Shifting sands for troops overseas

The money may be good and the suntan is free and you could probably fry an egg on the stones there — but this Irish soldier is not in an iconic 1980s TV ad for beer.

He’s been caught up in a sandstorm while on patrol in a strife-ridden part of the Sahara Desert.

The photograph of Captain John Daly from Tower, Co Cork, was posted yesterday by the Irish Defence Forces in a bid to highlight the challenges facing our troops overseas.

Cpt Daly is pictured patrolling in rural Western Sahara — a disputed territory in the Maghreb area of North Africa.

“Irish overseas deployments are never safe or easy. We go to these areas because they are dangerous, because the work is hard and because peace is a challenge we are willing to accept,” the Defence Forces told Facebook followers.

“This territory has been the subject of violence, demonstrations and a four-decade long political stalemate.”

So as you settle down with your pint of plain to watch the World Cup or the golf today, spare a thought for the Irish troops who are serving abroad.

“This is just one of the 16 mission areas that 491 Irish Defence Forces personnel find themselves deployed in this weekend,” the post said.