#Defence Forces

A COMPREHENSIVE SERIES OF ARTICLES ON THIS TOPIC

GAVIN TOBIN
'We have to identify if there is a pattern' in 130 Air Corps deaths to do with toxic chemicals, minister says
'It's very clear Air Corps personnel were exposed to unsafe working conditions, exposed to dangerous chemicals, and there does seem to be a very strong correlation to very serious illness and bad health outcomes.'

Thu, 07 May, 2026

Review of the 125th Infantry Battalion
Ireland must retain triple lock to protect peacekeeping role, says former PDForra chief
Gerry Rooney argues Ireland’s long‑standing peacekeeping role is rooted in active neutrality and the safeguards provided by the triple lock

Sun, 03 May, 2026

Protest at Whitegate refinery in Cork officially stood down; Cabinet to meet on Sunday
Gardaí to change approach to protests in wake of Whitegate fuel blockade
'I think we would see a far different approach if we had [a blockade] this weekend' – Garda Commissioner Justin Kelly

Thu, 30 Apr, 2026

'One of life's true gentlemen': Tributes paid after death of Defence Forces sergeant
'One of life's true gentlemen': Tributes paid after death of Defence Forces sergeant
'Sgt Bobby Rooney's tragic death will be felt by the entire Defence Forces family'

Mon, 27 Apr, 2026

128th Infantry Battalion UNIFIL Mission Readiness Exercise (MRE)
Ireland 'languishing' at bottom of EU defence spending table as budget stuck at 0.2% of GDP
Based on provisional economic data for last year, the Department of Defence said provisional estimates show that defence expenditure was 0.2% of GDP and 0.3% of GNP.

Mon, 27 Apr, 2026

Oversight judge calls for modern powers to combat changing threats to Ireland's security
Oversight judge calls for modern powers to combat changing threats to Ireland's security
Security Correspondent Cormac O’Keeffe looks at the first report of the new Independent Examiner for Security Legislation

Thu, 23 Apr, 2026

EU data law is restricting criminal investigations, says oversight judge 
EU data law is restricting criminal investigations, says oversight judge 
Judge George Birmingham said the current situation is 'less than satisfactory'

Thu, 23 Apr, 2026

Shoulder patch of a soldier from the Irish Army on camouflaged uniform.
Gardaí launch inquiry as Defence Forces officer accused of attacking woman with bottle at party
The man has been placed on special leave 'on a without-prejudice basis'

Wed, 22 Apr, 2026

Defence Forces places officer on leave after woman alleges he hit her with bottle 
Defence Forces places officer on leave after woman alleges he hit her with bottle 
The man involved in the incident is alleged to have hit the female air corps member with a wine bottle and was going to hit her again when he was overpowered

Tue, 21 Apr, 2026

Family 'blown away' by response to raise funds for Cork naval officer left in hospital after accident
Family 'blown away' by response to raise funds for Cork naval officer left in hospital after accident
Donal ‘Donie’ Goulding has himself raised funds for a Cork hospice as well as several hospital children’s wards

Wed, 15 Apr, 2026

LIVE: Harris signals 'substantial' business supports; Talks set to resume on Saturday
LIVE: Harris signals 'substantial' business supports; Talks set to resume on Saturday
Mr Harris defended the Government decision not to meet the protesters, as he urged those at the blockades to “step back from the brink”

Fri, 10 Apr, 2026

Fuel protests: Minister says Government not meeting protesters; Cork forecourts 'badly hit'
Fuel protests: Minister says Government not meeting protesters; Cork forecourts 'badly hit'
As it happened: The protests are set to continue into Friday as Fuels for Ireland said around 100 forecourts were dry on Thursday

Thu, 09 Apr, 2026

Fuel protesters warned licences and insurance could be affected, minister says
Fuel protesters warned licences and insurance could be affected, minister says
Justice minister warns legal consequences may extend beyond fines as protests escalate and critical infrastructure remains blocked

Thu, 09 Apr, 2026

Dorcha Lee: Security will be the big challenge for Ireland's EU presidency
Dorcha Lee: Security will be the big challenge for Ireland's EU presidency
New radar would allow our Defence Forces to watch in real time as our subsea cables are ripped up — they still have no capacity to intervene

