An Cosantóir

| 29 www.military.ie THE DEFENCE FORCES MAGAZINE www.military.ie THE DEFENCE FORCES MAGAZINE | 29 'the boy colonel' his lectures were packed to capacity with audiences including government ministers. Costello was appointed Assistant Chief of Staff in 1937 until the outbreak of war in September 1939, when he was appointed O/C Southern Command. Mindful of the success of An t-Óglách as a means of disseminating training material, Costello was instrumental in founding An Cosantóir in 1940. In early 1941 Costello became commander of the newly raised First 'Thunderbolt' Division with the rank of Major- General. This formation was primarily responsible for the defence of the south coast of Ireland at a time when the threat of invasion was very real. In Costello's words; 'Given the inadequate armament and signal equipment of the forces, training concentrated on attaining superiority over a potential invader in night operations with small forces expected to yield capture of enemy arms and ammunition, in cross country mobility and in marksmanship and the use of mines and explosives generally. The platoons made silent advances during dark nights over difficult and unknown country.' All units in the division were required to regularly carry out thirty mile marches and in 1944, one of Costello's units carried out a 44-mile march carrying 40-pound packs in eleven hours which was later recognised as a world record for a speed march carried out under peacetime conditions. To quote a contemporary: 'he was a soldiers general, strict but fair, and above all consistent, dependable and competent. He might – indeed probably would – lead you into danger and even death, but it would be on the basis of well-judged and calculated risks. Therefore, one would not hesitate to follow his lead.' With the end of The Emergency in 1945, the First Division was demobilised and Costello promoted to Lieutenant General. He then took early retirement to take up the post of General Manager of the Irish Sugar Company [Cómlucht Siúicre Eireann]. Formed in 1933 as a state-controlled company, the company then comprised 720 full time staff in four factories and had been bedevilled with chronic industrial unrest from the outset. Costello quickly formed works councils and safety committees and introduced measures that made it possible for workers to follow a career path to key positions. Demobilised army officers were recruited to reorganise the company transport system. 'The General' (as Costello continued to be known) pioneered soil testing and lime production and under his direction, Irish Sugar branched out into crop production on peat land, manufacture of agricultural machinery and processed foods. Another innovation was Irish Sugar's purchase of Ireland's first electronic computer in 1957. By the time Costello retired in 1966, the Sugar Company was a thriving concern with over five thousand staff. There had been no strikes during his twenty years as General Manager. In retirement, 'The General' continued to lecture extensively on business organisation and agriculture and held many appointments including vice president of the Military History Society of Ireland. Following a heart attack, Costello died on 20 October 1986, aged 82. He was buried in Clontarf with full military honours. His obituary in An Cosantóir described him as 'one of the most outstandingly able officers the Army has produced.' On the 17 Sept 2026 a centenary event took place in Pearse Officers' Mess to mark the Military Mission to the United States of America in 1926. Family members of the six officers that travelled gathered in the Mess, along with members of the DF Board, officials from DoD, academics, historians, published authors and a wide array of DF personnel. The six principal members of the Mission were Major General Hugh MacNeill, Colonel Michael Costello, Major Joseph Dunne, Captain Patrick Berry, Lieutenant Seán Collins-Powell and 2nd Lieutenant Charles Trodden. The two main objectives of the Mission were to make a general study of the United States National Defence Act in operation and of the United States military system, while particularly focusing on their military education. This included tours of observation and inspection and knowledge development opportunities for the Officers in three of the principal American Army Schools: Fort Leavenworth, Kansas (General Services School), Fort Benning, Georgia (Infantry School), and Fort Sill, Oklahoma (Field Artillery School). This mission laid the foundations for the establishment of the Military College, which would ultimately train thousands of DF personnel over the years, owing thanks to those personnel that went on the original mission in 1926. The afternoon in Pearse Officers' Mess heard speeches from the Commandant of the Military College, Col Prendergast, the Chief of Staff, Lt Gen Mulcahy and Dr Michael Kennedy from the Royal Irish Academy. The day culminated with a tree planting ceremony in the mess gardens.

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