Interesting articles

I doubt it, probably the RAF on call, if we had actual fighters deployed here, the Tankies would loss their **** and the Department would be outraged.

nah, there’s no reason to tie up CdeG for such a tasking, not when the RAF is right next door. I can just imagine the coverage that will get when the time comes,

EU Presidency is rotational, it will be another 20 years at least before the next time.

In other news, at least some questions about defence in the Dáil, but still no sign of anything other than empty soundbites.

https://www.irishtimes.com/ireland/2025/10/14/ireland-has-individually-tailored-plan-with-nato-on-sub-sea-cyber-security/

There was articles in the last couple of weeks that things are not well between the Defence Forces and the DoD, Well they never have been anyway but i would say they are fully in the gutter now.

https://www.irishtimes.com/ireland/2025/10/15/refusal-of-department-to-allow-representation-of-defence-forces-chaplains-outrageous/

So will our Part Time Minister attend this? Will we even bother to take any of it on board? How much will our Tankies scream?

https://www.politico.eu/article/eu-ukraine-russia-ready-for-war-2030/

I'm betting no, no, and a lot.

Lookin like me have another pacifist heading up to the park. Great news 😒

I came across an article where Airbus are offering Romania new build 215Ms. Would they be to old of a design for the Air Corps considering they looked for them nearly 40 years ago?

https://m.independent.ie/regionals/wexford/new-ross-news/port-of-new-ross-approved-to-import-munitions-for-defence-forces-its-a-stretch-to-say-this-will-support-foreign-wars/a1806132283.html

Because a small but disproportionately platformed element of our politicians and civic society groups are imbeciles.

sadly I think given her comments well challenged on any of her history, I think if it comes to a clash she’s going to go with the “will of the people” angle to defy any censure b government. And she’s certainly not going to cut ties and stop campaigning.

I don't have a problem with Connelly being a pacifist ,( I like to think of myself as a pacifist )

It's the lack of realism I can't fathom, by her logic if we got rid of the gardai would crime disappear.. just magically disappear - Europe was the least armed / least militarised that it had been in generations, so when a full on invasion and humanitarian disaster happened in the east of Europe - Europe and the EU didn't really have many options..

yes this comes up a lot, but there needs to be a degree of grown up honesty here. If we are a member of the EU and we believe it is worth participating in, do we think it is worth defending? If we do, we have to accept our son or daughter might be called to serve. Why are the lives of kids from say Poland, Denmark or even the UK more valuable than Irish ones? This hypocritical approach needs to be faced down IMHO. It is no better than our defence being farmed out to the UK.

This having our cake and eating it existed when we were poor and to be fair had little by way or interest in how the world affected us. Now we are wealthy due to our global interconnectedness and this tension is beginning to emerge on the EU political level for us. I still think the system here has not fully absorbed this and our very gradual defence investment build-up partially reflects this.

Unfortunately I think very few Europeans think like this. We like membership of the club, have petty squabble like family but only would be willing to die for our own countrymen. I doubt the Danish would die to defend Ireland despite what you are suggesting.

I doubt many would defend with their soldiers Denmark sovereignty of Greenland if America tried to acquire it militarily.

When the UN forces leave Lebanon the innocent locals will be forgot about by the world unless the French can get there Task force up amd running

https://www.thejournal.ie/lebanon-niall-analysis-6846676-Oct2025/

It's pretty standard Maude Flandersing.

It was interesting at the hearings about the Triple Lock, where the "neutrality"* activists declared solemnly "if Irish personnel are deployed to future wars from which they will return maimed, traumatised or in body-bags – because no one returns from war unscathed – your cards will have been marked and this will be your legacy."

They seem to be under the impression that no Irish soldier has ever been injured or killed in UN duty. If they feel even a single injury to an Irish soldier is too much, why aren't they demanding we withdraw from all UN peackeeping duties?

*The "Neutrality" activists who were at pains to claim that the numerous cyber attacks across Europe are the work of private Russian criminals, with no involvement from the Russian state whatsoever, and the "Neutrality" activists who rejected the framing of the conflict that Russia is the aggressor who can stop the war at any time they want by pulling out of Ukraine.