131-692: The Directorate of Military Intelligence (aka D INT / D J2 ) ( Irish : Stiúrthóireacht na Faisnéise ) is the military intelligence branch of the Defence Forces , the Irish armed forces, and the national intelligence service of Ireland . The organisation has responsibility for the safety and security of the Irish Defence Forces , its personnel, and supporting the national security of Ireland. The directorate operates domestic and foreign intelligence sections, providing intelligence to
262-547: A unique dialect of Irish developed before falling out of use in the early 20th century. With a writing system , Ogham , dating back to at least the 4th century AD, which was gradually replaced by Latin script since the 5th century AD, Irish has one of the oldest vernacular literatures in Western Europe . On the island, the language has three major dialects: Connacht , Munster and Ulster Irish . All three have distinctions in their speech and orthography . There
393-717: A bargaining chip during government formation in Northern Ireland, prompting protests from organisations and groups such as An Dream Dearg . Irish became an official language of the EU on 1 January 2007, meaning that MEPs with Irish fluency can now speak the language in the European Parliament and at committees, although in the case of the latter they have to give prior notice to a simultaneous interpreter in order to ensure that what they say can be interpreted into other languages. While an official language of
524-523: A better future for Ireland and all her citizens." The Strategy was produced on 21 December 2010 and will stay in action until 2030; it aims to target language vitality and revitalization of the Irish language. The 30-page document published by the Government of Ireland details the objectives it plans to work towards in an attempt to preserve and promote both the Irish language and the Gaeltacht. It
655-455: A communications hub in order to communicate with its North Atlantic fleet , but which were also designed for the storage of conventional high explosives. Col Buckley complained that he did not have "the monitoring or surveillance systems" to confirm the presence of nuclear weapons in Northern Ireland, but that the British strongly denied land-based systems in the territory and refused to confirm
786-478: A cultural and social force. Irish speakers often insisted on using the language in law courts (even when they knew English), and Irish was also common in commercial transactions. The language was heavily implicated in the "devotional revolution" which marked the standardisation of Catholic religious practice and was also widely used in a political context. Down to the time of the Great Famine and even afterwards,
917-654: A day (last collection for England at 11pm), and a daily Mass for Catholics at the East Church. A gun was fired every day at reveille , at 1pm and at 9.30pm. The Wrens of the Curragh were a community of women, who lived close to the Camp, in order that many of the women could be paid for sex work by the soldiers there. The Camp, like many military garrisons in Ireland at the time, attracted large numbers of prostitutes. It
1048-553: A degree course in the NUI federal system to pass the subject of Irish in the Leaving Certificate or GCE / GCSE examinations. Exemptions are made from this requirement for students who were born or completed primary education outside of Ireland, and students diagnosed with dyslexia . NUI Galway is required to appoint people who are competent in the Irish language, as long as they are also competent in all other aspects of
1179-456: A far better education than he could possibly have acquired any other way." Also according to Coogan, the years in internment left a great mark on the IRA veterans who remained there for long. "Most men, on leaving the internment camp, were so unable to deal with ordinary life that it took upwards of six months before any of them could screw up their courage to do normal things such as signing on at
1310-498: A fire station, ten barracks, two churches, water-pumping station, courthouse and clock tower. In 1861, Queen Victoria and Prince Albert visited to inspect troops, including their son, Edward, Prince of Wales , who was serving at the camp. A great troop review was held for the visit and an album of the occasion can be found in the Royal Archive at Windsor Castle . The first of the "modern" barracks (Beresford Barracks)
1441-460: A fully recognised EU language for the first time in the state's history. Before Irish became an official language it was afforded the status of treaty language and only the highest-level documents of the EU were made available in Irish. The Irish language was carried abroad in the modern period by a vast diaspora , chiefly to Great Britain and North America, but also to Australia , New Zealand and Argentina . The first large movements began in
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#17327901604261572-462: A high proportion of commissioned officers, most of whom will enter J2 with third level education, a Level 7 or Level 8 Bachelor's degree as per modern Defence Forces education standards and may go on to undertake further academic studies (such as a Level 9 Masters or higher) in a relevant field. Irish language Irish ( Standard Irish : Gaeilge ), also known as Irish Gaelic or simply Gaelic ( / ˈ ɡ eɪ l ɪ k / GAY -lik ),
