The end of a long week. I was reflecting on the transition from service, especially given the extraordinary display of skill and commitment by the Defence Forces, and the Joint Task Force this week. The Army, Naval Service, Air Corps, and Army Ranger Wing in particular to the fore in an arduous, complex, and important... Continue Reading →
If you're in #Dublin tomorrow evening & have an interest in the Defence Forces & contemporary security policy, the book launch of 'The EU, Irish Defence Forces and Contemporary Security’, will be held at the Royal Irish Academy on the 27th of July, starting at 6:30 pm.With an address by Tánaiste Michael Martin TD and Noelle O... Continue Reading →
At 2359hrs, I officially retire from permanent service with An tSeirbhís Chabhlaigh after 25 years, 3 months, and 3 days. Thank you to my wonderful family for everything they have endured over the years of my service. It is your love, strength, and support which makes all things possible. To my comrades and colleagues, and... Continue Reading →
Really pleased to have an article "#BeMore with the Naval Service" in this months An Cosantóir. You can read the entire magazine via the link at the bottom of this post. It's great to have the opportunity to explore the Navy Technical Recruitment, Retention, and Regeneration Cell (TRRRC) where I work. The Defence Forces are... Continue Reading →
The island of Haulbowline is filled with history. Each stone and step, every nook and cranny, from the lowest ebb of the tide on now silent slips, to the lofty reaches of the visual signaling tower. This rich history can fade into the background, drowned out by the hustle and bustle of the modern age.... Continue Reading →
I had the great pleasure to take part in the Making a Living Podcast with Brendan Fitzgerald. On Brendan's own YouTube channel you'll find this information: "MAKING A LIVING WITH BRENDAN FITZGERALD", THE PREMISE - Choosing the right path for our future is never easy and the more insights we can gain from people who... Continue Reading →
Reproduced here with the kind permission of the Editor of An Cosantóir, this is my article which featured in Special Commemorative Edition on the occasion of the Naval Service 75th Anniversary. The celebration of the 75th anniversary of the Naval Service is a milestone in the long and rich history of service. No celebration could... Continue Reading →
Reproduced here with the kind permission of the Editor of An Cosantóir, this is my article which featured in Special Commemorative Edition on the occasion of the Naval Service 75th Anniversary. They were the ships onboard which a generation of sailors came of age, and they lead the way for others to follow. Built in... Continue Reading →
Twelve feet above the deck,The smell can make you gag,Five hundred salt water soaked,Unwashed humans in forty degrees, Make a few bad jokes to cover up your shame,That your stomach churned at scabies riddled teenager,Sunglasses will hide guilty eyes,To mask your revulsion, Overcompensate later by giving an extra ration,To a brown-eyed child,Draped from shoulder to... Continue Reading →
On the 21st day of September, On the International Day of Peace, Conflicts rage across the planet, People die from twenty-cent Czech bullets, Five-yuan Chinese machetes, Two-hundred-ruble Belarusian boots, Six-hundred-dollar vigilante assault rifles, And one-hundred-and-seventy-thousand-dollar bombs, A response to headlines screaming terror, Yet poverty culls far more, But that cannot fuel the industry, So demagogues... Continue Reading →
Alone. In that empty lifejacket,adrift upon the sea,was lost child or brother,borne away so far,to die alone,reduced to a statistic, Meaningless data thrown up,racing endless streams of television,infographic footnotes risk all,carrying dreams,daring tomorrows,out on the waves, Driven by the eternal motion,as the grains all settle back,washing final footprints from the sand,no mother’s tears will wet... Continue Reading →
The Master's Dog Guilty looks from left to right, Glancing over sunken shoulders, Ensuring fitting purity for the words: "Filthy black bastard", It rolls out of yellowed mouth, Hits the deck like a seagull's shit, Always seeking their approval,Like a dog aching for the Master's hand, Such a common thing, Delivered with the snigger swagger,... Continue Reading →
Paper Never Refused Ink! 
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