| Irish Army | |
|---|---|
| An tArm (Irish) | |
 | |
| Active | 1922–present |
| Country |  Ireland |
| Type | Army |
| Role | Land warfare Peacekeeping |
| Size | 6,322 active personnel(Establishment: 7,520) (Apr 2023)[1] 1,382Reserve(Establishment: 3,869) (Apr 2023)[1] |
| Part of | Defence Forces (Irish: Óglaigh na hÉireann) |
| Engagements | see list of wars |
| Website | Defence Forces – Army |
| Commanders | |
| GOC1 Brigade | Brigadier General Caimin Keogh[2] |
| GOC2 Brigade | Brigadier General Stephen Ryan[3] |
| GOCDFTC | Brigadier General Brendan McGuinness[4] |
| Insignia | |
| Flag |  |
TheIrish Army (Irish:an tArm) is the land component of theDefence Forces ofIreland.[5] As well as maintaining its primary roles of defending the State and internal security within the State, since 1958 the Army has had a continuous presence inpeacekeeping missions around the world. The Irish Army is organised into two brigades.[6][7] TheAir Corps andNaval Service support the Army in carrying out its roles.
The Army has an active establishment of 7,520, and a reserve establishment of 3,869. Like other components of the Defence Forces, the Irish Army has struggled to maintain strength and as of April 2023[update] had only 6,322 active personnel,[1] and 1,382 reserve personnel. However, the Irish government introduced several measures in an attempt to improve recruitment and retention,[citation needed] and in 2024 inductions to the Defence Forces exceeded discharges.[8]
The roles of the Army are;
The Defence Forces, including the Army, trace their origins to theIrish Republican Army (IRA), theguerrilla organisation that fought British government forces during theIrish War of Independence. In February 1922, theProvisional Government began to recruit volunteers into the newNational Army.
The Provisional Government was set up on 16 January 1922 to assume power in the newIrish Free State. On 31 January 1922, a former IRA unit (theDublin Guard) assumed its new role as the first unit of the new National Army and took overBeggars Bush Barracks, the first British barracks to be handed to the new Irish Free State. The National Army's first Commander-in-Chief,Michael Collins, envisaged the new Army being built around the pre-existing IRA, but over half of this organisation rejected the compromises required[citation needed] by theAnglo-Irish Treaty which established the Irish Free State, and favoured upholding the revolutionaryIrish Republic which had been established in 1919.
As such, from January 1922 until late June and the outbreak of theIrish Civil War, there existed two antagonistic armed forces: the National Army, built from a nucleus of pro-Treaty IRA units, and armed and paid by the Provisional Government; and theanti-Treaty IRA who refused to accept the legitimacy of the new state. Both forces continued to use theIrish-language titleÓglaigh na hÉireann, which had previously been used by both the original IRA and its predecessor, theIrish Volunteers of the mid-1910s. In July 1922,Dáil Éireann authorised raising a force of 35,000 men; by May 1923 this had grown to 58,000. The National Army lacked the expertise necessary to train a force of that size, such that approximately one-fifth of its officers and half of its soldiers wereIrish ex-servicemen of theBritish Army, who brought considerable experience to it.[9]
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Thepro-Treaty Sinn Féin party had won anelection on 16 June 1922.Anti-Treaty IRA units, who had occupied theFour Courts inDublin, had kidnappedJJ O'Connell, a lieutenant-general in the National Army. TheProvisional Government was facing increasing British threats of direct intervention. They acted to assert control over the situation and The Irish Civil War broke out on 28 June 1922 with the shelling of the Four Courts byFree State forces.
In the early weeks of the Civil War, the newly formed National Army was mainly composed of pro-Treaty IRA units, especially theDublin Guard, whose members had personal ties toMichael Collins. Its size was estimated at 7,000 men, in contrast to about 15,000 anti-Treaty IRA men. However, the Free State soon recruited far more troops, with the army's size mushrooming to 55,000 men and 3,500 officers by the end of the Civil War in May 1923. Many of its recruits were war-hardened Irishmen who had served in the British Armyduring the First World War.W. R. E. Murphy, a second-in-command of the National Army in the civil war (from January until May 1923), had been a lieutenant colonel in the British Army, as hadEmmet Dalton. Indeed, the Free State recruited experienced soldiers from wherever it could; two more of its senior generals,John T. Prout andJJ "Ginger" O'Connell, had served in theUnited States Army.
