit more women with a number of new child-friendly initiatives and visits to schools and colleges aiming to sell a career in the military.

The army has unveiled its first €1m computerised firing range which will make a camp in Co Cork one of its finest and busiest training centres.

A relative of Protestant victims of a notorious War of Independence-era triple execution linked to a bloody massacre has issued an emotional appeal for help tracing the bodies of the victims.

The man who took a pipebomb away from children who had been playing with it probably saved them from death or serious maiming — but also put his own life in danger.

Irish troops serving in the Golan Heights had a lucky escape yesterday after twice getting caught in cross-fire between Syrian government forces and anti-Assad rebels.

Irish troops serving in Syria were 200 metres from a firefight between Government and anti-government forces.

Political reaction in Ireland to the escalating Syrian crisis remains opposed to military intervention, despite the rising civilian death toll and suggestions that Britain might back air raids against military targets without the agreement of the UN.

Three coffins; three hearses outside the church in the village of Crooke; three men who loved boats and fishing from the time they could walk.

The bereaved parents of an air corps cadet have been asked by Defence Minister Alan Shatter to set out the reasons why they believe their son’s death has been the subject of a cover-up.

Former government minister and ceann comhairle John O’Connell has been remembered as “a great humanitarian who did great good in his world”.

Some of the leading lights of corporate twitterati gathered at UCC yesterday to discuss the most effective methods of representing a company in the networked world.

After seven years making sometimes difficult decisions, Robert Splaine is realistic to know his reappointment as Ireland show jumping manager may not be greeted with unanimous acclaim.

GAA rivalry has long pitted parish against parish and turned county against county, but it was impossible to distinguish friend from foe at the funeral of Dublin football hero Kevin Heffernan.

Reporter sacked after fake reports

Tricolours erected to mark Ireland reaching the finals of the Euro 2012 Championship still hang on many buildings on the main street of Blessington.

The head of a private ambulance firm involved in all of the State’s organ transport missions has called on HIQA to probe what he said has become a “chaotic” organ transport co-ordination system.

At precisely 2.30pm yesterday, the national flag was lowered for the last time at Kickham Barracks in Clonmel, bringing a symbolic end to a military presence in the area which stretched back to the heyday of Oliver Cromwell.

ABUSE victims, politicians and fellow journalists gathered yesterday at the humanist funeral Mary Raftery had arranged herself before her death on Tuesday.

RELATIVES of three UN peacekeepers murdered in 1989 have hailed an independent inquiry into the incident as enough to expose a 22-year army cover-up.

A BIG funeral for a giant of a man.

A man has been arrested after a small quantity of high-grade commercial explosives was found at an apartment in Dublin's Dorset St.

PANICKED motorists had to be rescued from waters up to four feet deep in parts of Dublin after the weekend’s record rainfall trapped them in flash floods.

IRISH troops in Chad were monitoring the security situation in the troubled African country last night following an explosion in the capital, N’djamena.

ONE of the country’s most senior army officers is to take up a key international Red Cross mission which will see him keeping a close eye on thousands of prison detainees.

AN air of expectation more so than optimism permeated the select group at the Equestrian Federation of Ireland’s (EFI) presentation of its jumping committee last Monday.

Bomb disposal experts were called to a Co Kerry beach today after ancient ammunition dating back to World War I washed up on the sands.

THE body of the Irish solider killed while on UN peacekeeping duties in Liberia last month was buried with full military honours in Dublin yesterday.

A former Army Corporal who served 26 years in the Defence Forces today denied membership of an illegal organisation styling itself the IRA at the Special Criminal Court in Dublin.

IN the beginning, a handful of peace activists were camped outside Shannon Airport.