Pte Brian Kennedy from Daingean, who recently returned from South Lebanon where he was on a UNIFIL Peacekeeping Mission with members of the 118th Infantry Battallion of the Irish Defence Forces.

30-second showers and blistering sun in 'tense and unstable' South Lebanon

As he prepares for some well-earned time off, the Offaly-based officer commanding the 180th Infantry Battalion UNIFIL mission to South Lebanon has spoken of the sacrifices made by the families of serving military personnel.

Lieutenant Col Conor Bates, who lives with his wife and family in Mucklagh, paid fulsome tribute to the partners and families of the 341 Defence Forces personnel who returned from the Middle East last week after a seven-month tour of duty.

The married father-of-three, who is from nearby Clonaslee in county Laois, said a career in the Defence Forces “demands a lot of sacrifice from partners and families” and he acknowledged that the latest UNIFIL mission to South Lebanon was “challenging” on a number of fronts for many of the participants.

Due to the Covid situation, all personnel had to undergo two weeks of quarantine at the Glen of Imaal before they departed for South Lebanon in May, and another two weeks of quarantine when they reached their destination!

Col Bates also said the high temperatures in South Lebanon during the summer, where the mercury can hit upwards of 40 degrees, also presented its own challenges. “We had no rain for five out of the seven months so we had to conserve water, and that meant 30 second showers for everyone,” he says.

Another challenge was the lack of opportunities for the Defence Forces personnel to travel to other parts of the Middle East during their leave period while abroad.

With a wealth of overseas experience under his belt, including stints in Kosovo, Mali and five previous trips to South Lebanon, Col Conor Bates said it is “very important to have a mix of experienced personnel” on each mission, as well as people who are getting their first taste of peacekeeping duties.

The lead unit on the 118th Infantry Battalion mission to South Lebanon was from Custume Barracks, so the vast majority of the 350 Irish troops were from across the Midland counties, with 78 travelling overseas with the Defence Forces for the first time.

One of those on his first overseas mission was 23-year-old champion boxer, Pte Brian Kennedy from Daingean, who said he “loved every minute” of his experience, and would definitely consider going overseas again at some stage in the future.

After the blistering heat of the Middle East – where he said the sky was “blue every day” – Brian admitted that he has been wearing “three jumpers” since he arrived back in Ireland as he tries to acclimatise to the weather!

“It was a bit of a shock to the system to see the sun shining every day alright as it’s not something I’m used to in Daingean,” he joked.

The lack of rain in South Lebanon meant the members of the UNIFIL Force were restricted to taking 30 second showers – a trait that Brian Kennedy briefly brought home with him last week until he realised he was home and could spend as long as he liked in the shower!

When asked if he felt his parents, John and Anna Kennedy from Main Street in Daingean, had missed him while he was overseas, considering he is their only child, Brian quickly replied “you’d have to ask them that question”.

For the next few weeks, Brian Kennedy, like his comrades on the UNIFIL mission, is going to enjoy his time off, meet up with friends and enjoy the Christmas and New Year festivities.

He says one of the reasons he loves his life in the Defence Forces so much is that he can combine his boxing training and fitness regime with his job.

The former U/22 national boxing champion represented the Defence Forces with distinction at the World Military Games in China in 2019 and is hoping to be able to compete in the National Elite Championships next year.

Despite the fact that life in the Defence Forces, and particularly on an overseas mission, is very busy and varied, Brian Kennedy is thankful for the fact that it also allows him to train hard in the gym and maintain a high level of fitness. “It’s the ideal job” he says.

Col. Conor Bates said his primary focus as the commanding officer in charge of the 118th Infantry Battalion was to ensure that “everyone got home safely” and he is delighted that he accomplished this task.

Lieutenant Col Conor Bates (on left), the Officer Commanding the 118th UNIFIL Peacekeeping Mission to South Lebanon, is pictured at a welcome ceremony for the troops on their arrival in the region last May.

However, he added that the situation in South Lebanon is “very tense and unstable” and the multi-national peacekeeping force under his command had to be “on high alert” at all times.

Now that he has returned to his home in Mucklagh, Col. Bates is settling into civilian life with his wife, Sinead, daughter Saoirse and teenage sons, Jack and Darragh, before resuming his Defence Force duties in the New Year.

“There is a need to de-stress after being in such a high alert environment for seven months, and to take time to reconnect with your family” he said “and I would classify it as time off rather than a holiday.”