The British government had supplied the National Army with small arms and ammunition as they departed from Ireland as well as a few armoured cars. They later supplied artillery which enabled it to bring the Civil War to a relatively speedy conclusion. The Four Courts and O'Connell Street were taken from anti-Treaty IRA units during theBattle of Dublin in July 1922. The anti-Treaty IRA were also dislodged fromLimerick andWaterford in that month andCork andCounty Kerry were secured ina decisive seaborne offensive in August.
The remainder of the war was aguerrilla war, concentrated particularly in the south and west of the country. On 15 October, directives were sent to the press byPiaras Béaslaí, the Free State director of communications, to the effect that Free State troops were to be referred to as the "National Army", the "Irish Army", or just "troops". The Anti-Treaty troops were to be called "Irregulars" and were not to be referred to as "Republicans", "IRA", "forces", or "troops", nor were the ranks of their officers allowed to be given.[10] National Army units, especially the Dublin Guard, were implicated ina series of atrocities against captured anti-Treaty fighters.
The National Army suffered about 800 fatalities in the Civil War, including its commander-in-chief, Michael Collins. Collins was succeeded byRichard Mulcahy.
In April 1923, the anti-Treaty IRA called a ceasefire, and in May it ordered its fighters to "dump arms", effectively ending the war.
With the end of the Civil War,the National Army had grown too big for a peacetime role and was too expensive for the new Irish state to maintain. In addition, many of the civil war recruits were badly trained and undisciplined, making them unsuitable material for a full-time professional army. TheSpecial Infantry Corps was established to perform the army's first post-war duty,breaking thestrikes of agricultural labourers in Munster and south Leinster, as well as reversing factory seizures bysocialists.[11]
Richard Mulcahy, the new Irishdefence minister, proposed to reduce the army from 55,000 to 18,000 men in the immediate post-Civil War period.[12] This provoked anArmy Mutiny in 1923–24, particularly among former IRA officers who considered that former British Army officers were being treated better than they were.[13]
On 3 August 1923, the new State passed the Defence Forces (Temporary Provisions) Act, putting the existing armed forces on a legal footing.[14] This Act raised "an armed force to be called Óglaigh na hÉireann (hereinafter referred to as the Forces) consisting of such number of officers, non-commissioned officers, and men as may from time to time be provided by theOireachtas."[15][16][17] The date of the establishment of the Defence Forces was 1 October 1924.[16] The term "National Army" fell into disuse.
The Army had a new establishment, organisation, rank markings, headdress and orders of dress.[17][18] The National Army's Air Service became theAir Corps and remained part of the Army until the 1990s. An all-Irish language-speaking unit was created –An Chéad Chathlán Coisithe (English: The First Infantry Battalion) was established in Galway, and functioned exclusively through the medium of the Irish state's first official language.[19]
Ireland remained neutral during theSecond World War, which was referred to as "The Emergency" by the Irish government. About 5,000 soldiers deserted and joined the British military. Those who returned in 1945 were summarily dismissed from the armed forces and disqualified from any form of state-funded employment for seven years.[20] These soldiers received an official amnesty and apology from the government of Ireland on 7 May 2013.[21]
Despite the Irish stance of neutrality, the Army was greatly expanded during the war (with more recruited toreserve forces). At its peak, the army was made up of almost 41,000 personnel, with another 106,000 reservists.[22] Upon the outbreak of war two independentbrigades were raised. During the so-calledPhoney War period, numbers of men mobilised decreased. TheFall of France, however, saw a significant change in the government's attitude, and by early 1941 seven brigades were mobilised. On 9 May 1941,Minister for DefenceOscar Traynor approved the establishment of the1st Division and2nd Division, both of which encompassed six brigades, leaving the 5th Brigade to remain independent, as part of Curragh Command.[23][24] This expansion was undertaken in the face of potential invasions from either theAllied orAxis powers (both of whom had drawn up contingency plans to invadeIreland).[25]
In theChristmas Raid of 1939, the remnants of the IRA stole a large quantity of the Irish Army's reserve ammunition from its dump at theMagazine Fort in Dublin'sPhoenix Park. While this was seen as an embarrassment for the Irish Army, most of it was recovered.
