Eamon Timlin commands a very good foot drill display at the Coastguard Station in Dun Laoghaire. The eagle-eyed amongst you may also be able to pick out some well known names in the spectators. There are also a number of Mums and Dads, wives and girlfirends in the crowd who quite rightly show their appreciation of an impressive spectacle.
A future video will show the inspection and prize giving.
Glen of Imaal 1994 (Timmy Doyle collection)
This picture came from the C Coy Facebook page, the consensus is that it was taken at annual camp in The Glen in 1994. As well as some comments regarding leaky pens ruining pockets a thread started regarding Johnny Byrne seen here on the right.
David Flood recalled the first time Johnny had them on an exercise in Kilbride. He told them that his martial arts skills meant that he was a trained killer, and had to hold back. His karate skills were so perfected that when he saluted he nearly killed himself!
There followed a series of complimentary comments about John – how he commanded a lot of respect from the younger members and one guy explained that he was one of the nicest men he ever trained under. Those of us who have known Johnny down through the years would wholeheartedly echo those sentiments.
This photo was taken on the day of the mortar shoot that forms the subject matter of previous posts. It is the security detail on the day.
Admin Edit: The personnel involved from left to right are Declan Gaffney, Tony Taaffe, The Colonel, Enda Allen, Eamon Timlin, Marcus Moraghan and Kevin McGrath. Taaffey’s moustache looks like it was stolen from a First World War recruiting poster and he seems to be using his Gustaf as a guitar. In fact he looks like he is playing the opening chord of A Hard Day’s Night!
Deveraux’s (The Grove Bar) today.
Devereaux’s pub, strategically located on the old Wexford road out of Dublin, became very popular as a stopping off point for bikers and other day-trippers. It was also the closest pub to the firing range at Kilpeddar and so was the first point of call after a range day. Of course if you were on weapons duty, and had to go back to barracks you missed the opportunity of cocktails in the afternoon.
Christy Shaughnessy, Rossa Lyons, Peter Campbell, Johnny Byrne, Deccy Phelan, Alan Kavanagh and Arthur Plunkett
The photos here were taken on what Mícheál Ó Muircheartaigh once described as “the sort of sunny summer’s Sunday, that you will use in the future, to prove summers were sunnier, when you were a boy”!
Theres always one to do the bunny ears! John Curtis and Johnny Byrne
In the above photo Johnny Byrne is eating the remnants of that Irish culinary delight – the pub sandwich. In his book “McCarthy’s Bar”, Pete McCarthy described how, back in the day, the height of Irish pub grub was the cheese sandwich, and in very sophisticated establishments you could get it toasted! Johnny is holding the remains of the plastic bag in which sandwiches were toasted in those far-off days. The use of the bag ensured that the sandwich tasted of plastic, and you burnt your fingers on the contents. Myles na gCopaleen’s Dublin character from “The Brother” describes a pub where he recommended the food because “they have a nice clean woman to come in to make the sandwiches, as there is nothing worse, than thumb-prints in sandwiches!” The Grove’s (for that is its name now) entry on Discover Ireland’s web page states: “The Grove Bar’s food menu features such favourites as toasted sandwiches, homemade soup, lasagna, salads and a selection of delicious desserts”, plus ca change…except for the soup, lasagna, salads and dessert.
From Gerry Paley’s collection. Middle front and rear are Ciaran Giles and Kevin Connolly as 2 stars, who were to prove inseparable over the years.
The content of this post is taken from the May 2005 edition of Connect – The Defense Forces Newsletter, the text and photo are theirs, I found a copy on an archive of the now-defunct 62 Bn web site.
The Campbells, a family affair. (l-r) Ptes Rory (1986-90), & Stephen (1980-87), Cpl Peter(1978-86) and BQMS Peter Campbell (1957-99)
Marking time
At their annual dinner dance at the Kingston Hotel Dun Laoghaire in March, the members of B Coy 21 Inf Bn, RDF had a special reason to celebrate. This would be the last unit function prior to the RDF re-organisation later this year when 21 Inf Bn will be integrated with the 20 Inf Bn and become the 62 Inf Bn
Many former company members attended and mingled with the newer recruits instilling in them an understanding of what it meant to belong to B Coy; people like BQMS Peter Campbell (Retd) and his three sons, Rory, Stephen and Peter who between them had over 60 years service. In 1957 BQMS Campbell joined the South County Dublin, which later became 21 Inf Bn. During his career Peter Snr, a keen marksman, was in charge of recruitment for the Blackrock College Centre and at one time had some 120 men under his command.
The event organiser Lt Paul O’Donovan, himself a former member of the PDF, was delighted with the turnout and interest shown by both current and former members. He noted that it was fitting to mark time on the closure of B Coy, and to look forward to the challenge that the re-organisation posed for all in the RDF.
First in a series of photos so people can spot themselves. These 2 were taken in the Coastguard Station, the first shows Swanny out front while Peter Campbell tries to organise the group. The second is the one for people spotting.
I see Joe McKeever, Maurice Sheridan, John Fahy and Noel Heaslip among the new names not mentioned previously on this blog. John Fahy is famous as the photographer who took the iconic photo of the 
dolphin in front of a snow-clad Dalkey Island. If you are one of the few households in Dalkey/Killiney/Dun Laoghaire who don’t yet have this picture at home, click on it and buy one from John. I met him last week in The Club and he tells me the picture is his pension fund, like those rock stars with one song that keeps getting played at Christmas time!
Here is a video of the Mass in Dun Laoghaire for deceased members of B Coy that I referred to in my post on “Church and State”.
The Colour Party is commanded by Rossa Lyons, with Mick O’Toole as flag officer and Gerry Paley and Noel Lyster as escorts. In the Guard of Honour I can recognise Tom Walsh, Kevin Connolly, Tony Taaffe, Cpl Chernobyl, Paddy Henry, Bernard Swan and Ciaran Giles.
As well as Father Breslin’s somewhat un-orthodox sermon the event was notable for Rossa’s total lack of understanding of the liturgy. He was told that when the consecration arrived he was to give the order to “Present Arms”. “The wha?”, says Rossa. In an attempt to inform him, he is told “when the priest holds up the bread and wine”. Then at the offertory, when the Padre says the “Blessed are you, Lord, God of all creation. Through your goodness we have this bread to offer…”, Rossa gives the order, and proceeds to leave the Guard of Honour at the present for a good ten minutes. At least the bugler had the sense to wait until the ACTUAL consecration before sounding!
This B Coy shoot from March 9th 1975 was held at Kilpedder range and we fired the 303 and the Bren. Judging by the photos there was a good turn-out and being the FCA in the mid 70s there was quite a mixture of european surplus combats and mufti being worn.
Gallery of pictures follows
The final part of the History of B Coy. I got this from Aidan Teevan when I met him at the Annual Mass 2012. He also gave me some corrections for previous posts, but I think I will incorporate them into a complete history and post it here as a PDF file (Portable Document Format, not the other PDF!) for download in due course.