Kildare Congo vet remembered – 60 years after mission

A retired Naas soldier was delighted to receive recognition for his late father’s service in the blue berets of the United Nations (UN) Peacekeeping Force in a near-forgotten chapter of Irish history 60 years ago.

In July 1960 the young nation of the Republic of Ireland sent its first ever troops on an overseas mission with the UN to the Congo in Central Africa, and these were to be the first of 6,000 Irish soldiers to serve there valiantly over the next four years.

Last week, at a ceremony in Portlaoise, Martin Rowe (71) from Naas was presented with a Certificate of Recognition from the UN for his late father Patrick Rowe’s service there until his return in 1964.

60th anniversary

Martin was joined by his wife Elizabeth and their granddaughter Lucy Loughlin while the presentation was made by Tommy Mooney, chair of the Irish United Nations Veterans Association (IUNVA) 27, based in Portlaoise.

“My father was in the Congo in the 35th Battalion,” said Martin.

“The 60th anniversary for the Congo vets was a few months ago, and what the UN did was to issue certs to any of the members still alive, before notifying the families of the deceased vets to present them with their certs."

Martin himself followed in his father’s footsteps into the bullswool, and is himself a UN vet, having done two tours in Lebanon in the early 80s.

“I was a paramedic in the army for 25 years and an NCO in the apprentice school up to 1996,” he said.

“My father died in 2000, but served in the Military College at home. He wasn’t part of the Jadotville siege, but he was one of about 20 soldiers who went missing in the bush for about 10 days, until they found a road and were rescued by the Swedish contingent.

He explained why the presentation was in Portlaoise. 

“We’re trying to open a IUNVA in Naas but it is difficult to find premises".