1703-521: A large part of the section's remit, in addition to fulfilling counter-terrorist , counter- subversion , counterinsurgency , counter- sabotage roles, and physical security of critical infrastructure . The National Security Intelligence Section works very closely with the Garda SDU and Garda National Surveillance Unit (NSU) to spy on potential terrorism threats, particularly from Islamic terrorists and dissident republicans . Military Intelligence have
1834-702: A member of the ECHELON SIGINT (signals intelligence) network, sharing and receiving information with its members ( Australia , Canada , New Zealand , United Kingdom and United States ). The Defence Forces CIS Corps is jointly responsible with the Military Intelligence Directorate for SIGINT and cyber operations within the Defence Forces. According to the Department of Defence: "The Defence Forces adheres to
1965-745: A number of Arabic speakers in their ranks as a result of Defence Forces deployments overseas. Separately, outside of Defence Forces Headquarters, the Naval Service maintains a Naval Intelligence Cell within its Intelligence and Fishery Section at Naval Operations Command , Haulbowline Naval Base , Cork Harbour , which is responsible for the collection, collation and dissemination of Naval Intelligence. The Air Corps maintains an Air Intelligence Section at its HQ at Casement Aerodrome , Baldonnel, Dublin responsible for aviation intelligence. Army Brigades maintain their own regional intelligence function – designation "G2" – reporting into J2. Founded in
2096-548: A number of locations in Dublin and County Kildare , and their headquarters are understood to be based at McKee Barracks , Dublin and the Department of Defence Headquarters in Newbridge, County Kildare. The latter is rumoured to house sophisticated modern technology for espionage ; the building was completed in 2010 after a number of years of construction, at a cost of €30 million. Intelligence and language training takes place at
2227-585: A paper suggested that within a generation, non-Gaeltacht habitual users of Irish might typically be members of an urban, middle class, and highly educated minority. Parliamentary legislation is supposed to be available in both Irish and English but is frequently only available in English. This is notwithstanding that Article 25.4 of the Constitution of Ireland requires that an "official translation" of any law in one official language be provided immediately in
2358-575: A pass in Leaving Certificate Irish or English, and receive lessons in Irish during their two years of training. Official documents of the Irish government must be published in both Irish and English or Irish alone (in accordance with the Official Languages Act 2003, enforced by An Coimisinéir Teanga , the Irish language ombudsman). The National University of Ireland requires all students wishing to embark on
2489-536: A plan known as Exercise Armageddon . However it was deemed unworkable and was not adopted by the cabinet. Nationalist areas were later given a form of protection by British forces under Operation Banner . In 1970, the Arms Crisis and subsequent trial engulfed the state in a political scandal in which Irish Army intelligence officer Captain James Kelly was implicated in an unauthorised covert operation with
2620-629: A policy of military neutrality and was " non-belligerent " during WWII, G2 formed secret agreements with the United Kingdom's Military Intelligence Section 5 (MI5) and the United States' Office of Strategic Services (OSS), the predecessor to the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA). During this period, G2 intercepted German naval and aerial communications through listening stations located across Ireland, sharing
2751-625: A religious context. An Irish translation of the Old Testament by Leinsterman Muircheartach Ó Cíonga , commissioned by Bishop Bedell , was published after 1685 along with a translation of the New Testament. Otherwise, Anglicisation was seen as synonymous with 'civilising' the native Irish. Currently, modern day Irish speakers in the church are pushing for language revival. It has been estimated that there were around 800,000 monoglot Irish speakers in 1800, which dropped to 320,000 by
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#17327901604262882-492: A result of linguistic imperialism . Today, Irish is still commonly spoken as a first language in Ireland's Gaeltacht regions, in which 2% of Ireland's population lived in 2022. The total number of people (aged 3 and over) in Ireland who declared they could speak Irish in April 2022 was 1,873,997, representing 40% of respondents, but of these, 472,887 said they never spoke it and a further 551,993 said they only spoke it within
3013-545: A wider meaning, including the Gaelic of Scotland and the Isle of Man , as well as of Ireland. When required by the context, these are distinguished as Gaeilge na hAlban , Gaeilge Mhanann and Gaeilge na hÉireann respectively. In English (including Hiberno-English ), the language is usually referred to as Irish , as well as Gaelic and Irish Gaelic . The term Irish Gaelic may be seen when English speakers discuss
