It’s never too late for justice to be done

THE apology issued by the Minister for Defence and by the Chief of Staff for the failures that resulted in the deaths of three Irish soldiers in Lebanon in March 1989 is to be welcomed.

While it comes 22 years later, the issues involved are indicative of a history of denial and cover-up involving some Irish army authorities.

The Niemba Ambush in 1960 should never have happened. This incident did lead to a positive decision that all future Irish peacekeeping units would include an armoured car supporting unit. However, this decision led to another inexcusable mistake. The Ford armoured cars sent to the Congo in 1961 were not armoured cars at all, but converted trucks fitted with boilerplate cladding that was not bullet proof. Tests carried out in the Curragh showed that this boilerplate could be penetrated by normal rifle ammunition, and was vulnerable to armoured piercing ammunition and heavy machine guns.

Mistakes will always be made under pressure of military active service. Denial and covering up of mistakes will lead to similar mistakes being needlessly repeated.

That is why even the delayed acknowledgement by Minister Alan Shatter and Lt General McCann that mistakes were made in Lebanon is important.

It is also vital that other mistakes made by army officers in the Congo and elsewhere be more fully investigated and acknowledged, and where appropriate some justice and restitution achieved.

A good example of retrospective justice being achieved was the case of Supt William Geary, wrongfully dismissed from the gardaí in 1928, and eventually exonerated in 1999 when he was 100. In such cases justice delayed may still have scope for some justice being achieved.

Edward Horgan

Commandant (retired),

Newtown

Castletroy, Limerick