For the duration of the war, Ireland, while formally neutral, tacitly supported the Allies in several ways. For example, theDonegal Corridor allowed British military aircraft based inCounty Fermanagh to fly through Irish airspace to the Atlantic, thereby greatly increasing their operational range.[26]G2, the Army's intelligence section, played a role in the detection and arrest of German spies, such asHermann Görtz.[27]
Since Ireland joined theUnited Nations in 1955, the Army has been deployed on manypeacekeeping missions. The first of these took place in 1958 when a small number of observers were sent toLebanon. A total of 86 Irish soldiers have died in the service of the United Nations since 1960 (seeList of Irish military casualties overseas).[28]
The first major overseas deployment came in 1960, when Irish troops were sent to theCongo as part of the UN forceONUC. TheBelgian Congo became an independent republic on 30 June 1960. Twelve days later, the Congolese government requested military assistance from the United Nations to maintain its territorial integrity. On 28 July 1960Lt-Col Murt Buckley led the 32nd Irish Battalion to the newly independent centralAfrican country. This was the most costly enterprise for the Army since the Civil War, as 26 Irish soldiers died.
Nine died in a single incident called the "Niemba Ambush", in which an eleven-man Irish patrol was ambushed by local tribesmen. Nine Irish soldiers and some 25 tribesmen were killed. A Niemba Ambush commemoration is hosted annually by the Irish Veterans Organisation(ONET) inCathal Brugha Barracks, on the nearest Saturday to the actual date of the ambush.
One of the largest ONUC engagements in which Irish troops were involved was theSiege of Jadotville. During this action, a small party of 155 Irish soldiers ("A" Company, 35th Battalion) was attacked by a larger force of almost 4,000Katangese troops, as well as French, Belgian and Rhodesian mercenaries, and supported by a trainer jet (aFouga CM.170 Magister), equipped for ground attack. The Irish soldiers repeatedly repelled the attackers, and knocked out enemy artillery and mortar positions using 60mm mortars.[29] An attempt was made by 500 Irish andSwedish Army soldiers to break through to the besieged company, but the attempt failed. A Company'scommanding officerCommandantPatrick Quinlan, eventually surrendered his forces. A small number of Irish soldiers were wounded, but none killed. It is estimated, however, that up to 300 of A Company's attackers were killed, including 30 white mercenaries, and that up to 1,000 were wounded.[29]
A total of 6,000 Irishmen served in the Congo from 1960 until 1964.
Starting in 1964, Irish troops have served as UN peacekeepers inCyprus (UNFICYP). Over 9,000 Irish personnel have served there to date, without suffering casualties.
In 1973, an infantry group and some logistical troops were pulled out of Cyprus at short notice to serve in theSinai desert betweenEgypt andIsrael as part of the UN force that supervised the ceasefire that ended theYom Kippur War.
From 1976 to 1981, UNFICYP was commanded by an Irish officer, Major-GeneralJames Quinn.
From 1978 to 2001, abattalion of Irish troops was deployed in southernLebanon, as part of the UN mandate forceUNIFIL. The Irish battalion consisted of 580 personnel which were rotated every six months, plus almost 100 others in UNIFIL headquarters and the Force Mobile Reserve. In all, 30,000 Irish soldiers served in Lebanon over 23 years.
The Irish troops in Lebanon were initially intended to supervise the withdrawal of theIsrael Defense Forces from the area after aninvasion in 1978 and to prevent fighting between thePalestine Liberation Organization forces andIsrael.
In April 1980, three Irish soldiers were killed in anepisode of violence near At Tiri in Southern Lebanon. On 16 April 1980, soldiers attempting to set up a checkpoint near At Tiri were attacked by members of theSouth Lebanon Army (an Israeli-backed Christian militia).[30] Private Stephen Griffin, of the 46th Irish Battalion, was shot in the head and died. Two days later, a party of three Irish soldiers, an American officer, a French officer and two journalists were travelling to a UN post near the Israeli border when they were intercepted by members of theS.L.A. Private John O'Mahony from Killarney, County Kerry was shot and wounded and his two comrades Privates Thomas Barrett from Cork and Derek Smallhorne from Dublin were driven away. Both men were found shot dead nearby, with their bodies showing signs of torture.[31][32]
AnotherIsraeli invasion in 1982 forced the PLO out of southern Lebanon and occupied the area. The following eighteen years until 2000 sawprolonged guerrilla warfare between Israeli forces, their allies in the South Lebanon Army andHezbollah. UNIFIL was caught in the middle of this conflict. The Irish battalion's role consisted of manning checkpoints and observations posts and mounting patrols. A total of 47 soldiers were killed. In addition to peacekeeping, the Irish provided humanitarian aid to the local population – for example, aiding the orphanage atTibnin. From 25 April 1995 to 9 May 1996, Brigadier General P. Redmond served as Deputy Force Commander of UNIFIL during a period that coincided with the IsraeliOperation Grapes of Wrath offensive in 1996.