3144-603: Is a Celtic language of the Indo-European language family . It is a member of the Goidelic language group of the Insular Celtic sub branch of the family and is indigenous to the island of Ireland . It was the majority of the population's first language until the 19th century, when English gradually became dominant, particularly in the last decades of the century, in what is sometimes characterised as
3275-452: Is also An Caighdeán Oifigiúil , a standardised written form devised by a parliamentary commission in the 1950s. The traditional Irish alphabet , a variant of the Latin alphabet with 18 letters , has been succeeded by the standard Latin alphabet (albeit with 7–8 letters used primarily in loanwords ). Irish has constitutional status as the national and first official language of
3406-485: Is an army base and military college in The Curragh , County Kildare , Ireland. It is the main training centre for the Irish Defence Forces and is home to 2,000 military personnel. The Curragh has historically been a military assembly area, owing to the wide expanse of plain. In 1599, Henry Harvey noted "a better place for the deploying of an Army I never beheld." However, the Curragh's history goes further back; it
3537-511: Is divided into four separate phases with the intention of improving 9 main areas of action including: The general goal for this strategy was to increase the number of daily speakers from 83,000 to 250,000 by the end of its run. By 2022, the number of such speakers had fallen to 71,968. Before the partition of Ireland in 1921, Irish was recognised as a school subject and as "Celtic" in some third level institutions. Between 1921 and 1972, Northern Ireland had devolved government. During those years
3668-645: Is mentioned in the Annals of the Four Masters that Lóegaire Lorc , the king of Ireland, was slain on the Curragh by Cobthach Cóel Breg . Richard Talbot, 1st Earl of Tyrconnel chose the Curragh as a muster point for the cause of James II during the Williamite War in Ireland . In 1783, a review of the Irish Volunteers raised to assist in the defence of the country while Great Britain
3799-582: Is now referred to as "J2" (which refers to joint services, i.e. the Army, Naval Service and Air Corps) and took on more national security roles. G2 spent much of its early efforts combating the Anti-Treaty IRA , in the Republic of Ireland, and also operated in Northern Ireland. G2 first came to public attention during World War II (1939-1945), known in Ireland as The Emergency . Although Ireland had
3930-587: Is only in Gaeltacht areas that Irish continues to be spoken as a community vernacular to some extent. According to data compiled by the Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht , Sport and Media , only 1/4 of households in Gaeltacht areas are fluent in Irish. The author of a detailed analysis of the survey, Donncha Ó hÉallaithe of the Galway-Mayo Institute of Technology , described
4061-412: Is still spoken daily to some extent as a first language . These regions are known individually and collectively as the Gaeltacht (plural Gaeltachtaí ). While the fluent Irish speakers of these areas, whose numbers have been estimated at 20–30,000, are a minority of the total number of fluent Irish speakers, they represent a higher concentration of Irish speakers than other parts of the country and it
Directorate of Military Intelligence (Ireland) - Misplaced Pages Continue
4192-516: Is tasked with providing intelligence support to the Defence Forces. Staff actively monitor relevant political, economic, social and military situations globally to produce intelligence reports and strategic studies to support operations. Personnel in this section can be found briefing all the way up to the Minister for Defence . The Directorate is responsible for conducting background checks of all Defence Forces personnel through close cooperation with
4323-631: Is under the command of a Colonel , known as the Director of Military Intelligence , who provides regular intelligence briefings to the Deputy Chief of Staff (Operations), Chief of Staff of the Defence Forces and the Secretary-General of the Department of Defence . The Director provides a monthly intelligence briefing in-person to the Minister for Defence . The Chief of Staff briefs the cabinet on matters of state security , as well as
4454-580: Is understood to have a relationship with Israeli Mossad . The Defence Forces and Garda Síochána provide security briefings to Department of Foreign Affairs employees and their families regarding potential terrorist attacks in host countries they are posted to. In May 2019, J2 was reported to have drawn up a plan to extract Lisa Smith – a former Irish Army soldier who converted to Islam before fleeing Ireland to join ISIS – and her two-year-old child from Syria by working with US military intelligence, who agreed to
