Strong Offaly link to Lebanon-bound battalion
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Tullamore resident Lt. Col Conor Bates, is the Officer Commanding the 118th Infantry Battalion.Image 2 of 2
Tropper Brian Kennedy from Daingean is pictured in conversation with Defence Forces chief of staff Vice-Admiral Mark Mellett at a review of the group in Custume Barracks, Athlone, this week. Photos: Irish Defence Forces.A total of 341 Irish soldiers are currently preparing for an overseas mission to Lebanon as part of the 118th Infantry Battalion, which will include Daingean boxing champion, Brian Kennedy and Tullamore resident, Lt. Col Conor Bates, who is the Officer Commanding the battalion.
Tropper Brian Kennedy, who is part of the Recce Company, has represented both Ireland and the Defence Forces in Boxing and is the holder of five Leinster boxing titles and six All-Ireland medals. The only child of John and Anna Kennedy from Daingean, he is a member of the St. Mary’s Boxing Club in Daingean, where his father is his coach. The 22-year old has also represented Ireland at both European and World Boxing Championships, and since joining the Defence Forces he has represented the Irish Army at the CISM Military World Championships in China where he was very narrowly defeated by a Chinese opponent.
The Officer Commanding the 118th Infantry Battalion in Lebanon is Lt. Col Conor Bates, who lives in Tullamore with his wife Sinéad, daughter Saoirse and sons, Jack and Dara. A native of Clonaslee, in nearby Laois, he was commissioned in 1991 and is a highly experienced member of the Irish Defence Forces having held various appointments in units throughout the Defence Forces, including The Office of Deputy Chief of Staff (Support; Strategic Planning Branch, Military Finance Branch and most recently Officer Commanding 6th Infantry Battalion in Custume Barracks, Athlone.
The holder of a BA in Economics and History from NUIG and an MA in Management from Maynooth University, Lt Col Bates has completed five previous tours of overseas duty, including two to Lebanon, two to Kosovo and one to Mali.
The 341 Irish members of the 118th Infantry Battalion is due to deploy to the Lebanon next month as part of UNIFIL, where it will commence operations as part of a multinational battalion alongside Maltese, Polish and Hungarian personnel.
The mission will include 17 female Defence Forces personnel, and 78 of those travelling will be on their first overseas posting.
Personnel travelling represent 28 counties across Ireland with the largest contingents coming from Offaly, Westmeath, Kildare, Dublin and Cork.
The oldest member travelling is 58 years old while the youngest is just 19 years of age