Most Irish troops were withdrawn from Lebanon in 2001, following the Israeli evacuation of their forces the previous year. However, 11 Irish troops remained there as observers. They were present during the2006 Lebanon War. After this conflict, UNIFIL was reinforced and a mechanised infantry company of 165 Irish troops was deployed to southern Lebanon. Their role was to provide perimeter protection for aFinnish Army engineering unit. After 12 months, the 1st Finnish/Irish Battalion ceased operations and was stood down from duty after having completed its mandate with UNIFIL. A number of Irish personnel remained in service at UNIFIL HQ in Southern Lebanon.[33]
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Irish battalions returned to Lebanon in 2011 – initially with roughly 480 troops deployed in the region.[33] This was reduced to approximately 330 troops in May 2013,[34] and further to 180 troops in November 2013.[35][36] As of May 2016, there were 194 Irish soldiers deployed to UNIFIL serving alongside Finnish Armed Forces as part of a joint Battalion which is currently under Finnish command. Ireland takes over command of the Battalion from Finland in November 2016 at which time an additional Company of some 150 personnel will be deployed to UNIFIL bringing Ireland's contribution to this mission to 340 personnel.[37]
In November 2022, 333 Irish soldiers deployed to southern Lebanon as part of UNIFIL's 121st Infantry Battalion. On 14 December 2022, one Irish peacekeeper was killed and seven others were injured in a "serious incident" involving small arms fire in the Hezbollah controlled village of Al-Aqbieh.[38]
From August 1988 until May 1991, Irish soldiers were deployed under the UN forceUNIIMOG, on the border betweenIraq andIran to supervise the withdrawal of both sides' forces to within their respective borders after the end of theIran–Iraq War. The Irish provided 177 of the 400 UNIIMOG personnel involved with the mission. The mission came to an end in 1991, when Iran and Iraq completed the withdrawal of their troops. A small number of Irish observers were stationed inKuwait from 1991 to 2002 as part ofUNIKOM.[39]
In 1993, 100 troops forming a transport company were deployed inSomalia, as part of theUNOSOM II peace-enforcing mission. In December 2001, 221 Irish soldiers were sent toEritrea as part ofUNMEE, and were tasked with the defence of the UN headquarters there.
In 1997 anIrish Army Military Police unit and a company of transport corps troops were deployed toBosnia as part ofSFOR (1995–2005) andEUFOR (December 2005 to present). The MP company was based in SFOR HQ in Sarajevo and policed the 8,000 SFOR troops based in the area. From 1999 until 2010, a company of Irish troops was stationed inKosovo as part ofKFOR.
In July 1999, Irish officers were sent toEast Timor as part of theUNAMET observer group (Timorese Independence Referendum). In October, a platoon of Rangers (1 Ircon) from theArmy Ranger Wing (ARW) were sent as part of theINTERFET peacekeeping force after the Referendum.[40] The ARW platoon served in the reconnaissance company of the1st Battalion, Royal New Zealand Regiment (1 RNZIR) Battalion Group for a four-month tour. INTERFET handed over toUNTAET during ARW 2 Ircon's tour in 2000. The third contingent to East Timor (3 Ircon) in June 2000 marked a new departure for the Defence Forces, as all the infantry sections were drawn from the 2nd Infantry Battalion.[40] Late 2000 saw the 12th Infantry supply 4 Ircon. Nine contingents in total were deployed including 4 Infantry Battalion, 5 Infantry Battalion, 28 Infantry Battalion, 1 Cathlán Coisithe, and finally the 6 Infantry Battalion under UNMISET until May 2004.
