UNEF 2

fofs

I served with the Irish contingent in the egypt in 1973, they were recalled to ireland in 1974 because of bombing in Dublin. I am a Canadian so I don't know much about this period of time in Ireland, Could anyone tell me what this was all about. By the way the irish lads did an outstanding job as peacekeepers.

Morpheus

Dublin Monoghan Bombings took place.

The troubles in Northern Ireland had kicked off in 69' and after 5 years of IRA bombings the loyalists or unionists decided that the carnage be brought home to the repulic down south...

number of conspiracy theories about who actually did the bombings even ones that suggested it was the IRA trying to build a hatred down south of the pro UK side up north and thus increase their own support down here but basically as a reaction by our govt to the threat of terrorism here, the army stationed along the border were bolstered up by withdrawing peackeepers from UN missions. They were effectively our most experienced and battle ready units as they were active service in war zones.

heres the news archive from the day this occured.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/onthisday/hi/dates/stories/may/17/newsid_4311000/4311459.stm

You have to remember that even though there was a lot of this across the border up north, there were relatively few attacks down here.

1974: Bombs devastate Dublin and Monaghan
Three car bombs have exploded in Dublin, killing 23 people and injuring more than 100 others during rush hour.

Five more people died and another 20 were hurt in a blast which hit the border town of Monaghan an hour later.

Up to 15 of the dead are believed to be women and two are thought to be baby boys.

Irish Prime Minister Liam Cosgrave condemned the bombings and said on TV: "I do not know which evil men did this but everyone who has practised violence or preached violence or condoned violence must bear his share of responsiblility.

"It will bring home to us what the people of Northern Ireland have been suffering for five long years."


Hundreds of people were in the street. They were running and screaming aimlessly.

Witness John Casey

The drama unfolded at around 1725 when two of the bombs tore through Talbot and Parnell Street before a third blast rocked South Leinster Street near Trinity College.

A fourth explosion struck a public house in Monaghan shortly after.

The city was immediately declared a disaster area.

A police spokesman said: "There were no warnings. These were acts of outright war. People had no chance.

"We are detaining everyone we think can help with inquiries. We believe the people behind this come from Northern Ireland."

Talbot Street, which was even more crowded than usual because of a corporation bus strike, was the worst hit area.

Several bodies lay in the road for half an hour as ambulances struggled to get through traffic jams.

Witness John Casey, who was walking into a Talbot Street hotel when the bomb went off, said: "Hundreds of people were in the street. They were running and screaming aimlessly.

"A newspaper stand was blown into the air past me and the newsboy next to it just disappeared in front of my eyes."

Immediately after the bombings the Ulster Defence Association in Belfast denied planting the bombs as did the Provisional IRA.

But police later discovered that all four cars had Ulster registration plates and two of them had been hijacked in Protestant areas in Belfast.

fofs

Thanks Morph that explains what happened perfectly, they were combat ready troops and left a real hole in our defences, they were replaced by troops from Senagal who could not match the balls the Irish troops had when dealing with thr warrinf factions.



Again thanks fofs