The Irish Defence Forces since 1922

Born in the Civil War of 1922–23, the army of the Republic of Ireland occupied a sensitive place in the national culture for many years.

In World War II, it faced the challenge of maintaining Ireland's integrity as a neutral. Post-war, it found a new role in 1960, providing troops for the United Nations intervention in the war-torn Congo; and since then has supported UN missions in the Middle East and elsewhere. More recently the border with troubled Ulster obliged the Republic to invest in reform and modernisation.

Ireland's freedom to seek examples and equipment worldwide has created an interesting progression of uniforms, illustrated in this study of Ireland's forces over 80 years.

Table of Contents

Formation of Free State national army

Civil War 1922-23

The diminished force of the 1930s

The political background to the volunteer Territorial Force

The Treaty Ports & Forts handed back in 1938

World War II: the difficulties of neutrality - the Emergency Army & Local Defence Force - the eight invasion scares

Post-war reorganisation

Peace-keeping missions

Border security & counter-terrorism since 1968

The controversial EU commitment