After November 2003, Irish troops were stationed inLiberia as part ofUNMIL. The Liberian mission was the largest Irish overseas deployment since Lebanon and consisted of a single composite battalion. The UN force, UNMIL, was 15,000 strong and was charged with stabilising the country after theSecond Liberian Civil War. The Irish troops were based in Camp Clara, nearMonrovia and were tasked with acting as the Force Commander's "Quick Reaction Force" (QRF) in the Monrovia area. This meant the securing of key locations, conducting searches for illegally held weapons, patrolling and manning checkpoints on the main roads and providing security to civilians under threat of violence. The Irish deployment to Liberia was due to end in November 2006. However, at that time the deployment was extended for a further 6 months to May 2007.[41] During the UNMIL deployment, a detachment ofIrish Army Rangers successfully rescued a group of civilians being held hostage by renegade Liberian gunmen. Acting on intelligence, twenty heavily armed Rangers were dropped by helicopter, freeing the hostages and capturing the rebel leader.[42] In all the following battalions were involved in 2,745 cumulative missions under UNMIL:[43]
In August 2007, theIrish government announced that 200 Irish soldiers would be sent to support theUnited Nations effort as part ofEUFOR Chad/CAR. As of 2008 500 troops had been deployed[44] – 54 of whom wereIrish Army Rangers. In announcing the mission, theMinister for Defence recognised the regional nature of the crisis, involving instability inDarfur,Chad and theCentral African Republic.[45] In accordance with their terms of reference, the deployment of Irish forces was confined to Chad. Ireland contributed the second largest contingent of soldiers toEUFOR Chad/CAR, afterFrance, as part of the mission to establish peace in Chad and to protect refugees from neighbouring Darfur.[46][47] The Irish soldiers conducted operations concerned with the delivery of humanitarian aid, protection of civilians, and ensuring the safety of UN personnel.[48] There were a number of deployments to the mission, rotating every four months, with the final contingent completing their tour in May 2010:[49]
In 2013 the United Nations asked Ireland to send peacekeepers as part of theUnited Nations Disengagement Observer Force (UNDOF) in the Golan region of Syria, to try to contain theSyrian civil war from spreading into Israel. The 43 Infantry Group, consisting of 115 personnel, deployed into Syria in September 2013. The group is tasked primarily to serve as the Force Mobile Reserve within the UNDOF Area of Responsibility.[51] The Irish peacekeepers were attacked by Syrian rebels on 29 November 2013. The Irish convoy came under small arms fire and a Mowag APC later struck a land mine, damaging the vehicle, when driving out of the attack. The Irish returned fire with 12.7mm (.50 calibre) heavy machine guns mounted on their vehicles before the rebels retreated.[52]
The Irish were involved in a combat mission in August 2014 after 44Fijian UN troops were captured by the rebelAl Nusra organisation. Nearby, 35Filipino UN troops managed to conduct a successful breakout attempt and an armoured escort from the Irish 44th Infantry Group escorted the Filipino soldiers to safety.[53] Fire was exchanged with heavy machine guns but there were no casualties on the UN side.[54] The Irish Minister for Foreign Affairs stated he would withdraw the Irish contingent from Golan unless guarantees could be given about their safety. '"We don't want to see Irish troops or the UN contingent being drawn into a Syrian civil war"', he said.[55] Irish troops were withdrawn into Israeli occupied Golan in 2014. Nevertheless, as of late 2016, 138 Irish troops remained deployed in the region under UNDOF.[37] In late 2018 the UN contingent returned to the Syria side of the de facto border after Syrian government forces took Daraa and Quneitra from rebel forces in the2018 Southern Syria offensive.[56]
As of 1 December 2015, 493 Defence Force personnel are serving in 12 different missions throughout the world including Lebanon (UNIFIL), Syria (UNDOF), Middle East (UNTSO), Kosovo (KFOR), German-led Battle Group 2016 and other observer and staff appointments to UN, EU,OSCE and PfP (NATO Partnership for Peace) posts.[57][58]
As of March 2025, there were 428 Defence Forces personnel to overseas missions and locations deployed in 17 missions. The missions were:[59]
| Organization | Area | Name | Deployed |
|---|---|---|---|
| UN | Middle East | UNTSO | 13 |
| UN | Lebanon | UNIFIL | 350 |
| UN | Syria | UNDOF | 3 |
| EU | Bosnia and Herzegovina | EUFOR | 5 |
| NATO | Kosovo | KFOR | 13 |
| EU | Italy | EUNAVFOR MED IRINI | 4 |
| OSCE | Austria | Irish Representative at OSCE Headquarters | 1 |
| EU | Belgium | Irish EU Military Staff | 8 |
| EU | Germany | EU Battlegroup | 14 |
