Hour-long footage.

More links here

Commentry is apparently awful, Sky News had better coverage but it's not online.

With two and a half thousand members of the defense forces participating, that's almost a quarter of the entire military, including the mob currently overseas. First military parade in Ireland not related to the UN (There was a large UNIFIL parade a year or two ago) in some time.

Three minutes in, I think you see the US military attache. Airborne type, it seems.








(Irish Army is the only military to still compete in equestrian competition. Irish show jumping team usually has one or two military representatives, they use only Irish horses)



(If you're wondering about the sailors and airmen with rifles, they've all done a basic infantry course with the Army)


(Presidential Escort: Can have up to forty bikes)

(Yes, that is infantry brass on her collar, Irish Army is 99% integrated. Special Forces remain males only)



(Cadets, Irish version of Sandhurst)

(Army Ranger Wing: Irish Special Forces. (Hence the faces are covered up))

(Ford F350 SOV)

(Pilatus PC-9s)

Nice shot of the GPO!

Let's not forget this is the 25th anniversary of the hunger strikes at the H-Blocks

Bobby Sands
Francis Hughes
Raymond McCreesh
Patsy O’Hara
Joe McDonnell
Martin Hurson
Kieran Doherty
Kevin Lynch
Thomas McElwee
Michael Devine

"And though sad and bitter was the year of 1981, All was not lost, but it's still there to be won"

Fuck the Brits!

+1 Eireann go brach!

Let's try and keep the Provisional IRA out of this, shall we?

NTM

"And I say to my people's masters: Beware, Beware of the thing that is coming, beware of the risen people, Who shall take what ye would not give. Did ye think to conquer the people, Or that Law is stronger than life and than men's desire to be free?"

"We will try it out with you, ye that have harried and held, Ye that have bullied and bribed, tyrants, hypocrites, liars!"

"The Rebel"
Patrick Pearse



POBLACHT NA h-EIREANN
THE PROVISIONAL GOVERNMENT
OF THE
IRISH REPUBLIC
TO THE PEOPLE OF IRELAND

IRISHMEN AND IRISHWOMEN: In the name of God and of the dead generations from which she receives her old tradition of nationhood, Ireland, through us, summons her children to her flag and strikes for her freedom.

Having organised and trained her manhood through her secret revolutionary organisation, the Irish Republican Brotherhood, and through her open military organisations, the Irish Volunteers and the Irish Citizen Army, having patiently perfected her discipline, having resolutely waited for the right moment to reveal itself, she now seizes that moment, and supported by her exiled children in America and by gallant allies in Europe, but relying in the first on her own strength, she strikes in full confidence of victory.

We declare the right of the people of Ireland to the ownership of Ireland and to the unfettered control of Irish destinies, to be sovereign and indefeasible. The long usurpation of that right by a foreign people and government has not extinguished the right, nor can it ever be extinguished except by the destruction of the Irish people. In every generation the Irish people have asserted their right to national freedom and sovereignty; six times during the past three hundred years they have asserted it in arms. Standing on that fundamental right and again asserting it in arms in the face of the world, we hereby proclaim the Irish Republic as a Sovereign Independent State, and we pledge our lives and the lives of our comrades in arms to the cause of its freedom, of its welfare, and of its exaltation among the nations.

The Irish Republic is entitled to, and hereby claims, the allegiance of every Irishman and Irishwoman. The Republic guarantees religious and civil liberty, equal rights and equal opportunities to all its citizens, and declares its resolve to pursue the happiness and prosperity of the whole nation and of all its parts, cherishing all of the children of the nation equally, and oblivious of the differences carefully fostered by an alien Government, which have divided a minority from the majority in the past.

Until our arms have brought the opportune moment for the establishment of a permanent National Government, representative of the whole people of Ireland and elected by the suffrages of all her men and women, the Provisional Government, hereby constituted, will administer the civil and military affairs of the Republic in trust for the people.

We place the cause of the Irish Republic under the protection of the Most High God, Whose blessing we invoke upon our arms, and we pray that no one who serves that cause will dishonour it by cowardice, inhumanity, or rapine. In this supreme hour the Irish nation must, by its valour and discipline, and by the readiness of its children to sacrifice themselves for the common good, prove itself worthy of the august destiny to which it is called.


