#Defence Forces

A COMPREHENSIVE SERIES OF ARTICLES ON THIS TOPIC

Private Sean Rooney inquest
Family of Seán Rooney, Irish soldier killed in Lebanon, seek expert witnesses at inquest
Private Seán Rooney, 24, from Donegal, was killed while driving an armoured Jeep on UNIFIL peacekeeping duties in Lebanon in December 2022

Wed, 29 Jul, 2026

Two arrested near border after gardaí intercept ‘highly sophisticated’ car bomb
New IRA suspected Garda resources were stretched by EU Presidency before explosives interception
Two people remain in custody after counter-terrorism officers intercepted an explosive device during a joint cross-border security operation

Fri, 24 Jul, 2026

Two arrested near border after gardaí intercept ‘highly sophisticated’ car bomb
Two arrested near border after gardaí intercept ‘highly sophisticated’ car bomb
Special Detective Unit operation in Co Monaghan led to the recovery of an explosive device and the arrest of two suspects

Fri, 24 Jul, 2026

Slievenamon wildfire
Slievenamon wildfire: Resident describes 'terrifying' blaze as smoke reaches Cork city
Firefighters, Air Corps crews and local volunteers continue battling the blaze as residents face evacuation fears and worsening conditions

Thu, 23 Jul, 2026

€2.6m cyber defence facility expected to open in March next year 
€2.6m cyber defence facility expected to open in March next year 
Investment comes as gardaí advertise position of cyber security director

Wed, 22 Jul, 2026

Helen McEntee visit to Belfast
Irish army vehicles rejected by Ukraine stuck in limbo
The fleet of RG32M vehicles were rejected by the Ukrainian authorities due to the age of the technology, maintenance requirements, and the cost of upgrading the vehicles

Mon, 20 Jul, 2026

Shoulder patch of a soldier from the Irish Army on camouflaged uniform.
S Mick Clifford: Defence Forces abuse allegations demand more than another tribunal
Allegations of rape, bullying and abuse have reignited questions over accountability, culture and oversight within the Defence Forces

Sat, 18 Jul, 2026

Ireland remains bottom of EU table for defence spending, new report shows
Ireland remains bottom of EU table for defence spending, new report shows
European Defence Agency figures show Ireland remains well below the EU average despite record increases in defence funding

Fri, 17 Jul, 2026

Soldier had to enter river where dead sheep was floating to get promotion, tribunal told
Soldier had to enter river where dead sheep was floating to get promotion, tribunal told
Another incident allegedly involved an officer, whom she had reported for aggressive behaviour towards a heavily pregnant private, subsequently attacking her in a corridor, slamming her against a wall and throwing her to the floor

Wed, 15 Jul, 2026

Defence Forces Tribunal special report: Why it was established, how much it cost, and what's next
Defence Forces Tribunal special report: Why it was established, how much it cost, and what's next
As hearings pause for summer, the inquiry has heard harrowing evidence while legal costs continue to rise

Sun, 12 Jul, 2026

Women of Honour group
Women of Honour call for stronger support for Defence Forces Tribunal witnesses
Survivors' groups say witnesses need dedicated trauma support and clearer pathways for reporting alleged criminal offences to gardaí

Sat, 11 Jul, 2026

Defence Forces Tribunal: Former officer denies mistreatment as brigadier challenges training claims
Defence Forces Tribunal: Former officer denies mistreatment as brigadier challenges training claims
Former platoon commander's evidence was challenged as another senior officer disputed key claims about Army leadership training

Sat, 11 Jul, 2026

Defence Forces Tribunal: Member of press office confirmed to give evidence next week
Defence Forces Tribunal: Member of press office confirmed to give evidence next week
Sergeant Rena Kennedy, who has worked in military communications for the past 21 years, is scheduled to appear on Wednesday, July 15

Fri, 10 Jul, 2026

Defence Forces Tribunal hears all records of official officer warnings were deleted in 1992
Defence Forces Tribunal hears all records of official officer warnings were deleted in 1992
Ordinarily, army admonishments or reprimands stay on a soldier’s record for five years

Fri, 10 Jul, 2026

The Mick Clifford Podcast: The Defence Forces Tribunal that was two decades in the making
The Mick Clifford Podcast: The Defence Forces Tribunal that was two decades in the making
Allegations of sexual, physical and psychological abuse have called to mind the kind of army life that might have existed in a colonial force from the nineteenth century

 Listen | Thu, 09 Jul, 2026

 Listen |
Officer breaks down as he tells Defence Forces Tribunal soldier's suicide 'still affects me to this day'
Officer breaks down as he tells Defence Forces Tribunal soldier's suicide 'still affects me to this day'
'I'll be out straight with you, my mind was all over the place and I'd say every single individual in that platoon and who was on guard just didn't know whether they were coming or going.'

