An Cosantóir

13 future junior officers. To those unforgettable and special characters such as Coy Sgt Mick Roddy, Coy Sgt 'The Rua' O'Súileabháin, CQMS Mick Smullen, Sgt Pakie Burke, Sgt Sam Shannon, Sgt Joe Kelly, Cpl Martin (Mary) Hickey and others we owe a sincere debt of gratitude and respect – 'Míle buiochas agus Beannachtaí Dé orthu go léir'. Tributes to the unique legacy of the Cadet School and its dedicated staff during a 50-year history (1929-1979) are captured and celebrated in a dedicated September 1979 issue of An Cosantoir Magazine. Less frequent exposure to our Cadet Master and assigned Cadet School Class Officers added to their mystique and to our perceptions of their individual personalities, leadership and authoritarian styles. Our Cadet Master (until June 1970) was Roscommon's Lt Col Cyril Mattimoe. During his weekly Pearse Hall class talks, he memorably regaled and inspired his young and impressionable audience. His successor for our senior cadet year was the Kingdom's Lt Col Eddie Condon. Our initial and imposing Class Officer for junior year was Carlingford- native Lt Brian ('The Bull') McKevitt. Sadly, Brian passed away following serious illness on 26 November 2018. Fondly remembered among our Cadet Class training officers is Lt Michael Nestor ('Dillinger'). Tragically, Comdt Nestor (R.I.P.) was killed by a roadside bomb on 25 September 1982 while on overseas service with UNTSO in Beirut. Corkonian Lt Barry Hayes (R.I.P.) was our colourful 'Teagascóir' for 'Modhanna Teagaisc' and 'Cúirtéis agus Béasaíocht'. Also among our Cadet School training officers was the inscrutable and perceptive Lt Terry Brown and the very attentive and rather stern Lt Don O'Keeffe. Capt Des Travers of the Curragh's 3rd Infantry Battalion ('The Bloods') was assigned Cadet Class Officer for our second and formative senior cadetship year. A prominent member and early associate founder of the national Association for Adventure Sports (AFAS), Des introduced 44th Cadet Class members to a novel and memorable variety of extra-curricular adventure sport activities such as sailing, canoeing, abseiling, orienteering and mountaineering. Among our occasional external instructors was Lt Col Con O'Sullivan, who humorously and energetically instructed cadets on diaphragm and breathing exercises, communications, speech and drama. For memorable instruction on the Defence Act and 'Bunreacht na hÉireann' we always enjoyed highly entertaining sessions with Lt Col Pat Jordan ("Is féidir an t-Uachtaráin a tháinseáil as ucht mí- iompair a lúfar"). Among our weekly religious speakers was Church of Ireland's Canon Knowles ("I bought a boat..."). The second intake of six Zambians Cadets in October 1969 enjoyed full participation in the integrated training programme of the 44th Cadet Class. By and large, all instruction and activities in the Cadet School for the 44th Cadet Class were conducted through Irish. However while this policy certainly prevailed during 1969-1971, not all 44th Cadet Class instruction, whether or not under supervision, was conducted through Irish ("for the benefit of our Zambian cadets I will continue in English..."). Due to the impact of 'The Troubles', the 44th Cadet Class would have been the last class to enjoy an Irish Training Camp under canvas in Ring Co. Waterford during the summer of 1970. In January 1970 our army cadet colleague Alan Linehan (Stradbally, Co. Laois) voluntarily departed our ranks to take up a preferred civilian career choice. Later that year, Air Corps Cadet Frank Burns elected to continue his cadetship as an Army Cadet while his 5 Air Corps colleagues departed for corps-specific training in Baldonnel. The training regime of the Cadet School was rigorous and demanding. 44th Cadet Class 1969 - 1971 44th Cadet Class and 5th Air Corps Regular Cadet Class Group Photo 2019 A legacy of former Minister for Defence Kevin Boland's 1957 'Usáid na Gaeilge' policy, which imposed Irish as the medium of instruction in the Irish Military College (An Coláiste Míleata) and the Cadet School (Scoil na nDaltaí) Extract from 'The College' The Irish Military College, 1930-2000 by Colonel Tom Hodson, published by The History Press Ireland 2016 In 1967, in association with the 42nd Cadet Class, six young Zambians were enlisted for the first time as cadets at the Cadet School resulting from an agreement between the Irish and Zambian governments. All four Zambian cadet classes were trained in the Curragh, three between 1967 and 1973 and a fourth class between 1995 and 1997. 3 4 2 REELING IN OUR CADETSHIP YEARS 1969-1971 "Schedules were tight, free time was limited, physical demands - including a strong emphasis on sporting activities by all cadets - alternated with

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