Lebanon and Ireland: A Legacy of Peacekeeping and Sacrifice
On a brisk spring morning in 1978, as conflict smoldered in the hills and valleys of Lebanon, a group of Irish peacekeepers stepped onto foreign soil with a fragile hope: to carry forward a mission of peace amid chaos. Decades later, the UN Security Council voted decisively to draw down the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) by 2027, marking the beginning of the end of an era. For Ireland, this is not just the closure of a chapter; it’s a story filled with courage, duty, tragedy, and enduring bonds that have spanned generations.
Roots of Ireland’s Commitment: The Dawn of a Peacekeeping Tradition
Ireland’s connection to Lebanon stretches back over 65 years. In 1958, a modest contingent of 50 Irish officers was dispatched as part of the United Nations Observer Group in Lebanon (UNOGIL), Ireland’s first foray into international peacekeeping. Amid tensions ignited by Lebanon’s internal conflicts and regional rivalries, these observers monitored the Armistice Demarcation Line between Lebanon and Israel—an early testament to Ireland’s enduring commitment to global peace efforts.
Back then, with modest resources and a clear but limited mandate, Irish soldiers patrolled volatile terrain, embodying a spirit that would come to define the nation’s approach to peacekeeping: low profile, measured, but unwavering.
The Bloodied Birth of UNIFIL
The year 1978 was a turning point. After a devastating Palestinian attack on northern Israel resulted in 30 civilian casualties, Israel launched a swift and decisive invasion into southern Lebanon. The United Nations responded with monumental urgency: Security Council Resolutions 425 and 426 established UNIFIL on March 19, 1978, aiming to restore peace, confirm Israeli withdrawal, and support Lebanese sovereignty.
For Ireland, that translated into a significant military commitment—a full battalion of 650 soldiers deployed for a six-month shift. Often lightly armed infantry, Irish troops were thrust into one of the world’s most entangled and dangerous conflicts, tasked with monitoring a fractured border where allegiances shifted daily, and violence lurked just behind every ridge.
Between Crossfire and Community: Life as an Irish Peacekeeper
Imagine patrolling small mountainous villages like Tibnin, Bra’shit, and At-Tiri, where lush olive groves conceal battle scars and wary eyes watch from the hillsides. Irish peacekeepers found themselves walking a razor’s edge—a line between armed militias like Hezbollah and Amal, the Israel-backed South Lebanon Army (SLA), and Palestinian factions. Their mission was perilous. They were instruments of peace in a war zone, but also, at times, inadvertent pawns in a broader regional conflict.
“Our job was simple in theory, near impossible in practice,” retired Captain Emer O’Connell recounted in an interview. “You were trying to keep peace while being under fire from groups who didn’t want peace. You became part guardian, part medic, part neighbor.”
Indeed, beyond their military duties, the Irish soldiers became pillars of the local communities. They provided vital healthcare through makeshift clinics—dental care, emergency treatment, sometimes just a reassuring presence that transcended language and culture.
But the risks were brutal. Between 1978 and 2000, 47 Irish peacekeepers lost their lives in Lebanon—15 of them killed in hostile fire, others victims of tragic accidents that added a grim cadence to the mission’s toll. Their sacrifices whispered through the hills alongside the echoes of gunfire and mortar blasts.
A Tragic Breach Within
The mission was not without its darkest moments. In 1982, a horrific episode unfolded when Private Michael McAleavey, under opaque and tragic circumstances, fatally shot three fellow Irish soldiers at a checkpoint. This rare instance of internal violence shocked both Ireland and the international community, casting a somber shadow on an already fraught mission.
Despite such tragedies, the Irish resolve remained firm, underscored by the belief that despite the violence, their presence saved countless lives and deterred wider conflict.
Turning Points: Israeli Withdrawal and Mission Transitions
By 2000, two decades of protracted strife had taken a heavy toll. Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak decided to pull Israel’s military forces back from southern Lebanon, effectively ending a 22-year occupation. This withdrawal prompted chaos: roughly 5,000 members of the SLA and their families fled to Israel, fearing reprisals from advancing Lebanese forces.
This seismic shift meant Irish peacekeepers were withdrawn too, with UNIFIL significantly downsized. Yet, Lebanon’s simmering instability pulled Ireland back into the fray in 2011 with a renewed, albeit leaner, contingent. Operated in partnership with Polish and other international forces, Irish troops now operate closer to the border than before, maintaining a vigilant peacekeeping presence amid a region that remains as complex as ever.
The Personal Cost Continues: Remembering Private Seán Rooney
The peacekeepers’ sacrifices are painfully tangible even in recent memory. In December 2022, Private Seán Rooney was killed when his armored vehicle was attacked near the village of Al-Aqbiya, close to the main highway into Beirut. A stark reminder that the fog of war still shrouds the region, Rooney’s death hit close to home in Ireland.
Mohammad Ayyad, convicted in absentia for the killing and sentenced to death in Lebanon, remains at large—a haunting symbol of the unfinished business that continues to stalk UNIFIL’s mission.
Reflecting on Legacy: What Does Peacekeeping Mean Today?
As the countdown to 2027 begins and UNIFIL prepares to withdraw, one must ponder what legacy peacekeeping leaves behind—not only in Lebanon but in the hearts of those who served and the communities they touched.
Where does peacekeeping fit in a world growing increasingly complex, where the lines between conflict and peace blur more than ever? Ireland’s journey—from tentative observer to frontline peacekeeper—offers a deeply human narrative of bravery amidst uncertainty, service amidst strife.
“It’s about more than just soldiers or strategies. It’s about human connection,” reflects Nora Hassan, a Lebanese schoolteacher from Tibnin. “Those men and women who came from so far away—we saw them not just as peacekeepers, but as friends. They carried the heavy weight of hope for a better future.”
In the sweeping tides of history that have marked Lebanon’s tortured landscape, the story of Irish peacekeepers is a poignant thread—woven with loss, resilience, and the relentless pursuit of peace.
What Will the Future Hold?
Will the withdrawal leave Lebanon more vulnerable to renewed conflict? Or can the seeds of stability planted over decades take root and flourish? For the global community, the answer may come in how we understand and support peacekeeping—not as a static mission, but a living promise to those caught in the crossfire.
As you read this, consider the countless unsung people who embody that promise, far from home, standing watch while history unfolds around them.
What does peace mean to you?
