Remarks to Members of 104 Battalion
Camp Shamrock, Tibnin, Lebanon, 15th October 2011
Dia dhíbh go léir ‘s conas atá sibh? Tá an-áthas orm bheith anseo libh I Camp Shamrock arís inniu.
Just a few weeks after my inauguration as President in 1997, my first visit abroad was to meet the men and women of our Defence Forces on peacekeeping duties here in Lebanon. 14 years later I return on my last visit abroad before I leave office to meet with and pay tribute to you. That is no coincidence. It is a heartfelt personal statement of the huge significance I place on the role of our peacekeepers, those here now and the thousands who have served in the past with the United Nations in the cause of peace here in Lebanon and indeed elsewhere when Ireland has been called on to help.
That investment in peace from a small militarily neutral nation which has long experience of the awesome wastefulness of conflict, makes me both proud and very grateful – proud of our Irish troops so respected everywhere they have served and continue to serve in the world; grateful, that as President I have had the privilege of playing a modest role within our Defence Forces.
Over the past 20 years peacekeeping missions have experienced a transformation - not surprising perhaps when we think of the number of conflicts, between states, within states, but UN missions now involve 120,000 personnel around the globe. Those Missions commonly include military, police and civilian colleagues working together to bring about those most important objectives, robust peacekeeping, the protection of civilians, and peace-building.
UNIFIL too has seen changes. After the 2006 conflict here in this area, Ireland was amongst those countries who supported the decision to reinforce UNIFIL’s mandate and the recent deployment of your Battalion underscores our belief in the importance of the mission for this fragile region.
The Lebanese/Israeli border has long been a possible flashpoint in the Middle East and we know there is still the potential for tensions to flare up, increasing the risk of serious conflict - that means lives upended, hearts broken, lives lost. 2011 has witnessed unprecedented change and volatility for the region — most notably from this viewpoint is the current turmoil in Syria. The strengthened mission of UNIFIL in this area is making a very real contribution to containing the tensions of this region. Equally importantly, this battalion and UNIFIL as a whole are helping to preserve and restore the stability of Lebanon and the ability of the Lebanese people to reconstruct a state which can protect and nurture all of its people.
Our Defence Forces have once again stepped up and taken responsibility bringing the very cutting edge of modern peacekeeping techniques to bear on age-old problems. Our peacekeepers have earned respect and command respect wherever in the world they have served and here in Lebanon are beloved not simply because of their professionalism but also their easy, caring fraternal interaction with local communities, their respect and support for local communities, their willingness to journey with those communities and help them solve more than the merely military problems. That ability is a special gift, a charism that is peculiarly Irish. It has resulted in the growth of a firm 23 years friendship between Ireland and Lebanon, a friendship that was underlined by the wonderful welcome I received from President Sleiman and the Lebanese Government since my arrival. Evidence yet again of the admiration for our troops operating with UNIFIL and under the able command of Major General Asarta.
Every soldier here is part of over half a century of Irish devotion to peace under the famous blue flag of the United Nations and part of an Irish investment of heart and hand of life and death here in Lebanon. Your peacekeeping efforts around Tibnin, Bint Jubayl and the “blue line” are an inspiration. Your families put up with your absence because of the sheer importance of what you do and their pride in the way you do it. Speaking of families, I carry the good wishes of two little girls who wrote to me, Ciara and Sadhbh McDonagh to their dad Commandant Edward McDonagh. You put up with camp lives that are very different from home. Where in Ireland would you get two men or women in the same household taking a 30 second shower or abiding by a 30 second shower rule - not when they could instead empty half the contents of Poulaphouca reservoir! I hear a story which I presume is folklore of strange practices on the football field. But then you do have advantages here that we do not have at home - your football team’s leprechaun I hear has much greater magic at his disposal than any local witch-doctor. You might send him home to sort out the economy when the football season is over here. Tell him to bring the crock of gold or the map to it…. And of course in Ireland since St. Patrick frightened off all the snakes we don’t have either snakes or snake bites - it may explain why when one member of the Battalion since well recovered, was bitten by a snake there appeared to be more concern for the snake at first…
In a little while I will visit the Tibnin orphanage which continues its vital work looking after some of the most vulnerable members of this society. I am so glad to hear that, once again, following your return to Camp Shamrock, Irish peacekeepers are teaching English to local children and further projects are envisaged with the local community. Well done to you for all that you do to help the most vulnerable in your area of operation.
Since 1958, 85 Irish have given their lives in the cause of peacekeeping, 47 of those tragic deaths occurred in Lebanon alone, including Private Seoige (Aran Islands) whose remains have not been recovered after the 1981 incident in Dayr Ntar in which Private Doherty (Donegal) also lost his life. It is a fitting and special tribute that the kind people of Tibnin have helped to maintain the monument to them since it was erected in 2001 and I look forward to placing a wreath there on my own behalf and that of the Irish people in homage to those who died in our name and in the name of peace for the people of Lebanon.
Serving with UNIFIL is difficult and it is dangerous. The attacks on two separate UNIFIL Convoys are a serious source of concern in terms of the security of the UNIFIL mission and the safety of its peacekeepers and of course the risk from improvised explosive devices is well known to the Defence Forces.
Over 32,000 Irish tours of duty have been completed with UNIFIL. Two thirds of the present contingent have served in Lebanon before with Company Sergeant Tony Grehan setting a record of 12 tours of duty and we have three members of the one family here - the men from Mullingar: Alan, Ger and Nigel Graham. 72 members of the Battalion are serving overseas for the first time and it was a very special honour to present medals to you just a few moments ago.
You have come here to help. You have placed yourselves in an environment most people would run a mile from. We are lucky there are people like you who make peace their vocation. I pray that you will find deep fulfilment here in a successful mission and that you will return home safely to your loved ones following your tour of duty.
My own tour of duty is coming to an end. It has been the greatest honour of my life to have served as Commander in Chief, to have been befriended by and supported by wonderful members of the Defence Forces, people of the calibre of the late Dermot Early who grace our country and our culture with their character, values and principles, their dedication to duty, devotion to country and passion for peace in the world. There is not their equal, there is not not your equal to be found anywhere else in the world.
Is iontach an obair atá ar siúl agaibh anseo. Gurb fada buan sibh ‘s go raibh míle, míle maith agaibh.