Wed, 08 Jul, 2026

Senior army officer rejects 'inaccurate' claim junior officers 'ill-equipped' to train recruits
Senior army officer rejects 'inaccurate' claim junior officers 'ill-equipped' to train recruits
Brigadier General Stephen Ryan told the Defence Forces Tribunal second lieutenants and lieutenants are 'trained to do their job, and part of their job is to do recruit training'

Fri, 03 Jul, 2026

Defence Forces officer denies abuse allegations at tribunal hearing
Defence Forces officer denies abuse allegations at tribunal hearing
Officer known as 2LTB tells tribunal he never mistreated recruits but admits he was ill-equipped for training role

Thu, 02 Jul, 2026

Tribunal barrister accuses Defence Forces of 'cover up' 
Tribunal barrister accuses Defence Forces of 'cover up' 
Aedan McGovern said the ​1991 investigation in​to alleged mistreatment of Damien Traynor was handled so badly he could only conclude 'the entire thing was a cover up'

Wed, 01 Jul, 2026

'Deeply concerning': Defence Forces covering legal costs of accused officers at tribunal
'Deeply concerning': Defence Forces covering legal costs of accused officers at tribunal
Diane Byrne, of the Women of Honour, said complainants' legal costs are not being covered on a regular basis

Wed, 01 Jul, 2026

Gardaí will not tolerate motorway or port blockades during EU Presidency, commissioner says
Gardaí will not tolerate motorway or port blockades during EU Presidency, commissioner says
Commissioner says extensive planning, new equipment and international cooperation will underpin security during Ireland's six-month EU Presidency

Tue, 30 Jun, 2026

Russia Orthodox Easter
Dorcha Lee: The end of peace in Europe has completely exposed our depleted Defence Forces
Sticking with neutrality means robustly defending our neutrality, writes Dorcha Lee

Tue, 30 Jun, 2026

Defence Forces Tribunal: Soldier breaks down as he recounts last words of apprentice before his death
Defence Forces Tribunal: Soldier breaks down as he recounts last words of apprentice before his death
Soldier told tribunal teenage army recruit, who allegedly had been subjected to prolonged humiliation by officer, asked him: 'How can 52 lads be so wrong and one man be so right?'

Fri, 26 Jun, 2026

Great grandson of a hero from the siege of Jadotville among navy's new officer graduates
Great grandson of a hero from the siege of Jadotville among navy's new officer graduates
The siege of Jadotville saw around 155 Irish soldiers on a UN mission hold out for days against somewhere between 3,500 and 5,000 of the enemy in the Congo in 1961

Thu, 25 Jun, 2026

‘I walked into hell’: Recruit tells Defence Forces Tribunal of being ‘tortured, not trained’
‘I walked into hell’: Recruit tells Defence Forces Tribunal of being ‘tortured, not trained’
The Defence Forces Tribunal could lead to a Garda investigation into historic child abuse, it has emerged.

Thu, 25 Jun, 2026

Government 'in lockstep' over removal of triple lock, despite backlash from Fianna Fáil TDs
Government 'in lockstep' over removal of triple lock, despite backlash from Fianna Fáil TDs
Defence minister Helen McEntee dismissed suggestions unhappiness among some TDs in Fianna Fáil would delay the plan

Wed, 24 Jun, 2026

Officer allowed to 'run amok' by superiors, Defence Forces Tribunal hears
Officer allowed to 'run amok' by superiors, Defence Forces Tribunal hears
Officer’s behaviour was put down to his 'overenthusiasm' and 'lack of experience' in training recruits

Wed, 24 Jun, 2026

Defence Forces Tribunal hears about officer's 'out-of-the-world, excessive' abuse of recruits
Defence Forces Tribunal hears about officer's 'out-of-the-world, excessive' abuse of recruits
The tribunal was also told of an apprentice being subjected to 'a lot of petty bullshit' and 'really personalised abuse' two days before he killed himself

Tue, 23 Jun, 2026

Cork fundraiser will honour Siege of Jadotville soldiers
Cork fundraiser will honour Siege of Jadotville soldiers
'Jadotville Remembered' aims to commemorate the bravery and sacrifice of Irish soldiers who served in the Congo in the 1960s