| UN | USA | Irish UN Delegation Military Adviser | 1 |
| OSCE | Austria | Irish OSCE Delegation Military Adviser | 1 |
| EU | Belgium | Military Representative to EU | 4 |
| NATO | Belgium | Liaison Officer of Ireland to NATO | 4 |
| EU | Belgium | EUOperation Althea | 1 |
| NATO | Belgium | Irish Liaison Officer toSHAPE & Military Co-Op Division | 1 |
| UN | Uganda | UNMAS | 1 |
| EU | EUMAM UA | 4 |
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All enlisted members of the Army undergo 29 weeks of training in order to become a fully trained infantry soldier. The first 17 weeks is recruit training, after which they become a 2 Star Private. They then undergo a further 12 weeks of advanced training, after which they pass-out as a 3 Star Private, Trooper or Gunner depending on their respective Corps. During this continuous 29 weeks of training, they are required to live in barracks. The Army recruits both men and women.[60]
Recruit training includes foot drill, arms drill, field-craft, medical, radio operation, rifle marksmanship, unarmed combat, counter-IED, tactical and daily physical training (PT). During this stage of training, they are also given weapons training on theSteyr Rifle,General Purpose Machine Gun and grenade.
On completion of recruit training, soldiers become 2 Star Privates and immediately begin 3 Star training. This includes more advanced training of everything covered by recruit training plus riot training, navigation,CBRN, helicopter drills, survival,FIBUA, ATCP training, live fire tactical training, etc. They also receive further weapons training on theM203 Grenade Launcher andShort Range Anti-Armour Weapon.
Throughout their service, soldiers must complete Trained Soldier Specialist Training courses to advance their skills and for promotion.
As of 2023, the Army had an establishment of 7,520 active and 3,869 reserve personnel[1] organised into two brigades.[6] Prior to 2012, the army was divided into three brigades, organised to be responsible for a geographical area of the State: Southern, Eastern and Western.[7] Followingbudgetary decisions in 2011,[61] the army was reorganised in late 2012 into a two brigades structure.[6][62] The training element of the army, theDefence Forces Training Centre, operates independently of the brigade structure.
Irish ArmyThe Infantry Corps represent the largest component and are the operational troops of the Army. They must be prepared for tactical deployment in any location at short notice. In wartime this means that they will be among the frontline troops in the defence of the Irish state. In peacetime, they can be seen daily performing operational duties in aid to the civil power such as providing escorts to cash, prisoner or explosive shipments, patrols of vital state installations and border patrols, including checkpoints.
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TheArtillery Corps provides fire support as required by infantry or armoured elements. The Corps was founded in 1924 and today consists of two main branches:Field Artillery and Air Defence.[citation needed] Between them, the two branches of the Corps provide several vital services;
Each brigade has a single artillery regiment.[citation needed]
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The Cavalry Corps is the army's armoured reconnaissance formation.
The Engineer Corps is thecombat engineering unit of the Defence Forces. The Engineer Corps is responsible for allmilitary engineering matters across the Defence Forces.
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The responsibility for the procurement and maintenance of all ordnance equipment is vested in the Ordnance Corps and encompasses a spectrum of equipment ranging from anti-aircraft missiles and naval armament to the uniforms worn by military personnel. The corps is also responsible for the procurement of food and provision of commercial catering services. These tasks are of a technical nature and the corps personnel are appropriately qualified and with the expertise to afford technical evaluation of complete weapon systems, it also includes embracing weapons,[clarification needed] ammunition, fire control instruments and night vision equipment. The Ordnance Corps providesimprovised explosive device disposal within the state, in support of the Garda Síochána. Courses are conducted for its own personnel and for students from the military and police of other nations. Ordnance Corps personnel continue to serve in overseas missions and are an essential component of missions involving troops.[63]
The Transport Corps is responsible for procurement, management and maintenance of soft-skinned vehicles, and maintenance of armoured vehicles. It is also responsible for the driving standards, training and certification, as well as providing vehicle fuels and lubricants, and certain logistics – such as heavy lift capabilities.
