'Fear is always there' for Irish peacekeepers stationed in Lebanon
Tánaiste Micheál Martin inspecting the troops as he meets members of the 124th Infantry Battalion at Camp Shamrock in Debel during a visit to Lebanon on Sunday. Picture: Niall Carson/PA
A low frequency rumble echoed across the valley as a suspected rocket was fired towards Israel, close to Irish peacekeepers manning a United Nations Interim Force Lebanon camp on Sunday.
Active warfare, with suspected shells, gun, or artillery fire forced Irish peacekeepers who arrived at the camp in recent days to retreat to bunkers within hours.
Those handing over duty — as the 123rd Infantry Battalion hand over to 332 Irish peacekeepers in the 124th Infantry Battalion this month — have become used to the regular descents underground to escape potential missiles.
“The fear is always there,” Togher-native Chief Petty Officer Ciaran Burns, who is due to leave after serving six months, said.
“When I came out I was very nervous. I was saying to my wife, give me a force 10 out at sea any day. But it’s been an eye opener. It’s something I always wanted to do,” officer Burns, who is with the navy but joined the army for nine months, said.
“In the early days it was really frightening, but now it’s part of the day to day life. I know I’m safe enough here.”
Lieutenant-Colonel Stephen Mac Eoin said that Irish troops have experienced “quite an amount” of shelling, air strikes, machine gun fire, mortars, and various munitions.
The violence has caused “a lot of damage and death in the local surrounding area” Lt-Col Mc Eoin, commanding officer of the 123rd Infantry Battalion, said.
The firing has come within 100m of one Irish platoon and within 200m of other Irish peacekeepers, but troops have been trained for this, he said.
“Way back when we did our pre-deployment training…the army engineers actually created battle simulation where they make loud explosive noises and we call this process battle inoculation.
“It is to get the first time soldiers used to the noise of gunfire and to the noise of shells, so that they will react and follow their drills when it happens for real.”
The commanding officer of the 124th Infantry Battalion, Lieutenant-Colonel Tom Fox, said that he does not foresee a dramatic change in the environment in the next two to three months.
“I deployed here on May 6 with the advanced party and we were straight away into the bunkers.
“In that 10-hour period when we arrived we were in the bunkers three times.
"Force protection is always to the fore for the Irish battalion and the safety and welfare of our troops, but it doesn’t stop us from doing our job.
Some 391 Irish peacekeepers welcomed Tánaiste and Minister for Defence Micheál Martin to Camp Shamrock in southern Lebanon on Sunday.
It was the Tánaiste’s first visit to Lebanon and Camp Shamrock since January 2023 — a few weeks after the murder of Private Seán Rooney in December 2022.
On Monday, the Tánaiste will meet with Lebanese minister for defence Maurice Sleem and Lebanese minister of foreign affairs Abdallah Bou Habib to push the for progress on Pte Rooney’s murder case — which is next due a hearing on June 7.
Ireland is determined to see justice in the trial of those accused in the killing of Pte Rooney, but has concerns over the release on bail of a suspect and the pace of the trial.
Despite escalating tensions in the region, Mr Martin said that the Government never considered pulling troops out of Lebanon.
“You just don't overnight pull out of a peace operation.
“We saw where that happened in previous conflicts in the past in different parts of the world with horrendous consequences.
“That's why we're bringing in an extra platoon, 33 additional members to add to the force protection of what we're doing here.”
Regional escalation has been a “great fear” since the Hamas attack on Israel on October 7, Mr Martin said.
However, although there had been a significant increase in hostility in the area, it was not yet at the level of war, he said.
“It has resulted in up to 70,000 to 80,000 people having to leave this area, and likewise up to 90,000 people on the Israeli side of the border having to be evacuated.
“The situation is very tense and very difficult, and it is connected obviously to the war on Gaza.
"The war on Gaza is absolutely unacceptable and the bombardment of the Palestinians within Gaza must stop.
“Ultimately, this region will only ever achieve peace if people from different backgrounds who live close to each other learn to live in harmony alongside each other.
“However, being realistic, Lebanon needs to stabilize itself. It needs to form a government. It's been without a government now for two years.
“The formation of a government and the implementation of reforms in Lebanon would create opportunities in terms of IMF funding, EU funding. All of which would create a more stable polity here in Lebanon," Mr Martin added.
