Youngest Irish soldier, from Offaly, returns after Lebanon mission

By Rebekah O'Reilly

The youngest Irish soldier, Private Kyle Hynes from Cloghan, has returned after a tough six-month deployment in South Lebanon.

The battalion consisted of some 360 members in total, many of whom were attached to Athlone's Custume Barracks, with the second and final 'chalk' making the trip back to Ireland this week.

Kyle met his new nephew Teddy for the first time when he walked into the arrival hall in Dublin Airport's Terminal Two on Tuesday, May 26.

He had served just 20 months in the Defence Forces, with the South Lebanon deployment marking his first mission overseas.While in Lebanon, he celebrated his 20th birthday in Camp Shamrock.

Huge numbers of soldiers from the wider Athlone area have served with the UN in Lebanon since 1978, however the peacekeeping mandate there is due to end on December 31 this year, with a withdrawal phase to be implemented in 2027.

Prior to their deployment the members of the 127th Infantry battalion were inspected by then-Minister for Defence Simon Harris at a ceremony in Athlone at the end of October.

They have now been succeeded by 128th Infantry Battalion, the lead unit for which is the Limerick-based 12th Infantry Battalion.

In a statement, Minister for Defence Helen McEntee said Ireland "has made a significant and highly valued contribution to the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) since 1978," and that the Defence Forces would "continue to fulfil our commitments through the mission’s final operational phase, while also supporting a safe and orderly withdrawal of UN peacekeeping forces."