Thu, 09 Apr, 2026

Tanaiste Micheal Martin visit to Lebanon
Our leaders must show courage in commitment to peace by keeping the triple lock
We urge the government to use this moment of heightened conflict to retain the triple lock and speak out against obvious breaches of international law and efforts to undermine the UN

Wed, 08 Apr, 2026

The reality behind Ireland’s anti-submarine warfare plans
The reality behind Ireland’s anti-submarine warfare plans
Advanced surveillance is a 24/7 operation, writes retired navy commander Tony Geraghty

Mon, 06 Apr, 2026

Cormac O'Keefe: Ireland's navy strives to step up maritime security amid wave of reports
Cormac O'Keefe: Ireland's navy strives to step up maritime security amid wave of reports
The Irish Examiner's Security Correspondent learned more about the challenges facing Ireland's naval service when he visited the Haulbowline naval base in Cork Harbour

Mon, 06 Apr, 2026

Behind the scenes at Cork's Naval Service Diving Station in Haulbowline
Behind the scenes at Cork's Naval Service Diving Station in Haulbowline
Irish Examiner security correspondent Cormac O'Keeffe and photographer Chani Anderson visited the Naval Service Diving Section to see the work they do, and learn of their ambitions for the future

Mon, 06 Apr, 2026

Tripling of naval service diving unit among reforms to boost Ireland's maritime security
Tripling of naval service diving unit among reforms to boost Ireland's maritime security
Naval service's role in maritime security is set to expand as the Defence Forces refocuses towards defence of the State and maritime security

Sun, 05 Apr, 2026

Meet the man tasked with getting to grips with Ireland’s maritime security
Meet the man tasked with getting to grips with Ireland’s maritime security
Robert McCabe, who is leading the new maritime security research project at the NMCI, says events in the Middle East and closer to home underline the international importance of that work

Mon, 30 Mar, 2026

Critical marine infrastructure needs to be strengthened as 'no one can predict what's going to happen'
Critical marine infrastructure needs to be strengthened as 'no one can predict what's going to happen'
Robert McCabe was appointed by the Departments of Defence and Communications at the beginning of March to examine Ireland’s critical maritime infrastructure, with his contract stating it was 'a major national security priority'

Sun, 29 Mar, 2026

Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment Peter Burke TD
Government to scrap approval requirements  for working with companies involved in defence 
Governments across Europe have committed to increasing spending on defence, and the changes will create more opportunities for Irish SMEs

Tue, 24 Mar, 2026

Defence Forces must pay deserving cadets their true worth
Defence Forces must pay deserving cadets their true worth
Cadets are paid far lower than the enlisted soldiers they work beside for the first five years — this anomaly would be indefensible in any other profession, writes Conor King

Wed, 18 Mar, 2026

close-up low angle view of steel framework of high voltage tower pole
Hybrid attack on Ireland's critical infrastructure 'could cause social collapse within 48 hours'
Defence Forces experts said it was “likely” that adversaries have already conducted an intelligence operation identifying vulnerabilities in Ireland’s electricity grid and other critical sectors

Mon, 16 Mar, 2026

Report into premature deaths of air corps personnel to be given to defence minister in two weeks
Report into premature deaths of air corps personnel to be given to defence minister in two weeks
Report to contain information on mortality rates of serving or former members of the air corps due to exposure to toxic chemicals

Fri, 13 Mar, 2026

Drugs seizure on cargo ship
New law would permit Irish Defence Forces board vessels 200 nautical miles from coast
The plan is to extend control far beyond Ireland’s territorial waters — within 12 nautical miles of the coast — to cover all of its Exclusive Economic Zone

Wed, 11 Mar, 2026

GAVIN TOBIN
Promises, warnings, and 115 deaths: The air corps toxic chemicals controversy
Despite repeated warnings, rising litigation and more than 100 suspected premature deaths, air corps survivors say they are still fighting for answers and support almost a decade after the then taoiseach promised action, writes Neil Michael

Mon, 09 Mar, 2026

1/4/2018. 1916 Easter Rising Commemorations
Exposure to toxic chemicals in the air corps: 'I hate that my life feels over at 53'
Years of exposure to toxic chemicals while serving in the air corps have left Mick Murphy practically bed-ridden

Mon, 09 Mar, 2026

GAVIN TOBIN
Former Air Corps member's long court battle for 13,500 documents on chemicals he was exposed to
'I do remember one pair of communal goggles, one communal apron, and one pair of communal gloves in engine repair flight. But the goggles and apron were so dirty you would get contaminated just putting them on.'

