Military – Postcards

That Friday Siren Sound

November 13, 2022 No Comments

Ever hear that air-raid klaxon sound on a Friday afternoon? In fact, it is a “test general alarm”, according to Mick Duffy, company quartermaster of Cathal Brugha Barracks. It’s just for the barracks, not for the rest of us. If it were for real, and not just an every-Friday test, it would be a call to […]

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Government History Military

L.E. Eithne – a floating museum?

July 11, 2022 No Comments

https://www.thejournal.ie/irish-navy-decommission-eithne-orla-ciara-5805258-Jul2022/ Now, that’d be a nice bit of history. We don’t have much naval history on show for an island nation. The Eithne was the last naval ship built in Ireland, so it’s a piece of history in itself.

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Europe Military

EU Common Defence

July 20, 2016 No Comments

This is one to watch: Germany eyes EU defense union without Britain Germany and France want to forge closer defense cooperation in the European Union following the departure of Britain, which has “paralyzed” such initiatives in the past, German Defence Minister Ursula von der Leyen said on Wednesday. Presenting a report on German security policy, […]

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Military UK

UK’s Nuclear Deterrent in the age of drones

February 17, 2016 No Comments

Interesting observations in the age of the drones. All declared threats to Britain tend to come either from powers with no conceivable designs on conquering Britain or from forces immune to deterrence. Nor has anyone explained why, if Trident is so vital to Britain’s safety, that is not true for the 25 non-nuclear Nato states, […]

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Films History Military

‘Jadotville’

October 8, 2015 No Comments

Netflix have picked this up exclusively, so I hear. http://www.irishtimes.com/life-and-style/people/film-siege-of-jadotville-to-reveal-heroism-of-irish-troops-1.1891868 It’s a fascinating story, I’d consider getting Netflix for this.

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Government Military

2015 Defence White Paper

August 26, 2015August 26, 2015 No Comments

The new 10 year Defence white paper is to be published today – “Government plans to strengthen Defence Forces” (RTÉ): The Government is to provide new and upgraded equipment for the Army, Naval Service and Air Corps, including new aircraft, naval ships and armoured personnel carriers. The plan also commits to doubling the number of […]

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History Military War

“All those buried here in Halbe were very young people, some didn’t even know how to spell Wehrmacht but were drafted all the same.”

May 6, 2015 No Comments

Seven decades after the second World War ended in Berlin, Germany is still burying its dead. And here in the military graveyard in Halbe, an hour southeast of Berlin, hundreds of people have turned out to pay their respects to the latest soldiers to join the 27,000 already lying here.Most lost their lives here in […]

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History Military Oddities

The Story of How NORAD’s Santa Tracker Began

December 20, 2014 No Comments

Lovely little interview in the NPR that explains the story of how the Santa Tracker came to be. Terri remembers her dad had two phones on his desk, including a red one. “Only a four-star general at the Pentagon and my dad had the number,” she says. “This was the ’50s, this was the Cold […]

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Military Popcorn Time

Third Samuel Beckett Class OPV to be purchased – Arguments over name commence!

June 30, 2014June 30, 2014 No Comments

The government has taken the option to purchase third new Naval Service ship of the Samuel Beckett class. This has promptly re-opened the argument about what it should be named, given that the Navy has departed from the old scheme of naming ships after female Irish mythological figures. Film-maker Neil Jordan said he would organise […]

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Who?

Murf

That Friday Siren Sound

L.E. Eithne – a floating museum?

EU Common Defence

UK’s Nuclear Deterrent in the age of drones

‘Jadotville’

2015 Defence White Paper

“All those buried here in Halbe were very young people, some didn’t even know how to spell Wehrmacht but were drafted all the same.”

The Story of How NORAD’s Santa Tracker Began

Third Samuel Beckett Class OPV to be purchased – Arguments over name commence!

Category: Military