The road to Camp Shamrock is lined with evidence of shattered lives and broken buildings, portraits of “martyrs” and piles of rubble. While some life in southern Lebanon has returned – supermarkets are open; cars and motorbikes hurtle along roads; people smoke and chat in the streets – destruction is also a constant. People clear rubble from their homes with shovels. Mass funerals for those who died in the war, and were temporarily buried elsewhere, have been ongoing for months.
These scenes are a reminder, not just of the last 17 months of confrontation, but of the decades of violence and uncertainty even before that. For almost half a century now, Irish peacekeepers have been present on this Middle East fault line. Under extreme pressure, they have stood their ground.
The latest war between Israel and militant group Hizbullah broke out on October 8th, 2023, when Hizbullah fired rockets into Israeli-controlled territory “in solidarity” with Hamas. Almost a year of the ensuing conflict escalated further last September 23rd, when Israel launched an aerial campaign described by conflict monitoring group Airwars as the most intense in decades, aside from Gaza. A week later, Israeli forces also began a ground invasion, with officials saying they wanted to create the right conditions to allow displaced Israeli citizens to return home. These developments would see Irish peacekeepers playing a courageous and unexpected role, right in the middle of fighting.
Despite requesting access during the war, it was only in late February that The Irish Times was allowed to visit Camp Shamrock, the main Irish base, to witness the work of peacekeepers in person. A tenuous ceasefire came into force on November 27th, by which time almost 4,000 people in Lebanon had been killed – including 717 women and 243 children – and more than one million displaced. Around 130 people were killed on the Israeli side – the majority soldiers – and more than 46,000 displaced. More people have been killed since November and violations continue, but the roads in Lebanon’s south are much safer to drive along than they were before.
Camp Shamrock – or UN base UNP 2-45 – is located about 7km from the Israeli border. Its moniker is somewhat deceptive, as it is also home to Hungarian, Polish and Maltese peacekeepers. Tens of thousands of Irish have served in Lebanon since 1978. More than 300 are currently among around 10,000 of the total forces of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (Unifil) – the majority on their first deployment to the country.
In his office, Lieut Col Shane Rockett, the commanding officer of IrishPolBatt, the 125th Irish-Polish Battalion, explained the situation.
“By virtue of geography and where we are in Unifil, the Irish battalion is on the front line when it comes to any conflict out here ... We had a very difficult period … There was a lot of pressure put on us by the Israelis to withdraw from our locations.”
Israel repeatedly requested that UN peacekeepers leave areas of combat and what they called “Hizbullah strongholds”, with Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu saying “your refusal to evacuate the Unifil soldiers makes them hostages of Hizbullah” and “human shields”.
“At no stage did the Irish battalion ever consider withdrawing,” said Rockett. “I suppose, like every military organisation, you plan for contingencies … So yes, Unifil did have a plan, but luckily, people at the higher echelons had a sense and decided that the best thing to do was to remain.”
It was important to be “the eyes and ears of the international community,” said Rockett. “We were just carrying out our tasks. We were carrying out our role and our mission as it was given to us.”
In October, it was reported that a rocket had hit Camp Shamrock, although no one was injured. Rockett says it was a Hizbullah Katyusha rocket intercepted “directly overhead” by Israel’s Iron Dome defence system. While the munitions exploded in the air, metal casing dropped down to the “back of the camp”. At the time, Unifil spokesman Andrea Tenenti said there had been more than 30 attacks on Unifil bases in a month, with around 20 attributed to the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), seven deemed “clearly deliberate”.
Peacekeepers of other nationalities were injured during the war. On October 13th, Unifil accused the IDF of “shocking violations”, saying two IDF Merkava tanks destroyed the main gate of a UN position in Ramyah, forcibly entering. Later, around 15 peacekeepers “suffered effects, including skin irritation and gastrointestinal reactions” following “the firing of several rounds 100 metres north, which emitted smoke”. The IDF said it had been evacuating wounded soldiers.
Rockett found it hard to describe the experience of being surrounded by “kinetic activity”, but “the shelling from Israel, the return fire from Hizbullah, [meant peacekeepers were] caught in the middle.” In some ways, he said, they were lucky. “At any stage there could have been a misfire, there could have been wrong co-ordinates, and a round could have hit the camp.”
Before peacekeepers deploy, they do months of training in Ireland. “Our training, the way we do military operations, it’s at a very high standard, and anything that we undertook out here during that time meant that we were always putting the soldiers safety first and foremost in our planning,” said Rockett. “However, that doesn’t stop the family members at home worrying, and it’s natural for people to worry about their loved ones out here when they’re deployed in a war zone.”
Going to bunkers is known as “groundhog”. Rockett says that happened “every day” during the war. “In some cases, we would have asked people to stay there for 24 hours, 36 hours, and sometimes longer.”
Rockett said Unifil continued to report after the ceasefire, as Israeli forces held ground in Lebanon and carried out explosions. Lebanon complained to the UN on December 24th, alleging there had already been more than 800 Israeli violations of the agreement. It has become commonplace to hear Lebanese people call this a “one-sided ceasefire”, though Israel has said it is targeting military targets and forcefully enforcing the ceasefire’s terms in response to Hizbullah violations.
