Minister for Justice, Equality and Defence, Alan Shatter, T.D. accompanied by the Chief of Staff of the Defence Forces Lieutenant General Conor O’Boyle reviewed the troops of the 43rd Infantry Group on Tuesday the 3rd of September in Cathal Brugha Barracks, Rathmines, Dublin.
Commanded by Lieutenant Colonel Brendan Delaney, the 115 troops of the 43rd Infantry Group have been in training for the past five weeks, and depart for a six month tour of duty in Syria on peacekeeping duties with the United Nations Disengagement Observer Force (UNDOF) on the Golan Heights.
Drawn primarily from the 2nd Brigade of the Army (Northern half of the country), the 43rd Infantry Group will be the first operational Irish troops deployed with the United Nations Disengagement Observation Force (UNDOF) which polices a zone of separation between Israel and Syria on the Golan Heights since 1974.
The ceremonial occasion consisted of a parade, Ministerial Inspection and address followed by a march past within the barracks. The parade was attended by the families of the members of the 43rd Infantry Group and invited guests.
