An Cosantóir

18 Year 2021 marks a very important anniversary in the history of an Óglaigh na hÉireann. 60 years ago, Commandant Quinlan and his soldiers, faced a much larger force, made of Katangan, battle-hardened French and Belgian mercenaries. 157 Irish soldiers faced 3000 enemy personnel and defended themselves for 5 days. Only after spending all the ammunition, Comdt Quinlan made the decision to negotiate surrender. The Siege of Jadotville is a perfect example of a perimeter defence strategy, which is being taught in various armies across the world. The 7th Infantry Army Reserve's year brought more than one opportunity to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the battle, but out of all, the most significant was a chance to support a very noble cause. Óglaigh Náisiúnta na hÉireann (ONE) provides Support, Comradeship, Advocacy and Remembrance (SCAR) for Irish Veterans. At present there are a total of four Homes for Homeless Veterans: Bru Na Bhfiann (Home of the Brave), Dublin; Bru Chostuim (Custume House), Athlone; Bru Doire (Beechwood House), Letterkenny and Bru Na Farraigh (Cobh) in Cork. The fifth home, Bru Ui Choillean with 6 bedrooms is to be established in Cork city and has been planned with the support of Cork city Council. This is the major project for 2022 and a fitting tribute to one of the founding fathers of the State: Michael Collins. ONE also operates 15 Veteran Support Centers, where they offer advice and support to its members while they can also obtain a range of other services through 37 nationwide branches. ONE has 1,000 proud members and 2,100 supporters who donate annually. The membership is open for Army Reserves personnel as well and more information on how to join can be found on ONE website. How does the ONE got to the idea of commemorating the Siege of Jadotville? Jim Mc Eneaney of the "Michael Mc Neela" Branch in Dundalk explains: "Our branch is named after our colleague, who was a soldier in the 27th Inf. Bn., here in Dundalk. Whilst on UN mission, Michael was killed in active service in Lebanon on the 24th February 1989 and our ONE branch was dedicated to his name in 2011. The idea for the challenge came from a branch member who recognized the importance and significance of the 60th Anniversary of the Jadotville siege and how we could recognize the bravery of the Jadotville Tigers and at the same time raise much needed funds for ONE. As a result of many meetings and discussions we in the "Michael Mc Neela" branch, and with the support of our national executive, formed the Jadotville committee consisting of Pat Donnelly, Jim Mc Eneaney and Neil O'Malley (serving Garda) Neil set up our website which was a great help and designed our poster. We "Pop Up Races" to handle the registration for the event. To encourage as many people as possible to take part we decided that the event would be open for all to walk, run, swim or cycle. However, we did expect the majority would be cyclists. The goal of cycling a total of 24,000 Km., was the distance to be covered. This is the return distance between Custume bks. Athlone and Jadotville in the Congo. The event was to be completed over 5 days, (29th June – 3rd July). This timeframe was chosen to acknowledge the time our comrades were in battle. We decided on the design of the medal and the snood and awarded prizes for the top individual male, female, and teams with the most kms, achieved over the five-day period. Great support was given by our colleague and fellow veteran Paul Clarke who organised and ran a very successful "Walk" in the Phoenix Park on the 3rd July with over 100 participants. We also got great support and encouragement from our comrades across the border in Northern Ireland. Dr. James Wilson and the Royal British Legion, Ballymoney Branch organised a "Walk" and raised much needed funds for our cause." The 7th Infantry answered the call. The 2 I/C, NCO's and Ptes of D, some of which are a member of the latest Officer's Course, took care of the preparations for the event. The goal was to get as many Army Reserve soldiers as possible to take part and not only challenge themselves physically but most importantly, raise the awareness and much needed funds for O.N.E. Additionally this presented an opportunity for the AR soldiers to foster the spirit of comradeship among themselves. 37 soldiers of all ranks signed up from the 7th Infantry Battalion D COY. Collectively they swam, ran, and cycled 3558.6 kilometers, some getting very close to the podium. Total funds raised totaled to €3,086. I asked Jim, should we start preparing for the 2022 edition and this is what he had to say: "Because of the great success of this event and the very positive response we have and continue to receive from participants, veterans, and their families we are already working towards having a similar event in 2022" While the Jadotville Challenge was a significant event for 7th Infantry D COY year, troops also played a major part in various activities, ranging from Aid to the Civil Authority, guard duties and most importantly, assisted its Permanent Defence Forces colleagues during their training programs. Army Reserve soldiers were heavily engaged in manning the Members of the Royal Legion supporting the Jadotville Challenge L- R Ken Blair, Brian Duffy and Ciaran Crone By Pte Lukasz Gancarz Photos by Lukasz Gancarz, Lt Steve Burke, AC Press Office THE YEAR OF JADOTVILLE TIGERS THE YEAR OF JADOTVILLE TIGERS 7 th Infantry, D Company, Army Reserve year in review

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