Israel’s withdrawal was scheduled by the end of January. That was extended to February 18th and up until now Israeli forces have a presence in what they call “strategic” locations inside Lebanon. On February 18th, Unifil said “another delay in this process is not what we hoped would happen … This should not, however, overshadow the tangible progress that has been made … We call on both parties to meet their obligations.”
Since that date, Rockett said, there has been a “remarkable decrease in the number of explosions and small-arms fire”, but Unifil continues to report on “all violations” – including “any unauthorised overflight by either a drone or an aircraft”.
“There’s a lot of information out there as to where these violations occurred from but – and I hope you’ll appreciate this – I’d rather not point the finger at who was responsible,” said Rockett. He said the UN’s role is to remain “neutral” but its reports go “through the chain of command” to the UN headquarters to be debated at UN Security Council meetings, with “the political membership of the UN” then engaging the countries involved.
Unifil’s mandate was renewed for another year last August, with the UN Security Council “demanding” parties “recommit to the full implementation of all provisions of resolution 1701.” The resolution requires the Lebanese army and Unifil to be deployed in the south, for Hizbullah to withdraw north of the Litani river and for Israel to leave Lebanon, as well as requiring the broader disarmament of Hizbullah and other non-state armed groups, with the aim of a permanent ceasefire.
Potential violations by Hizbullah might be difficult to spot, Rockett said. “You’re not dealing with a uniform military force. They’re very much part of the community here.” He said Unifil relies heavily on the Lebanese army “who know the individuals in the region, who know when things are being moved”.
In south Lebanon, the Lebanese army is Unifil’s “strategic partner”. Together, they aim to provide “security and the conditions for security”, including through manning checkpoints, doing joint patrols and occasionally assisting with training.
Ireland is helped by what Rockett calls the “Paddy factor” – our culture makes it easy to reach out and create relationships, and to establish trust with local people, he says.
The sustained relationship Irish peacekeepers have with communities close to them is clear while moving around. In Tibnin town, Ali Saad – known as “Irish Ali” – thanks Irish peacekeepers for his own education. Now 58, he runs an orphanage supported by the peacekeepers; he even used a bus donated by Irish veterans to evacuate girls when Israel’s bombing campaign escalated last September.
In Christian town Rmeish, a shopkeeper said he regularly meets Irish peacekeepers purchasing goods, while priest Najib al Amil said he has had a long and positive relationship with them.
As a battalion commander, Rockett tries to regularly engage local mayors to find out what issues they are facing.
This also helps identify small projects the peacekeepers can do. Since November, Rockett said, they’ve spent nearly $60,000 restoring water or electricity, and helping “local communities just get back on their feet after the destruction of the war”.
A group put on protective helmets and flak jackets to drive to Outpost 6-52, around a 25-minute drive from Camp Shamrock.
This is one of 29 UN posts within 5km of the Blue Line, the de facto border between northern Israel and southern Lebanon. It became one of the most notorious UN positions during the war, because shortly after the Israeli ground invasion began, the IDF stationed tanks and military equipment around 50 metres away, reportedly using the location as a firing position. An image even showed a tank pointing its barrel towards the Irish base, when around 30 Irish peacekeepers remained there.
On October 6th, Unifil said it was “deeply concerned” by this “extremely dangerous development”, calling it “unacceptable to compromise the safety of UN peacekeepers carrying out their Security Council-mandated tasks”.
On a hill above is Maroun al-Ras, a predominantly Shia village with a population of roughly 5,000 before the latest conflict. Videos and satellite imagery showed large parts of the village flattened, with two mosques among the buildings destroyed.
What is known as the Iranian gardens, around 500 metres from the Irish outpost, was the site of a video in October showing soldiers raising an Israeli flag – drawing widespread outrage in Lebanon.
[ The priceless Lebanon heritage sites destroyed by Israeli bombingOpens in new window ]
Though the Israeli forces eventually moved from beside Outpost 6-52, Irish peacekeepers remained in a risky position. Later in October, a carefully co-ordinated operation to resupply the outpost was named Fág an Bealach (Clear the Way).
When I visited, there were 27 people based in the outpost, including a cook and a medic, as well as four dogs. Electricity came from two large generators, refuelled once a week, and water to fill two tanks with a 30,000 litre total capacity was trucked in. There were three Mowag armoured vehicles and an ambulance too.
From a watch tower, we could see an Israeli patrol road; the Israeli kibbutz of Avivim is behind it.
When you join the army you kind of know straight away that, although you’re a woman, at the end of the day your job is a soldier
— Cpl Lorna Coffey
Peacekeepers noted that President Michael D Higgins visited in 2015 to officially open their recreation room. A shared bedroom included a trophy for the winner of a Fifa tournament, while chess has become popular recently, said Lieut Kyle Morgan, the 29-year-old outpost commander.
