The army lost a true and sterling friend and an officer of uncompromising and unswerving loyalty to the Constitution and to his oath of service when Colonel Kevin Hanley died unexpectedly on March 1st.
His service from 1939 to 1978 spanned a unique period in the history of the Army during which he played his part, culminating with his command of the 7th Infantry Group of UNFICYP on active service in Cyprus in 1966-67. He made many friends there, including the Force Commander, General Mike Harbottle, who from time to time made use of Kevin's great knowledge of the Irish language to transmit secret messages in times of crisis. He also made a lifelong friend of Supt John O'Connor, head of the Australian police contingent, whom he and Anne visited in Australia after his retirement.
Kevin had a great sense of humour and one remembers a crisis in a Turkish village when the muktar complained that there were "high chaps" from Nicosia coming every day giving him orders but doing nothing. A "high chap" became part of our vocabulary in Cyprus and can be heard to this day to describe the status of someone making a nuisance visit to a unit.
Kevin was a well travelled man of wit and culture. He and Anne had only recently returned from Bolivia where his son has established and runs an important school.
Before his retirement on June 20th 1978 he had commanded the 1st and 3rd Brigades. His retirement was active, with fishing on the western and midland lakes and gardening. He was a founder of Arco, the Association of Retired Commissioned Officers, which has fought an unrelenting battle with politicians and the Civil Service to secure justice for a number of retired members of the Defence Forces and their widows.
He never lost touch with old comrades, whatever their rank, and his loyalty to the Army was if anything more intense after retirement. To Kevin there was only one body in the State with the right to be called Oglaigh na hEireann, as he often testified.
He had a love for and a great fluency in speaking Irish but with any trace of the fanaticism which, alas, is so prevalent. He had a great knowledge of English poetry and could always be counted on to supply the missing line or two which so often eludes one's memory. Memories of Kevin Hanley are happy ones and will always prompt laughter rather than tears.
"Still are thy pleasant voices, thy nightingales awake,
For Death, he taketh all away but them he cannot take".
Kevin is survived by his wife, Anne, his six children, 17 grandchildren and one great-grandchild.
He was a gentleman in the truest sense of that word. I treasure the memory of his friendship for more than 30 years. His widow and family can well be proud of him.
M.N.G.