Some fathers and sons play golf together or go fishing, but the McGaherns from Fermoy have a slightly different take on family time — they’ve both been deployed to troubled Golan Heights together.

Some 130 members of the Defence Forces are entering an intense training programme ahead of their deployment to Syria.

The first batch of soldiers from the 43rd Infantry Group of the Irish Defence Forces departs for Syria today.

Irish troops being deployed to Syria have been given special training in the event of a chemical attack.

The United Nations has assured the Government that the safety of Irish peacekeepers is paramount on their upcoming mission to the Golan Heights.

Five hill walkers had to be rescued today after straying into a live army firing range in Wicklow

Troops have been put through their paces before deployment to Lebanon next month.

Two people were rescued from their car on Wicklow's Sally Gap last night after becoming stuck in snowfalls there.

A man and his two young sons have been rescued from the Wicklow mountains early this morning, after they got lost on their way down Lugnaquilla.

Irish troops will be put through their paces today ahead of their deployment to Lebanon.

A hillwalker has been airlifted from the Dublin mountains after he suffered chest pains this afternoon.

THE rotor blades whirred, the down-draught bending vegetation as the helicopter airlifted a wounded soldier to safety.

Two climbers stranded for nearly 24 hours in freezing conditions on Leinster’s highest mountain were found safe and are being airlifted to hospital this afternoon.

Two snowboarders missing for 21 hours in the Wicklow Mountains have been found by rescuers. The men were located just before 1pm at an area known as South Prison.

IT WAS meant to be a fun bank holiday weekend away but it all went horribly wrong in bad weather on the Wicklow Mountains.

Over 300 Defence Force troops are beginning their final preparations today for their deployment to Chad later this month.

The army is about to embark on one of the UN’s most difficult missions, writes Sean O’Riordan.

THE year 1977 was not a great one from the standpoint of the state papers. Historically, the most important events were related to that year’s general election. As the civil servants were not formally involved, the elections were glossed over in the state papers.

FOUR soldiers killed at one checkpoint, three civilians at another.

The Irish Defence Forces are due to hold a demonstration of firepower in the Glen of Imaal in Co Wicklow today.

A search is underway in the Wicklow mountains for a 75-year-old man who is missing since yesterday morning.

There are reports that another illegal dump under investigation in Co Wicklow may contain as many as 2,000 barrels of toxic waste.

A 19-year-old soldier from Dublin is in intensive care in hospital this afternoon after he was accidentally shot during training in the Glen of Imaal in Co Wicklow last night.

The Mater Private Hospital is denying any involvement in the dumping of hazardous material in the Glen of Imaal in Co Wicklow.

Managers at three Dublin hospitals were today summoned to a meeting of council public health officials to be questioned about how medical waste ended up in an illegal dumping site.

Calls are today being made for an inquiry into the illegal dumping of hazardous bio-waste.

Defence Minister Michael Smith has denied suggestions that Irish soldiers are training in unhygenic facilities in Cork and the Glen of Imaal.