Morgan is from Co Down, though he usually lives in Connemara with his girlfriend and son. He said he was grateful to the Defence Forces for previously supporting him through a university degree: arts with psychology and IT in Galway. “I think what we’re doing out here is very interesting … the Defence Forces is absolutely great,” he said.
Leave was cancelled during the war, but normally soldiers get three weeks at home during a six-month stint in Lebanon.
Some soldiers, like Cpl Lorna Coffey (27), from Cork, stay a full year; she is scheduled to remain until next November. Coffey is part of the military police, meaning “if anything was to go wrong in the camp that would be my job”. She works six days a week and Sunday is “my day for myself,” she says. “I go training … get food, [have] a bit of downtime that I can spend with colleagues and friends.”
Coffey is one of around 12 Irish women currently serving with Unifil. She said her family were initially hesitant, but now she knows they are proud. “When you join the army you kind of know straight away that, although you’re a woman, at the end of the day your job is a soldier.” She said that includes getting people to respect you “just as much whatever gender you are”.
Irish troops have not been allowed to drink alcohol in Camp Shamrock since 2021 – something all those I asked said they do not mind.
“It’s great, you don’t have to wake up in the morning with a hangover, you can go to the gym,” said Coffey.
“Everyone here is generally ready to deploy, and there could be a task at a moment’s notice. So it’s very important to ensure that everyone is in the right space and ready to react,” said Comdt Tony Smith, a 28-year-old from Wexford.
There is a large indoor gym, but people run outside as well – the full loop around the camp is roughly 2.5-3km.
There are other activities too, including guitar lessons, bingo and a poker competition. “It’s very important, along with the important work we have to do here, that people kind of get a mental relief as well,” said Smith.
“The worst thing you could do when you are on your downtime is just sit in your room,” said Sgt Mark Sweeney (38) from Donegal. “We try to make sure … that they’re not lonely, that everyone’s interacting with each other.”
[ Three siblings from Donegal family set for deployment to wartime LebanonOpens in new window ]
Sweeney’s fiancee is back in Ireland. By May, he said, he’ll be with her and “back to normal,” but being away is “just part of the job. You do have to go overseas, and everyone knows that.”
Smith points out a memorial for Private Seán Rooney, the 24-year-old killed in December 2022 when the armoured UN vehicle he was in came under fire.
In total, 48 Irish peacekeepers have been killed in service since 1978, the youngest just 18. This month, 21-year-old Private Billy Kedian, who died in 1999, was honoured with the Distinguished Service Medal with Honour, for what Tánaiste Simon Harris called his “courage, bravery and the highest level of selfless devotion to duty”, sacrificing his own safety to help fellow peacekeepers to a bunker during an attack.
Rockett said he can’t speak in detail about Rooney’s death, due to the ongoing investigation, “but what I will say is it was a tragic loss … There are a number of memorials we have here to him around the camp. And every tour of duty, we reflect back on Seán’s death, and indeed the death of the other 47 Irish peacekeepers.” Once a month, there is a ceremony to remember them all.
Hope for sustainable peace means a hope that no one else need die. In January, Lebanon elected a new president, army chief Joseph Aoun, ending more than two years of a power vacuum. This prompted widespread celebrations, with many Lebanese people daring to dream that some of the crises afflicting their country may at least be better addressed in the future.
I think they could learn a lot from Irish history and how we approached our own application of peace in Ireland
— Lieut Col Shane Rockett
Yet the truth of the country’s south, and its neighbour’s north, is that there are countless broken dreams and hearts, intractable animosities and deeply held anger. Despite Hizbullah being weakened by the war, it is also not hard to imagine how more young people could be convinced into joining what is known locally as “the resistance” - not least because of what they perceive as a lack of accountability, while both sides still believe there is an ongoing threat. Graffiti in Haris, a village less than 10km away from Camp Shamrock, reads “die young, get killed :)” In Qalaouiyeh, around 21km away, what appeared to be a statue – of two missiles and a Hizbullah flag – had seemingly recently been erected.
This is Rockett’s ninth mission overseas; others included Kosovo, Liberia and Western Sahara. His first deployment to southern Lebanon was 30 years ago. In his office, he contemplated what the future could hold for this part of the world and for the UN peacekeeping mission itself.
“It’s very hard to put a time frame on it. I think the Middle East is a complex cauldron of activities and people,” he said, thoughtfully. “And I don’t think the solution to the problems here in the Middle East are something that can come overnight. It will take decades. It will take time for people to heal, for the place to heal, and for people to accept each other in the region. And I think that’s a very difficult process … I can see the UN mission continuing for some time yet …”
“You look at our own history, you know, we had a fractured island not too long ago. And it took both sides and accepting that they’re never going to make progress if they keep fighting each other. And I think it’s the same here, and I think it’s going to take a peaceful approach where both sides acknowledge that they don’t necessarily like each other, but that they have to live in harmony.
“That sounds easier than it is but that’s the approach that people have to have. And I think they could learn a lot from Irish history and how we approached our own application of peace in Ireland.”
