An Cosantoir, the Defence Forces Magazine, drops through the letter-box, and, there is always some reminder that our uniformed men and women are constantly in service abroad, in the cause of peace and international cooperation. There was a time when Irish people served in, Europe and farther afield in the service of other countries. Some still do. But at all times in recent decades we have had abroad, in the uniforms of our country, contingents of various numbers, without let up.
The previous issue of An Cosantoir, that of December/January, was devoted to the activities of our diplomats and military personnel in an operation known as the European Community Monitor Mission (ECMM). This was during our presidency of the EU. Headed by Ambassador Antoin Mac Unfraidh, the Defence Forces contributed 79 members and Ireland ran the operation, filling, for the term, most of the senior positions. Lt-Col Maurice Kealy, director of Public Relations Section and Sgt Terry McLaughlin, editor of An Cosantoir, spent ten days in Croatia and Bosnia Herzegovina, and the result was one of the most fascinating issues of the magazine ever published.
One factor made the Irish delegation stand out particularly - and that was the wealth of overseas experience our troops had had, in comparison with many other nationals. Officers, NCOs and privates had logged up, a great number of tours of duty abroad. The Chief of Staff wrote about our whole contribution during that period: "Well done! You have exhibited the fairness, efficiency, hard work and professionalism which is the hallmark of Irish military service overseas."
And, on another note, soldiers are not all men. The first prize in the Captain Seamus Kelly Memorial Awards went in 1996 to Private Louise McGuane of the FAC for her account of recruit training with 22 Inf Bn FCA, "in a lively, amusing style." Second was Lt Cot Dorcha Lee with a chronicle of the controversial mission of Somalia, UNOSOM. Special category not necessarily military went to Sgt Paddy "Pops" Kelleher for his account of an Irish mercy mission to the stricken region of Belarus, and the Chernobyl Children's Project.
Seamus Kelly, it will be remembered, was longtime drama critic for this newspaper and the writer of An Irishman's Diary under the traditional pseudonym "Quidnunc."