An Cosantóir

| 5 www.military.ie THE DEFENCE FORCES MAGAZINE Manager Comdt Helen Hosback info@military.ie +353 (0)45 44 5306 Editor Sgt John Rossiter connect@military.ie +353 (0)45 44 5307 Photo/Journalist Vacant journalist@military.ie Photographer A/M Sam Gibney photo@military.ie Admin NCO Cpl Martin Bennett subs@military.ie +353 (0)45 44 5312 DF/PR Information Cpl Eric Ryan magazine@military.ie +353 (0)45 44 5308 DF Webmaster Sgt Louise McDonald webmaster@military.ie +353 (0)45 44 5307 Magazine Archivist Mr Seán Shinnors Civilian Journalist Tony O'Brien Designer/Advertising 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 Front Cover By Pte Derek Feehan Back Cover By Airman Sam Gibney Editorial H ello, and welcome to our second issue of 2023, our 83rd volume of the An Cosantóir magazine. We hope you enjoy reading this edition and will continue to enjoy reading all the other An Cosantóir magazines we will publish in 2023. As a team, we thrive on providing you with interesting and up-to-date content. We recently conducted a survey on IKON looking for opinions and ideas for the content of the magazine. Thank you to all who took part in the survey. If you missed it, you can still have your say by emailing us at magazine@military.ie. We are looking for contributors to the magazine, whether it be an article, photographs for our On Parade section, or even a charity event that you might be organising. We would be more than happy to feature the event in the An Cosantóir along with the GoFundMe link. Contributors are in with a chance of getting some cool prizes, so why not contribute? Our Noticeboard page features an advertisement for our An Cosantóir photo competition, which will come with one of these prizes. Our main feature this edition is brought to us by Fergus Barrett on Mindfulness and Meditation. Fergus is a retired Sgt and explains that when he left the DF, he found it extremely hard to find his identity. After finally letting go of the Army, he took up the profession of mindfulness teacher, an area that he is extremely passionate about. This is a very interesting read that everybody could benefit from for their own well-being. Fergus also runs a mindfulness course for serving and retired members of the DF, and all proceeds go to O.N.E. Lt Robert Sheehan takes us through the 1 Bde Arty Regt Operational Capabilities Concept (OCC). OCC is a NATO examination designed to gauge the degree of compatibility with NATO policy. For the drill, more than 100 soldiers from 1 Bde Arty Regt deployed to Kilworth with reinforcements from 2 Bde Arty Regt. The ability of the unit 's UAV and FST asset to provide an intelligence, surveillance, target acquisition, and reconnaissance (ISTAR) element to the fire planning cell was evaluated in a number of scenarios, including IED and CBRN threats, the deployment and actions of an artillery battery, as well as the exercise. 'Ginger' O'Connell and The Military Archives is brought to us by Comdt Daniel Ayiotis. The Military Archives can be traced back to 1923, when Commandant General Piaras Béasla asked the Chief of Staff to allow the temporary establishment of a "War Records Office." This was denied due to widespread demobilization following the Civil War. There was still a need for an archival service within the Army, so Colonel M.J. Costello established the Military Archives as a sub-section of the Intelligence Branch in 1924. Comdt Daniel Ayiotis is the author of the recently published The Military Archives: A History (Dublin: Eastwood, 2022), available from all good bookshops or directly from the publisher at wordwellbooks.com. We wish him continued success with his publication. Our feature on sports is brought to us by Comdt Claire Mortimer, who takes us back 23 years to when DF Ladies Football (DFLF) was founded. She describes how GA A legends Col Pat Herbert Retd, Lt Sue Ramsbottom, and Cpl Ann Molloy Retd selected a panel from approximately 60 ladies who showed up to play in trials. This group of ladies demonstrated exceptional leadership both on and off the field, paving the way for those who would go on to represent the Defence Forces GA A team both at home and abroad. We look forward to seeing the DFLF continue its success. Sgt Robert Delaney outlines "The true story of a barrack grave, Joseph Poole and Griffith Barracks". Joseph Poole was executed in 1883 for the murder of a Fenian informer and was buried in an unmarked grave in the prison hospital yard. At various stages over the next 100 years there were attempts to find the location of the grave which were unfortunately unsuccessful. The National Boxing Stadium now stands on part of the site of the old Barracks. Sgt Delaney outlines the intriguing history of Griffith Barracks in his article. DF Sports and Clubs notifies all members of upcoming events along with contact details for all Reps. As always, we have our regular features including PSS, continuing to provide vital mental health advice in 'Headspace and Timing' as well as our 'Internal Comms' piece for all the serving soldiers who read the magazine. From the archives brings us back to an "End of an Era" with the closing of 1 ADR, and not forgetting our book reviews on page 28. Internal Comms provides us with an update from D Ordnance Office regarding upcoming changes and issues of equipment that is currently ongoing. "Change will not come if we wait for some other person or some other time. We are the ones we've been waiting for. We are the change that we seek." - Barack Obama Sgt John Rossiter – Editor

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