Why did the Irish fight in the Congo?

In September 1961, the Irish Army under the United Nations flag was engaged in operations against Katanga, a breakaway region in Congo. Some 155 Irish troops were stationed at a little base near Jadotville in order to protect the citizens of the small mining town.

Who were the Irish fighting in the siege of jadotville?

Irish Commandant Pat Quinlan leads a stand off with troops against French and Belgian Mercenaries in the Congo during the early 1960s. Irish Commandant Pat Quinlan leads a stand off with troops against French and Belgian Mercenaries in the Congo during the early 1960s.

How accurate is the movie The Siege of jadotville?

All these stories have been made into fairly inaccurate films, but The siege of Jadotville tells a generally accurate story of the inexperienced Irish Army suddenly finding itself in someone else’s civil war in the 1960s and the problems they faced during the battle.

Did the Irish fight in ww2?

Ireland has been neutral in international relations since the 1930s. Historically, the state was a “non-belligerent” in the Second World War (see Irish neutrality during World War II) and has never joined NATO, although during the Cold War it was anti-communist and aloof from the Non-Aligned Movement. …

How many Irish soldiers died?

86 Irish soldiers
A total of 86 Irish soldiers have died in the service of the United Nations since 1960 (see List of Irish military casualties overseas).

Did the Irish surrender at Jadotville?

Patrick Quinlan (1919–1997) was an Irish Army officer who commanded the Irish UN force that fought at the Siege of Jadotville in Katanga in 1961, and surrendered when they ran out of ammunition and other supplies.

What happened to Pat Quinlan?

Quinlan never served overseas again, and retired as a full colonel after 40 years with the Irish Army. He died in 1997. The veterans of Jadotville were dissatisfied with the Defence Forces’ refusal to acknowledge the battle and the implied black mark on the reputation of their commander.

How many Irish soldiers went to jadotville?

A little over 150 Irish UN troops held out against up to 5,000 soldiers until they ran out of ammunition and food using tactics that are now textbook material for aspiring military leaders in many countries.

Why did the Irish not fight in WW2?

The reasons for Irish neutrality during the Second World War are widely accepted: that any attempt to take an overtly pro-British line might have resulted in a replay of the Civil War; that Southern Ireland could make little material contribution to the Allied effort, while engagement without adequate defence would …

Who did Ireland fight for in WW2?

Irish citizens could serve in the British armed forces, as at least 50,000 in the British Army did, as well as in the Merchant Navy and Royal Air Force, with some rising up the ranks rapidly, such as the youngest wing commander fighter ace in the RAF’s history, Brendan Finucane.

What happened to the Irish troops at Jadotville?

It was at this point that the Irish troops at Jadotville, part of the fourth Irish contingent to deploy to the Congo (35 Battalion), came under attack at the isolated post at the mining town of Jadotville. They had been deployed there, supposedly, to protect the lives of European civilians.

What happened at the Siege of Jadotville in 1961?

Siege of Jadotville. The siege of Jadotville was an engagement during the Congo Crisis in September 1961. “A” Company, 35th Battalion (UN service) of the Irish Army ONUC contingent was attacked by Katangese Gendarmerie troops loyal to the Katangese Prime Minister Moïse Tshombe.

Were there any Irish troops in the Congo in 1960?

Irish members of ONUC in the Congo a year prior to the siege (1960) The 500 Irish and Swedish UN troops based in Kamina, and Indian army Gurkhas (seemingly 3rd Battalion, 1 Gorkha Rifles) made several attempts to relieve the besieged Irish soldiers.

Why did the United Nations send Irish troops to the Congo?

The UN mission, of which Irish troops became a part, was, at first to protect civilians and to restore order, with the wider aim of preventing a clash of the Cold War antagonists in Africa.