4585-666: The Fíor-Ghaeltacht (true Gaeltacht ), a term originally officially applied to areas where over 50% of the population spoke Irish. There are Gaeltacht regions in the following counties: Gweedore ( Gaoth Dobhair ), County Donegal, is the largest Gaeltacht parish in Ireland. Irish language summer colleges in the Gaeltacht are attended by tens of thousands of teenagers annually. Students live with Gaeltacht families, attend classes, participate in sports, go to céilithe and are obliged to speak Irish. All aspects of Irish culture and tradition are encouraged. The Act
4716-470: The 1923 Irish Hunger Strikes , protesting against the continuation of internment without charges or trial and poor prison conditions. The strike quickly spread to other camps and prisons nationwide with the Curragh having the largest number of strikers – 3,390. Four prisoners died in the Curragh as the result of hunger strikes: Joseph Whitty , aged 19 (while on Hunger strike) on 2 September 1923, Dan Downey (who died in Curragh's Hospital Wing on 10 June 1923 due
4847-819: The Army Ranger Wing (ARW), carries out physical tasks in support of Military Intelligence in Ireland and overseas, and the Communications and Information Services Corps (CIS) provides technical and electronic support. "J2" works closely with the Garda Síochána Special Detective Unit (SDU), the national police counter-terrorism and counter-espionage unit. The duties of the Defence Forces Directorate of Military Intelligence are; The Directorate of Military Intelligence staffs members drawn from
4978-546: The Board of Public Works , was constructed between 1899 and 1900 and was the second such building in Ireland after the General Post office . Positioned on a corner site in the centre of the camp, the red brick facade with stone details became a fairly standard post office design, with modifications, in many other post offices around the country. As of 2024 it remains well maintained and An Post runs post office services from
5109-793: The Curragh incident , where a number of officers proposed to resign rather than enforce Home Rule against the will of the Unionists. In August 1920, the British Parliament passed the Restoration of Order in Ireland Act 1920 , which permitted military authorities to arrest ( intern ) any Irish person without charge or trial. Under Section 3(6) of the Act, the military established non-public courts martial, in which lawyers (appointed by
5240-594: The Garda CSB for the purpose of information share and cross-analysis. A report in late 2018 found that the Defence Forces had received 1,380 disclosures of communication data (mobile, landline and internet) based on requests to phone and internet firms over the five years 2013 to 2017 under the powers of the Communications (Retention of Data) Act 2011. The Defence Forces can only seek data for state security – and averaging more than 5 requests per week – they were
5371-485: The Garda National Vetting Bureau (GNVB). The Defence Intelligence Section is tasked with keeping members of the Defence Forces safe, be it in Ireland or abroad during active military engagements. The Army Ranger Wing Intelligence Section deploys in foreign countries alongside Military Intelligence soldiers during Irish military deployments, which are generally peacekeeping missions on behalf of
Directorate of Military Intelligence (Ireland) - Misplaced Pages Continue
5502-484: The Government of Ireland concerning threats to the security of the state and the national interest from internal and external sources. Military Intelligence is a constituent part of Defence Forces Headquarters (DFHQ) and is the intelligence section of all Defence Forces branches. The Directorate of Military Intelligence draws staff from the Army , Naval Service and Air Corps . The Irish military special operations forces,
5633-666: The Irish Free State Army . The handover took place at 10 o'clock on Tuesday 16 May 1922, when the camp was handed over to a party of Irish troops commanded by Lieutenant General O'Connell . On Monday evening the Union Flag was lowered for the last time. At noon, O'Connell climbed the water tower and hoisted the first Irish tricolour to fly over the Curragh Camp. By tradition the British Army had cut down
5764-631: The Republic of Ireland , and is also an official language of Northern Ireland and among the official languages of the European Union . The public body Foras na Gaeilge is responsible for the promotion of the language throughout the island. Irish has no regulatory body but An Caighdeán Oifigiúil , the standard written form, is guided by a parliamentary service and new vocabulary by a voluntary committee with university input. In An Caighdeán Oifigiúil ("The Official [Written] Standard ")
5895-584: The United Nations , European Union and NATO (Partnership for Peace) , due to Ireland's policy of military neutrality . The Directorate of Military Intelligence National Security Intelligence Section ( NSIS ) deals with threats to the state and the Defence Forces. This includes identifying, monitoring and assessing possible threats to the state and Irish national interests at home and abroad, be it by hostile intelligence services, terrorist groups and/or criminal organisations. Counter-intelligence forms
