On Thursday, 15 MAY 26, the first chalk of the 127th Infantry Battalion arrived home following a challenging and demanding deployment with UNIFIL in South Lebanon. Throughout their deployment, personnel of the 127th Infantry Battalion operated in a complex and volatile environment, displaying professionalism, resilience and courage while representing Ireland and Óglaigh na hÉireann with distinction. #ÓglaighnahÉireann #DefendOurState

Today, the Defence Forces Cavalry Corps Team (Callsign Shamrock 1) took home first place in the Bradley category in the 2026 Sullivan Cup. The Defence Forces Cavalry Corps team competed in the 2026 Sullivan Cup, hosted in Fort Benning, GA, USA. The purpose of the Sullivan Cup is to identify and recognise the most skilled armoured vehicle crews internationally. The competition consisted of gunnery live fire lanes by day and night, vehicle maintenance, crew knowledge, call for fire, AFV recognition, medical lanes and physical fitness challenges. Our team had a two week window to train up in theatre on the Bradley Fighting Vehicle having never used the platform before. After completing two weeks of training successfully, the competition started on 30 APR 26 and the Cavalry Corps emerged as the winners.

The Irish Defence Forces 128th Infantry Battalion is undergoing final training exercises in Wicklow ahead of deployment to Lebanon next month. This will be the last full battalion deployed as the UNIFIL mission is being wound down. More on #VMNews

Delighted today to witness in person the 01st Joint Senior #Enlisted Leaders Cse. Well done to #NCO #Pathfinders who have stepped forward into the unknown, & challenge themselves. 👏👏 to those involved with design, developement, & delivery of this education. 🫡 ☘️🇮🇪☘️

PUBLIC NOTICE: Today, there will be a convoy of MOWAG Armoured Personnel Carriers travelling from Cork City to the Curragh Camp, Co. Kildare. We can confirm that this convoy is the 128th Infantry Battalion conducting mission readiness exercises ahead of deployment to UNIFIL next month. Mission Readiness Exercises are critical activities to train and prepare our personnel for conducting duties in Southern Lebanon.

Óglaigh na hÉireann can confirm that an operation took place to transport key Battalion personnel to United Nations Post 2-45 and to return Communications Specialists who had been performing critical maintenance to communication systems and infrastructure. This was a joint operation in a volatile region, involving Army personnel of the 127th Infantry Battalion who conducted a patrol from UNP 2-45 to Beirut and the Air Corps flight crew of the C295 who performed the strategic air lift from Casement Aerodrome to Beirut. This operation demonstrates the strategic reach capability of the Air Corps, as well as the capabilities of our Army personnel employing force protection measures to enable operations in a conflict zone. #Irishdefenceforces #ÓglaighnahÉireann #DefendOurState

Last week, South East Technological University (SETU) conferred 180 members of the Defence Forces with academic awards during a ceremony at the Kilkenny Road Campus in Carlow, the largest annual military graduation from a higher education institution in Ireland. The event was attended by Minister of State Thomas Byrne TD and Major General Colm Ó Luasa, who congratulated all graduates on their achievements. Lieutenant General Rossa Mulcahy, Chief of Staff of the Defence Forces, said: “I am very proud of all of our deserved graduates today. These awards are a culmination of what has been a very challenging and rewarding process. Lifelong learning is one of the key tenets of a career in the Defence Forces. The Defence Forces values and promotes education opportunities and supports the concept of ‘life-long learning’, whereby personnel are encouraged to up-skill continuously so that they can adapt to the complex and challenging demands of military operations and deliver effective military capability. I would like to thank SETU’s President, Professor Veronica Campbell, and her dedicated team of academics and administrators, as well as our own instructors and support staff in the Military College and across the Defence Forces, for their work in delivering high-quality education experiences to our members.” Since 2012, over 2,300 members of Óglaigh na hÉireann have received academic awards through this partnership with SETU, reflecting our shared commitment to continuous professional development and lifelong learning. Congratulations to all graduates on their outstanding achievements and continued dedication to service, education, and excellence. #ÓglaighnahÉireann #DefendOurState #IrishDefenceForces #SETU #Education #LifelongLearning #Leadership

On the 26th of September 2023, the MV Matthew was interdicted by the Joint Task Force (JTF) on Drug Interdiction. The JTF consists of the Revenue Customs Service, An Garda Síochána and the Naval Service as the lead representatives for the Defence Forces. During this operation, all three services of Óglaigh na hÉireann were deployed. The Naval Service's L.E. William Butler Yeats interdicted the MV Matthew, while the Air Corps' C295 and PC12 provided surveillance and overwatch to enable an AW139 to deploy members of the Army Ranger Wing by fast rope onto the MV Matthew to secure and take control of the vessel. These unique skillsets provided by Óglaigh na hÉireann, supported Revenue Customs Service and An Garda Síochána in making the largest drugs seizure in the history of the state. The operation represents the culmination of the constant planning and preparation conducted by our people, across all the three services of Óglaigh na hÉireann.

🇮🇪 𝘿𝙚𝙛𝙚𝙣𝙘𝙚 𝙎𝙥𝙚𝙣𝙙𝙞𝙣𝙜- 𝙖 🧵 This post will provide context to the announcement that 🇮🇪 Defence Budget 2025 is a record, comparing it to budgets since 2004. This post will NOT offer comment in relation to any political matter or matter of Government policy. 1/13