Mon, 09 Mar, 2026

Soldier who blew whistle on bullying left to man phone that never rings
Government plan to abolish Triple Lock not a 'done deal' opponents claim
The Government's plan to abolish Ireland's  Triple Lock is not a “done deal” and can be stopped, according to speakers at a webinar organised by the campaigning platform Uplift.

Thu, 05 Mar, 2026

Construction starts for Army Special Forces HQ
Construction starts for Army Special Forces HQ
Government has signed a contract worth almost €18m for construction of the first stage of a modern facility for elite armed intervention unit

Wed, 04 Mar, 2026

Priest stabbed in Galway
Defence Force's chaplain stabbed in knife attack urges parents to monitor children's online activity
A 16-year-old boy, a convert to Islam, carried out a sustained attack on Fr Murphy using an eight-inch serrated hunting knife

Wed, 04 Mar, 2026

Distinguished Service Medal presentation
Soldiers honoured for role in tackling terror attack at barracks
Defence Forces' chaplain stabbed during incident at Renmore Barracks in Galway in August 2024 - but situation could have been much worse

Tue, 03 Mar, 2026

Alan Kearney: Ireland's navy needs backing, not bureaucracy 
Alan Kearney: Ireland's navy needs backing, not bureaucracy 
The new maritime security strategy shows ambition but more commitment is needed before this framework can be seen as much more than political posturing

Mon, 02 Mar, 2026

Government warns 20,000 Irish citizens in Middle East against perilous land escape routes
Government warns 20,000 Irish citizens in Middle East against perilous land escape routes
Airports in the UAE are closed, and air traffic is heavily restricted across much of the region, although airports in Oman and Saudi Arabia remain open

Sun, 01 Mar, 2026

Up to 20,000 Irish citizens in Middle East as Defence Forces monitor worsening crisis
Up to 20,000 Irish citizens in Middle East as Defence Forces monitor worsening crisis
Concerns are focused on the possibility of military action by the Iranian-backed Hezbollah militia against Israel, which is sure to result in devastating Israeli response, potentially putting Unifil troops at risk

Sun, 01 Mar, 2026

Government monitoring risks to Irish troops amid Middle East escalation
Government monitoring risks to Irish troops amid Middle East escalation
Ministers monitor risks to Irish peacekeepers and citizens as fears grow of wider Middle East escalation

Sat, 28 Feb, 2026

GAVIN TOBIN
Defence Forces to probe air purifier service history after safety concerns raised
Whistleblower raised concerns with Air Corps about an air purifier whose manufacturer described it as 'long obsolete'

Sat, 28 Feb, 2026

Public health expert calls for probe into 400 Air Corps deaths
Public health expert calls for probe into 400 Air Corps deaths
Professor Anthony Staines says premature death rates among Air Corps personnel appear unusually high and warrant a formal occupational health study

Thu, 26 Feb, 2026

Minister adds to confusion on timeline for counter-drone defences
Minister adds to confusion on timeline for counter-drone defences
Defence minister Helen McEntee also said her department is exploring options around French or British military using force in Irish waters during Ireland's EU presidency

Thu, 26 Feb, 2026

Private Sean Rooney inquest
Preliminary inquest hearing into soldier Seán Rooney's Lebanon death held partly in private
Discussed matters which the Defence Forces claim are 'extremely sensitive' security issues

Thu, 26 Feb, 2026

Maritime security strategy aims to restore sight to Ireland's 'seablindness'
Maritime security strategy aims to restore sight to Ireland's 'seablindness'
Focus and ambition of Ireland's first ever national maritime security strategy praised, but concerns over lack of detail on international cooperation, actual implementation and capacity and capabilities of the Defence Forces

Thu, 26 Feb, 2026

'Urgent' legislation proposed to allow Defence Forces to board Russian shadow vessels
'Urgent' legislation proposed to allow Defence Forces to board Russian shadow vessels
Defence strategy to focus on more cooperation with Britain and France

Wed, 25 Feb, 2026

Ireland stock
Government plans to speed up major infrastructure projects
Public expenditure minister Jack Chambers will tell Cabinet ministers on Tuesday that pre-planning processes are taking as long as four years to complete

Tue, 24 Feb, 2026

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Mick Clifford
Mick Clifford

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