Cheers and emotional reunions as Irish peacekeepers touch down on home soil

By Rebecca Black, PA

There were emotional scenes at Dublin Airport as Irish peacekeepers received a warm welcome home after six months in Lebanon.

The arrivals hall at Terminal 1 was packed with family and friends of more than 200 troops who had spent the last six months serving with the UN in southern Lebanon during escalating hostilities in the Middle East.

Many held banners which read messages including “welcome home son” and “Sgt Molloy report for daddy duty”, as scores of young children waved Irish and United Nations flags as they waited for the sliding doors to open and reveal their loved ones.

There was a huge cheer as the doors opened to reveal the first of the Irish Defence Forces walking through to be reunited with their loved ones, and tears as parents, spouses and children got long-awaited hugs.

Irish troops escaped injury last month when a military camp where they were based was struck by a rocket during fighting between the Israel Defence Forces and Hezbollah.

Camp Shamrock, known as United Nations Post 2-45, is a short distance from the Israeli border and is close to areas controlled by Hezbollah militants.

United Nations Interim Force Lebanon (Unifil) has described any deliberate attack on peacekeepers as a grave violation of international humanitarian law and Security Council resolution 1701 (2006).

The Irish troops were part of the 124th Infantry Battalion, Unifil, drawn from the 7th Infantry Battalion based at Cathal Brugha Barracks, Dublin.

They were deployed from May as part of Unifil ing Chapter 6 Peace Operations, as part of 341 personnel also drawn from Malta, Poland and Hungary.

The Irish force was aged from 19 to 58, and included 92 travelling overseas for the first time with the Defence Forces.

Among those waiting were the grandparents, parents and girlfriend of Private Jack Cassidy, 24.

His grandfather Michael Cassidy held a “home sweet home” sign as well as a Meath flag as they waited.

He said they were incredibly proud of Pte Cassidy, saying he always wanted to help people from a young age.

While they had been worried about events in southern Lebanon during his tour, they described an incredibly proud day as they waited for him to return safely home.

“We’ve seen some things on television that left us wondering all right,” he said.

“He’s always been involved with helping people.”

Daniel Keenan from Belfast was also among the troops greeted by family. He said it is harder for the families than for the troops themselves.

“It’s harder on them. When we’re out there, we’re thinking about what is ahead of us on the mission, patrolling. We have all the camaraderie and brotherhood to keep us going,” he said.

He said the uncertainty was challenging.

“It was getting through day by day, you didn’t know when you were getting showers, food and so on, but it was grand,” he said.

Calvin Conway was reunited with his young son Rian as he walked through arrivals, and paid tribute to his family at home “doing all of the work”.

“I got home on leave for his first day at school so that turned out well, but he’s grown even since then,” he said.

“It’s great to be home, and I’m sure a lot of Christmas shopping has been planned for me.”