Ian Crowley

Ireland, the weak link in European defence By Cécile Ducourtieux (Cork [Ireland], Dublin, special report) Published on the Le Monde website today at 06:30 UTC+2 (Translated) lemonde.fr/international/… Investigation | Irish neutrality, long perceived as a guarantee of independence from the former British coloniser, is crumbling under European and Atlantic pressures. After decades of naval impotence, Dublin has committed itself to strengthening its navy. In Cobh, in the south of Ireland, a few kilometres from Cork, the waterfront promenade offers a breath-taking view of Haulbowline Island, the main headquarters of the Irish Naval Service. At the end of February, under clouds of rain on the horizon, black and white boats were constantly going back and forth to transport military personnel. "We can make out a Martello tower [a small fortress from the turn of the nineteenth century], built by the British to prevent the risk of Napoleonic invasion. And we can see the masts of four of our patrol boats," comments Caoimhin Mac Unfraidh, pointing to the island. This naval officer has commanded the LE Eithne, a helicopter carrier of the Irish fleet decommissioned at the end of 2022 after thirty-eight years of service. Retired since 2023, the fifty-year-old observes Haulbowline Island [Inis Sionnach ab ainm é as Gaeilge] from the shore, torn between pride and bitterness. "My personal journey is part of a broader context: I left the navy after almost reaching the highest ranks, due to a lack of prospects in such a small fleet. The number of ships was decreasing without any plans to replace them," he says. "The navy has eight ships, of which only three or four are operational: patrol boats, lacking underwater surveillance and air defence capabilities," sums up Vice Admiral Mark Mellett, who was the chief of staff of the Irish Defence Forces until 2021. In addition, there are two maritime patrol aircraft and less than 900 active personnel. These are very meagre resources for an island country with an exclusive economic zone (EEZ) of 450,000 square kilometres in the North Atlantic, and responsible for protecting major national and international economic interests, both on land...." And there it ends unless you are a Le Monde subscriber and can access the rest. The point of this post is that indefensible Defence policies followed by successive Irish governments for the past 80 years, and their abdication of airspace and territorial maritime sovereignty to our neighbours, who have the right to violate them in self Defence because our politicians choose not to enforce our neutrality, are being examined in great detail in Europe. Quelle honte ! @HMcEntee @MichealMartinTD @SimonHarrisTD @MHealyRae

The ‘new Ireland’ that republicans dream of must be accompanied by a new flag; the divisive Tricolour isn’t cutting it anymore, writes @JohnCharlesLave belfasttelegraph.co.uk/comment/opinio…

Cyprus and France carried out joint military training (#Themis26), to strengthen interoperability, operational readiness, and European defence cooperation in the Eastern Mediterranean. 🇫🇷🇨🇾 via gov.cy