Signed on behalf of the Provisional Government:
THOMAS J. CLARKE
SEAN Mac DIARMADA THOMAS MacDONAGH
P. H. PEARSE EAMONN CEANNT
JAMES CONNOLLY JOSEPH PLUNKETT

Why doesn't America use such advanced weapons as the AUG?

there's some history right there at the GPO

Quoted: Let's try and keep the Provisional IRA out of this, shall we? NTM

Too late.

Anyway, why would anyone want to let women into combat arms?  That can't be working out well over there.

Ok, ok we'll keep the PIRA out of it. What about the CIRA, Up the Ra! umm yeah.

Quoted: Ok, ok we'll keep the PIRA out of it. What about the CIRA, Up the Ra! umm yeah.

What about The Real Ghostbusters?  Shut up already.

Seemed appropriate

My Little Armalite


And it's down in the Bogside, that's where I long to be,
Lying in the dark with a Provo company,
A comrade on me left and another on me right
And a clip of ammunition for my little Armalite.

I was stopped by a soldier, said he, You are a swine,
He beat me with his baton and he kicked me in the groin,
I bowed and I scraped, sure me manners were polite
But all the time I'm thinking of me little Armalite.

And it's down in Crossmaglen, sure that's where I long to be,
Lying in the dark with a Provo company,
A comrade on me left and another on me right
And a clip of ammunition for my little Armalite

Sure a brave RUC man came up into our street
Six hundred British soldiers were gathered round his feet
Come out, ye cowardly Fenians, said he, come out and fight.
But he cried, I'm only joking, when he heard the Armalite.

Sure it's down in Kilwilkie, that's where I long to be,
Lying in the dark with a Provo company,
A comrade on me left and another on me right
And a clip of ammunition for my little Armalite.

Sure, the army came to visit me, 'twas in the early hours,
With Saladins and Saracens and Ferret armoured cars
They thought they had me cornered, but I gave them all a fright
With the armour piercing bullets of my little Armalite.

And it's down in the Falls Road, that's where I long to be,
Lying in the dark with a Provo company,
A comrade on me left and another on me right
And a clip of ammunition for my little Armalite.

When Tuzo came to Belfast, he said, The battle's won,
Said General Ford, We're winning sir, we have them on the run.
But corporals and privates on patrol at night,
Said, Send for reinforcements, it's the bloody Armalite.

And it's up in Ballymurphy, that's where I long to be,
Lying in the dark with a Provo company,
A comrade on me left and another on me right
And a clip of ammunition for my little Armalite.

I'm ashamed.  

Ireland has an army? How cute.

cool.

those F350 rigs are pretty slick.

Thanks Manic ,good post.

I'm glad they did this in style. I was reading some news editorials a couple months back where some people were bitching about a parade commenmorating 1916 because it was "violent" and "dividing" or some such bullshit.


I like the uniform with the Sam Browne belt (guy with sword). Looks good and like the one they wore back in the day. IMO, they should have old Mausers or Lee Enfields as dress rifles. Bullpups are awesome, but not as dress weapons.


Also, to the one guy. Yes, Ireland has a cute Army. A cute Army that a while ago wrote the book on how to run a proper insurgency.

Quoted: I like the uniform with the Sam Browne belt (guy with sword).

It actually is authorised still for the US Army Class As. I've only ever seen it once, though, on an officer at a funeral about three years ago.

Looks good and like the one they wore back in the day. IMO, they should have old Mausers or Lee Enfields as dress rifles. Bullpups are awesome, but not as dress weapons.

They had Enfields, then FALs. Only problem is that they'd need to track down two thousand of the things for the parade!

NTM

Quoted: They had Enfields, then FALs. Only problem is that they'd need to track down two thousand of the things for the parade! NTM

I dunno about the Enfields (they should be able to find some), but FAL's should be easily found.

They kinda need to upgrade the Air Corps, imo. Replacing the Magister with the PC9 didn't seem to do anything for them in any role but looking nice in pictures and training guys that would fly the other fixed wings (Gulfstreams?)

Quoted: They kinda need to upgrade the Air Corps, imo. Replacing the Magister with the PC9 didn't seem to do anything for them in any role but looking nice in pictures and training guys that would fly the other fixed wings (Gulfstreams?)

Only so much money to go around. Reasonably enough, the Infantry's gotten the lion's share of the funding, followed by the Naval Service. Air Corps just got new choppers to replace the Dauphins, and new trainers in the form of Pilatus (which are more capable than the jets they replaced). Cavalry vehicles are next, and more ships. Combat jets are so far down the priority line, I don't expect to see them for a decade or two yet.