The Medical Corps is responsible for promoting health and treating sick or wounded personnel, and has provided medical and dental support in all the Army's main UN missions.[64] As withsimilar branches in other militaries, they also sometimes provide humanitarian assistance to local civilian populations – by giving medical aid where local health services are not functioning adequately.[64]
The Military Police (Irish:Póilíní Airm, hence the nickname "PAs") are responsible for the prevention and investigation of offences, the enforcement of discipline and the general policing of the Defence Forces. In wartime, additional tasks include the provision of a traffic control organisation to allow rapid movement of military formations to their mission areas. Other wartime rules include control of prisoners of war and refugees. Traditionally, the Military Police have had involvement at State and ceremonial occasions. In recent years the Military Police have been deployed in UN missions (such as Iran and Iraq) and later in the former Yugoslavia (SFOR). The Gardaí assist in providing specialist police training to the Military Police in the field of crime investigation.
The Communications and Information Services (CIS) Corps is a support corps responsible for installing, maintaining and operating telecommunications equipment and information systems.
The rank structure of the Irish Army is organised along standard military rank and command structures. These consist of the following ranks:
| Rank group | General / flag officers | Senior officers | Junior officers | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Irish Army[65][66] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Lieutenant-general | Major-general | Brigadier-general | Colonel | Lieutenant-colonel | Commandant | Captain | Lieutenant | Second-Lieutenant | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Lefteanant-ghinearál | Maor-ghinearál | Briogáidire-ghinearál | Cornal | Lefteanant-chornal | Ceannfort | Captaen | Lefteanant | Dara-lefteanant | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Combat[67] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Abbreviation | Lt Gen | Maj Gen | Brig Gen | Col | Lt Col | Comdt | Capt | Lt | 2nd Lt | Cdt | Cdt | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Rank group | Senior NCOs | Junior NCOs | Enlisted | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Irish Army[65][66] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | No insignia | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Sergeant major | Regimental Quartermaster Sergeant | Company sergeant | Company quartermaster sergeant | Sergeant | Corporal | Private, 3 star | Private, 2 star | Recruit | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Maor-Sáirsint Cathláin/Reisimint[a] | Ceathrúsháirsint Cathláin/Reisimint[a] | Sáirsint Complachta[b] | Ceathrúsháirsint Complachta[b] | Sáirsint | Ceannaire | Saighdiúir Singil, 3 Réalta | Saighdiúir Singil, 2 Réalta | Earcach | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Combat[68] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Abbreviation | BSM/RSM | BQMS/RQMS | CS/BS/SS | CQ/BQ/SQ | Sgt | Cpl | Pte/Gnr/Tpr 3* | Pte 2* | Rec | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
The Army has historically purchased and used weapons and equipment from other western countries, mainly fromWestern European nations.[citation needed] Ireland has a very limited arms industry and rarely produces its own armaments.[citation needed]
From its establishment the Army used the British-madeLee–Enfield .303 rifle, which would be the mainstay for many decades. In the 1960s some modernisation came with the introduction of the Belgian-madeFN FAL 7.62 mm battle rifle. Since 1989 the service rifle for the Army is the Austrian-madeSteyr AUG 5.56 mm assault rifle (used by all branches of the Defence Forces).[69][70]
Other weapons in use by the Army include theUSP 9mm pistol,M203 grenade launcher,[71][72]FN MAG machine gun,[73]M2 Browning machine gun,[74]Accuracy International Arctic Warfare sniper rifles,[75]AT4 SRAAW,[76]FGM-148 Javelin[71][77] Anti-tank guided missile,L118 105mm Howitzer,[78] andRBS 70 Surface to Air Missile system.[79][80]
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The Army has purchased 80 Swiss madeMowag PiranhaArmoured personnel carriers which have become the Army's primary vehicle in theMechanized infantry role. These are equipped with 12.7 mmHMGs, or theOto Melara 30 mmAutocannon.[81]
The established strength and current strength of the Defence Forces as at 30 April 2023 is [..] Army 7,520 .. 6,322 [..] Air Corps 886 .. 711 [..] Naval Service 1,094 .. 764 [..] Army Reserve 3,869 .. 1,382 [..] Naval Service Reserve 200 .. 77 [..] First Line Reserve N/A .. 275
Army strength fell from 6,920 in 2020, to 6,136 in 2023 and to 6,099 in 2024 [..] [However] inductions (768) did exceed discharges (674) in 2024
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