An Cosantóir

EDITORIAL Comdt Helen Hosback info@military.ie +353 (0)45 44 5306 Sgt Karl Byrne (Stand in) magazine@military.ie +353 (0)45 44 5307 Cpl Lee Coyle (Overseas) journalist@military.ie A/M Sam Gibney photo@military.ie Mr Seán Shinnors Tony O'Brien Provided by Pte Lukasz Gancarz from a PC-9M photoshoot JM Publishing & Media Arklow, Co. Wicklow, Ireland Tel: +353 (0)87 1344135 Email: info@jmpublishing.ie The fact that an article appears in this magazine does not indicate official approval of the views expressed by the author. © Published by OiC Public Relations Branch for the Defence Forces at DFHQ, Block 5, Ceannt Bks, DFTC, Curragh Camp, Co Kildare, Ireland. Tel: +353 (0)45 445312 Cpl Martin Bennett subs@military.ie +353 (0)45 44 5312 Vacant Vacant admin@military.ie +353 (0)45 44 5308 webmaster@military.ie +353 (0)45 44 5309 MANAGER: EDITOR: PHOTO/JOURNALIST: PHOTOGRAPHER: MAGAZINE ARCHIVIST: CIVILIAN JOURNALIST: FRONT COVER DESIGNER/JOURNALIST:: ADMIN NCO: DF/PR INFORMATION: DF WEBMASTER: Vacant Hello, and welcome to our fourth issue of 2021, our 81st volume of the An Cosantóir magazine. This issue brings us to our last magazine of 2021. We hope you enjoyed reading An Cosantóir this year and will continue to enjoy it into 2022. Our Noticeboard page this issue features this years An Cosantóir 10km Road Race results, another virtual race this year. Well done to not only the winners, but everyone who took part. On Parade features pictures from the Defence Forces Flickr page, ranging from overseas, fibua and ceremonial events. Our first feature is a set of messages from Our President, Minister for Defence, our new Chief of Staff and our Head Chaplain, with their Christmas and New Year messages to the soldiers, sailors and airmen & women of the Defence Forces. Moving on to our first feature article Covid Call Centre by Cpl Shay Singleton, Shay looks back at his deployment to the very first Covid Call Centre set up in 2020. Sgt Aiden Barrett serving with the 63rd Inf Gp UNDOF provides us with two short pieces about UN post 86Bravo and an Engineers operation in Hermon South. Pages 18 & 19, from one of our Ambassadors, Pte Lukasz Gancarz, serving with the 7 Inf Bn, D Coy, wrote on his own and his units series of challenges in honour of the soldiers of the siege ofJadotville in The Year of Jadotville Tigers. Lukasz features again in our front cover article Pilatus PC-9M, looking at the training of pilots in the simulator, navigation and the training role that the PC-9M provides moving on to other aircraft. A history piece features next from Christopher Warner about Sean Egan the 1980's Irish hammer throw Olympian. Christopher looks back on Seans early life and time in the Defence Forces. In yet another brilliant example of how Irish troops compare so highly against other nations, Lt Turlough Gallagher writes about his and his team from the 27 Inf Bn's Gold medal win in Exercise Cambrian Patrol 2021. Our 'From the Archives' is from March 1989, an article by Mick Dunne called I Wanna Go to Tibnin. Our DF Podcast feature by Tony O'Brien is from Season 3 Episode 1, Engineer Graduate Programme. As always, we have our regular features including Sgt Maj Mark Gallagher in our People of the Defence Forces feature written by our very own Cpl Martin Bennett. PSS continue providing vital mental health advice in Headspace and Timing as well as our Internal Comms piece for all the serving soldiers who read the magazine. Request for Information I am creating a pictorial chronology of Women in the Defence Forces to mark 40 years of service. While the book will be predominately a photographic record, I'd also like to include some vignettes and anecdotal records of life in DF. Anybody who would like to be included in the book is strongly encouraged to make contact with me via renken91@gmail.com. The book will feature the following topics - though this list is not exhaustive - early days following the foundation of the State, the Army Nursing Corps, change in legislation during the late 1970s, first eight cadets, first platoon, first apprentices, second platoon, integrated training from 1994, overseas, sport, family service (siblings, parent/daughter) and present day. I will need and would greatly appreciate members of the first two platoons from 1981 and 1990 to get in touch to educate me on their experiences, as having joined in 94 myself, I am somewhat familiar with life in DF since then! I would also like access to photos from those early days if people can share with me and I will conduct interviews with volunteers who are keen to be featured. This will be a publication that we can all take pride in and be a part of, so I really would urge people to get in touch. My publication date is aimed at mid-summer and by then hopefully we can hold an event to celebrate 40 years without Covid-19 spoiling play. Thanks in advance. «No man will make a great leader who wants to do it all himself or get the credit for doing it» – Andrew Carnegie Sgt Karl Byrne – Editor Sgt Rena Kennedy

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