NTM

Quoted: Ireland has an army? How cute.

What for ? They make Canada look like a superpower, that's for sure.

Quoted: Quoted: Ireland has an army? How cute. What for ? They make Canada look like a superpower, that's for sure.

Yeah.....isnt Canada's Navy like 1 Carrier, a battle ship and like 5 tug boats?

Great topic!

They've come a long way from having to steal Dr. Johnsons motorcar.

Michael Collins Irish Whiskey

So much for a PR problem....

They're after me Lucky Charms.

Quoted: Great topic! They've come a long way from having to steal Dr. Johnsons motorcar.

"It was down by Egan's corner
One morning I did stray
I met a fellow rebel there
And this to him did say
"We have orders from the Captain
To assemble at Drumbar
But how are we to get there
Without a motorcar"

Well Barney dear be of good cheer
And I'll tell you what we'll do
The specials they are plentyful
And the IRA are few
We'll wire into Stranorlar
And before we'll get that far
We'll give the boys a bloody good ride
In Johnson's motorcar

When Doctor Johson got the news
He soon put on his shoes
He said "This is an urgent case
And there is no time to lose"
He then put on his castor hat
And upon his breast a star
You could hear the din going through Glenfin
Of Johnson's motorcar

Well when he got to the Reelin bridge
The rebbels he saw there
He knew the game was up with him
For at him they did stare
He said "I have a permit
To travel near and far"
You can stick your English permit
We want your motorcar

What will my loyal brethren say
When ere they hear the news
My car it has been commandeered
By the rebels at Dunluce
We'll give you a receipt for it
All signed by Captain Meagher
And when Ireland gets her freedom
You'll get your motorcar

They set the car in motion
And filled it to the brim
With rifles and with bayonets
This mad old Johnson grim
And Barney hoisted the Sinn Fein flag
And it fluttered like a star
And they gave three cheers for the IRA
And Johnson's motorcar"

I don't think any 2 versions of this song have the exact same lyrics...and I've NEVER heard of anyone but a Captain Barr in the 2nd to last verse...but what do I know lol.  

As for the pass/Irish freedom line, I've heard a variation of that one that goes "You can stick your pass right up your ass, we want your motor car".  

The big guy on the right is my Great-Uncle Pat.  He belonged to the Irish Republican Brotherhood and fought in 1916 as well as (for the losing side; anti-treaty) in the civil war.  He was 6'5" and about 300 lbs.  I have his wedding band and it goes all the way down to the knuckle on my thumb.    

There is a picture of him that I need to scan that shows him, younger, in some sort of John Phillips Sousa looking uniform with a sash that has a harp embroidered on it.  Any of you guys have any ideas on that?  My Grandmother thought it was some kind of IRB uniform.

Quoted: Quoted: Anyway, why would anyone want to let women into combat arms?  That can't be working out well over there. Doesn't matter if they are never going to see combat.

Well, they've seen a bit of action in Somalia and East Timor. Don't see why they couldn't do the current job in Iraq either. Politicians won't touch Iraq with a 40-foot barge pole though.

NTM

Erin Go Bragh
Lyrics by:
Peadar Kearney

I'll tell you a story of a row in the town,
When the Green Flag went up and the Crown rag came down,
'Twas the neatest and sweetest thing ever you saw,
And they played the best games played in Erin Go Bragh.

One of our comrades was down at Ringsend,
For the honour of Ireland to hold and defend,
He had no veteran soldiers but volunteers raw,
Playing sweet Mauser music for Erin Go Bragh.

Now here's to Pat Pearse and our comrades who died
Tom Clark, MacDonagh, MacDiarmada, McBride,
And here's to James Connolly who gave one hurrah,
And placed the machine guns for Erin Go Bragh.

One brave English captain was ranting that day,
Saying, "Give me one hour and I'll blow you away,"
But a big Mauser bullet got stuck in his craw,
And he died of lead poisoning in Erin Go Bragh.

Bould Ceannt and his comrades like lions at bay,
From the South Dublin Union poured death and dismay,
And what was their horror when the Englishmen saw
All the dead khaki soldiers in Erin Go Bragh.

Now here's to old Dublin, and here's to her renown,
In the long generation her fame will go down,
And our children will tell how their forefathers saw,
The red blaze of freedom in Erin Go Bragh.