Mon, 22 Jun, 2026

Government report warns of growing concern over far-right extremism in Ireland
Government report warns of growing concern over far-right extremism in Ireland
National assessment highlights concerns over foreign influence, online radicalisation and extremist fundraising activities

Sat, 20 Jun, 2026

Apprentices were 'treated like dirt' by officer, Defence Forces Tribunal told
Apprentices were 'treated like dirt' by officer, Defence Forces Tribunal told
Apprentice who ended his life over 35 years ago was allegedly repeatedly humiliated and berated in front of other apprentices by the officer

Fri, 19 Jun, 2026

Study finds Irish veterans face untreated PTSD, poverty and homelessness
Study finds Irish veterans face untreated PTSD, poverty and homelessness
Research calls for stronger State support, legal recognition and improved services for former military personnel

Fri, 19 Jun, 2026

Army apprentices warned 'someone is going to have to die' due to alleged abuse by officer
Army apprentices warned 'someone is going to have to die' due to alleged abuse by officer
Army apprentices who claim to have been physically and mentally by an officer warned “someone is going to have to die” for the abuse to stop just months before one of them ended their life, the Defence Forces Tribunal has heard.

Fri, 19 Jun, 2026

Gardaí investigate after suspected pipe bomb discovered in west Cork
Gardaí investigate after suspected pipe bomb discovered in west Cork
Residents were evacuated while Defence Forces specialists removed and secured the suspicious device for examination

Fri, 19 Jun, 2026

Former army apprentice tells tribunal he was forced to eat cigarette butts by officer
Former army apprentice tells tribunal he was forced to eat cigarette butts by officer
Witness alleges sustained bullying and intimidation as tribunal examines Defence Forces complaints culture and accountability

Thu, 18 Jun, 2026

Defence Forces Tribunal: Soldiers prescribed anti-malarial drug despite mental health history
Defence Forces Tribunal: Soldiers prescribed anti-malarial drug despite mental health history
Former soldier Alan Byrne told the tribunal of experiencing 'anxiety, mostly nightmares' and suicidal ideation after being prescribed the drug Lariam when deployed to Chad for four months in 2010

Tue, 16 Jun, 2026

Military co-operation with Britain critical to protecting maritime infrastructure, ambassador says
Military co-operation with Britain critical to protecting maritime infrastructure, ambassador says
Royal Navy frigate visit highlights growing security focus on undersea infrastructure, drones and Russian naval activity

Sat, 13 Jun, 2026

Soldier tells Defence Forces Tribunal: 'There will always be a fear of coming forward'
Soldier tells Defence Forces Tribunal: 'There will always be a fear of coming forward'
The man said he was only speaking to the tribunal because 'if more people speak up about any sort of bullying, then the job would be a better place'

Fri, 12 Jun, 2026

Military police investigate alleged assault aboard Naval Service vessel
Military police investigate alleged assault aboard Naval Service vessel
Incident involving two NCOs aboard a Naval Service vessel is being investigated by Defence Forces Military Police

Fri, 12 Jun, 2026

Our navy's work in the Mediterranean shows importance of triple lock
Our navy's work in the Mediterranean shows importance of triple lock
Ireland has gone from saving thousands of lives at sea, to participating in missions that aid human rights violations, to new laws that will permit troop deployment to hostile military missions

Fri, 12 Jun, 2026

Naval Service hopes to have powers to board Russian 'shadow fleet' before EU presidency begins
Naval Service hopes to have powers to board Russian 'shadow fleet' before EU presidency begins
The proposals contain a broad power to board a 'foreign ship' in Ireland’s territorial waters where their presence is considered 'prejudicial' to the country’s security

Thu, 11 Jun, 2026

Defence Forces medical director: 'I cannot accept there is a culture of fear'
Defence Forces medical director: 'I cannot accept there is a culture of fear'
It was put to Colonel Anthony Corcoran at Defence Forces Tribunal that few of the more than 200 ex-personnel suing the State over the use of Lariam while they served overseas had 'invoked the formal complaints process'

Thu, 11 Jun, 2026

Irish Army pilots join first EU-wide drone warfare training exercise in Latvia
Irish Army pilots join first EU-wide drone warfare training exercise in Latvia
Defence Forces personnel joined colleagues from 14 EU states in advanced drone warfare and interception training

Thu, 11 Jun, 2026

Irish Cabinet meeting
Minister grilled over 'very sinister' change to Industrial Development Bill
People Before Profit’s Richard Boyd Barrett queried the removal of a requirement for State agencies to have Government approval to engage in or promote any activity of a primarily military relevance

Wed, 10 Jun, 2026

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