Irish Troops Return to Ireland Following Six-Month Lebanon Deployment

On Monday, over 200 Irish soldiers, members of the 124th Infantry Battalion, arrived back in Ireland from Lebanon. The contingent, part of the United Nations Interim Force Lebanon (Unifil), landed at Dublin Airport after completing a six-month deployment in South Lebanon. Emotional scenes unfolded in the arrivals hall, marked by tears and cheers, as the returning troops were greeted by numerous excited children, parents, and partners, who waved flags, balloons, and posters. These returning soldiers had been stationed within the IRISHPOLBATT Area of Operations (AO) since the commencement of the conflict involving Israel and Hezbollah. On several occasions, Unifil personnel, including these specific Irish troops, had to seek refuge in protected positions and bunkers due to the area experiencing incoming fire. A Unifil outpost situated on the Israel-Lebanon border sustained damage last month amidst hostilities between the two factions. WiFi communication in the region ceased months prior, preventing the Irish troops from contacting their families as they typically would. Among those awaiting a returning soldier were Belfast resident Sarah McCabe and her daughter Saoirse, who were there for her husband, Sean Pol. Sarah, a cardio-physiologist at Belfast Children’s Hospital, described family life as challenging in her partner’s absence. She stated, “It’s very hard without him, for pick-ups and afterschool stuff. You’re a single parent for six months.” She added, “This is like Christmas Eve all over again, just waiting to the big day.” “From the moment he left I’ve been counting down. So has the little one,” she remarked. Sean Pol has served in the Irish Defence Forces for 18 years; however, the worsening situation in the Middle East has intensified concerns for families. “It’s a very worrying time, but the lack of communication this time. Normally we’d hear from him everyday but it was a couple of days at least before we’d hear from him,” she commented. She confessed, “I was a bit obsessed with the news to be honest, I’m not normally, but I became obsessed.” “People in work kept bringing it up and I had to tell them to stop,” she stated. Sarah McGeeney, a resident of Dundalk, expressed that the wait for her brother Sean’s return had been considerable. “This one was a lot tougher and the wait has been much anticipated, I’m delighted he’s coming home,” she remarked. She noted, “This is his second time in Lebanon.” “I did a bit of both with the news, I was avoiding and then it became an obsession. We tried to keep in contact and keep calm as much as we could,” she explained. She added, “Sean was in the bunker so there was a lot of cabin fever but he said the morale between the lads is good and they keep each other going.” Mary and John Fleming, hailing from Galway, were accompanied by family and friends at the airport. Both their eldest and youngest sons, Darren and Evan Fleming, are currently deployed in Lebanon. Mary stated, “It’s so overwhelming to see them come home, worrying if they were going to get out at all. We’re just buzzing.” John further commented, “I’m overwhelmed and excited and anxious.” “I’m going to squeeze them to death, this one was extremely hard. Thank God they’re home,” he expressed. He then questioned, “Why can we not live in peace for the few years we’re on this planet?” Jamie Kilmurry, a returning soldier, held his daughter while informing the press that being home felt “unbelievable.” This marks his second deployment to Lebanon, and he observed changes in the area. He stated, “I just want to relax after being away for six months.” “We made do without the internet, we could ring home on landlines,” he added. He concluded, “Morale is good yeah, it’s the joys of the job.” Ashling Keogh, from Coolock, is returning from her inaugural tour of Lebanon and expressed feeling “overwhelmed.” “I’m so excited to be home, it’s been a long six months waiting for this moment,” she conveyed. She continued, “This was my first time overseas, it was challenging definitely but I enjoyed it.” “I’m going to go home and see my dog now,” she concluded. Copyright 2024 BBC. All rights reserved. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Read about our approach to external linking.