An Cosantóir

An Cosantóir May 2019 www.dfmagazine.ie 28 | BY GNR TERRENCE O'REILLY, DEFENCE FORCES LIBRARY, MIL COL A n Céad Chathlán Coisithe was originally founded in June 1924 when a hundred Irish speakers of all ranks were mus- tered in Gough Barracks in the Curragh under the command of Captain Michael Fogarty as the 'No 1 (Irish-speaking) Battalion' and then transferred to the Hibernian Schools in the Phoenix Park. In April 1925, they were transferred west to Athlone and arrived in Renmore Barracks (still bearing Civil War damage) in Galway the following month. Personnel were recruited predominately from Connemara and the Arans, with some from Gaeltacht areas in Munster and Donegal, with battalion strength fluctuating at about 200. All training and administration were carried out as Gaeilge and unsuccessful attempts were made to spread the medium through the Army. The battalion involved itself in the city's social and cultural life and in particular with the Taibhdhearc theatre following its founda- tion in 1928. A great friend of the battalion at this time was famous writer Padraic Ó Conaire who published over forty relevant articles in army newspaper An t-Óglach. The battalion's rowing teams and tug of war team soon established impressive reputations and in 1930, the unit formed its pipe band under Sgt Bishop. During the thirties, the battalion's footballers came to the fore, winning several army championships and helping the Galway team to All-Ireland victories. In particular, a generation of outstanding boxers arose in Renmore. Following the start of The Emergency in 1939, the bat- talion was involved in search operations after the IRA raid on the Magazine Fort and was assigned an area from Athlone to Longford, operating during a particularly severe winter. In June 1940, the battalion vacated Renmore for the duration of The Emergency and took up positions in Dun- sandle House, Pallas House in Tynagh, Lough Cutra Castle, Kilcornan House and Castlehackett House. Their primary responsibility was Rineanna Airfield (later Shannon Airport) and the battalion was trained to a high state of readiness for this. In January 1943, a US Flying Fortress crash landed near Athenry. Its passengers included US Lt Gen Jacob Devers and three other generals who were carrying vital intelligence from North Africa to Washington. A detachment commanded by Battalion OC Major James Timoney was quickly on the scene and secured the area before escorting the American officers to the Northern Irish border. General Devers (who later commanded the Sixth US Army Group) complimented Major Timoney on the turnout and bearing of the Irish troops and asked "to convey his favourable impression to all ranks of the battalion." In 1945, the now thousand-strong 'No 1 (Irish-speaking) Bat- talion' (as it was still officially designated) returned to Renmore. Saighdiúir Singil Dónall Mac Amhlaigh (Saol Saighdura) and Kevin Brophy (Walking The Line), both later wrote vivid accounts of life in Renmore at this time. Mac Amhlaigh relates sharing his billets with men from the Blaskets and Inishark, island communities abandoned the following decade and was involved in the recovery of the bodies of eight RAF men killed in an air crash near Achill Island in June 1950. A correspondent from An Cosantóir who visited Renmore in 1950 ("Ní móide go bhfuil bearic in Éirinn is deise suíomh ná é") described an efficient and highly trained unit where even the MO and PAs spoke as Gaeilge. However, the unit strength would soon decrease dramatically due to heavy emigration from the Gaeltacht areas. An Céad Chathlán Coisithe c1926.

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