Irish people in the French Foreign Legion

Augmerson

Does anyone know if there have ever been Irish people serving in the French Foreign Legion?

GHOST MGG

I personally know of 3 people who have served,and one of them had told me that there were a couple of irish in his regiment.

Sugar Free

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Hidden-Soldier-Irish-Legionnaires-Bosnia/dp/1847170323

I'm sure there have been plenty of others also, they just didn't write a book about it.

CptMackey

There was a show on the history channel a couple of years ago which looked at the legion. One of the officers in French Guiana was Irish.

folbotcar

Plenty have served. Two of my old FCA unit went on to the Legion.

I remember once watching a documentary on the FFL. An officer approached a sentry and spoke to him. The sentry snapped to attention and replied in French but with a very obvious flat Dublin accent.

I would never have joined them though. I'd never survive the training!

Mr. Tezza

A guy in my unit in the RDF was in the legion, and he told me he wasn't the only irish guy in the legion when he was part of it.

roundymac

I know a guy who joined up, was a physically fit and tough guy, afraid of nothing, would put his head where others would'nt put their boots,great bloke in scrum/ruck situtation. He lasted a week.:o

Frosty McSnowballs

I love the way so many RDF guys were in the legion

I know one guy in the PDF that tried it for the craic. Couldn't hack the language barrier and quit. Well, that's what he said.

slavik

My old man spent 20 years in it, from the late 70's-90's there were a good few Irish lads serving with him which is reflected today in Dublin with the establishment of the amicale association AALE, its fairly active and has a decent amount of members from both my old mans time up until lads who've recently left. Today though the majority of recruits are eastern european but there's still is a decent amount of Irish lads serving.

Tenger

Augmerson wrote: »

Does anyone know if there have ever been Irish people serving in the French Foreign Legion?

I recently watched the Bear Grylls doc from 2004 about the Legion ("Escape to the legion" on youtube)

It was interspersed with interviews from about 8 former legionnaires.
one was a Dub and another was from Belfast.

Would not be surprised to hear of a decent number of Irish guys serving there over the years. Combination of previous low level of military deployment from the Defense Forces here and the historical situation with our close neighbours.
I just wouldn't expect to hear them boasting about it.

slavik wrote: »

My old man spent 20 years in it, from the late 70's-90's .....

Respect to that man, 20 years! Initial contract is for 5 yrs, he obviously loved it.

chopper6

Three that i work with and another bloke i know who's a bouncer.

Quite a lot of Irish relatively speaking.

random_guy

There was a guy from Dublin a few years ago that was in it and had a blog, banks to battlefields if I remember correctly.

Laucho

Hey slavic, can you please ask you father his registration number?

Manic Moran

Laucho wrote: »

Hey slavic, can you please ask you father his registration number?

[Mod]Why?[/Mod]

Laucho

Manic Moran wrote:

[Mod]Why?[/Mod]

Please, don't take it wrong, is just because this way I may know if he's in my training days back