6026-649: The "Secret Service" budget, which is shared with the Garda Crime & Security Branch (CSB). In 2014, this figure was €1 million. Operatives from the Directorate of Military Intelligence can carry firearms on operations both at home and abroad, and those in the Directorate may not wear uniforms on operations. The Garda Special Detective Unit (SDU) works closely with the Intelligence Branch on domestic matters. Military Intelligence operates out of
6157-571: The 17th century, largely as a result of the Cromwellian conquest of Ireland , which saw many Irish sent to the West Indies . Irish emigration to the United States was well established by the 18th century, and was reinforced in the 1840s by thousands fleeing from the Famine . This flight also affected Britain. Up until that time most emigrants spoke Irish as their first language, though English
6288-670: The 1998 Good Friday Agreement , the language gradually received a degree of formal recognition in Northern Ireland from the United Kingdom, and then, in 2003, by the British government's ratification in respect of the language of the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages . In the 2006 St Andrews Agreement the British government promised to enact legislation to promote the language and in 2022 it approved legislation to recognise Irish as an official language alongside English. The bill received royal assent on 6 December 2022. The Irish language has often been used as
6419-540: The 2nd Battalion Worcestershire Regiment (31st Foot). In 1894, the Worcestershires were replaced by the 2nd Battalion the Hampshire Regiment (67th Foot). The Curragh was a little isolated, which led to stringent regulations about taxi fares. However, the camp was well provided for, with recreational facilities (including, for the officers, hunting with the local gentry), several postal deliveries
6550-403: The 6th century, used the Latin alphabet and is attested primarily in marginalia to Latin manuscripts. During this time, the Irish language absorbed some Latin words, some via Old Welsh , including ecclesiastical terms : examples are easpag (bishop) from episcopus , and Domhnach (Sunday, from dominica ). By the 10th century, Old Irish had evolved into Middle Irish , which
6681-522: The Act all detailing different aspects of the use of Irish in official documentation and communication. Included in these sections are subjects such as Irish language use in official courts, official publications, and placenames. The Act was recently amended in December 2019 in order to strengthen the already preexisting legislation. All changes made took into account data collected from online surveys and written submissions. The Official Languages Scheme
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#17327901604266812-547: The CIA for rendition operations, with support from the Irish government. Military Intelligence and the Garda Special Detective Unit's Middle Eastern Desk are tasked with monitoring potential jihadists in Ireland and Irish citizens who fight abroad in warzones – specifically Syria and Iraq – for Muslim extremist organisations such as the self-proclaimed " Islamic State ". Ireland is reported to be
6943-605: The Curragh under the Offences against the State Acts 1939–1998 for the duration of hostilities. By early June 1940, 400 IRA men were interned at the Curragh. In the Fall of 1940 the internees began work on six tunnels from individual huts leading to one main escape tunnel. During unrest on 14 December 1940 the internees set fire to several huts, wind spread the fire to many huts exposing the escape tunnels. Prison guards fired on
7074-428: The Curragh were not strictly contained, and were allowed to attend social events outside the detention camp. There was a film made about the World War II detention camp, in 1998, called " The Brylcreem Boys ". The Curragh Internment Camp held members of the Irish Republican Army (IRA) during its 1956–62 Border campaign . On 2 December 1958, 14 internees escaped from the Camp. The Camp contained approximately 150 men,
7205-514: The Curragh. In April 1921 a tunnel was discovered resulting in the loss of internee privileges. On 11 July 1921 the Irish War of Independence was ended with a truce and all tunneling at the Curragh was suspended. Thirty seven internees who were elected to the new Irish Parliament Dáil Éireann were released from the Curragh to consider the terms of the British peace terms. Because there was no general release of internees escape efforts continued. On 9 September 1921, between 50 and 70 men escaped from
7336-417: The Defence Forces did not confirm this. It has been alleged that Ireland facilitated the CIA's extraordinary rendition program of terrorism suspects in the aftermath of 9/11, including the secret detention and interrogation of suspects. It is claimed that Irish airports Casement Aerodrome (military) and Shannon International Airport (civilian) – used by the US military as stopover hubs – have been used by
7467-421: The Defence Forces in order to safeguard the security of the State." The Directorate of Military Intelligence ceased the practice of providing transcripts of intercepts on mobile phone calls, landlines, texts and emails and other raw intelligence to the CIA in 2011/2012. It now provides information on Irish residents to foreign intelligence services through a mutual assistance programme instead. A warrant signed by
7598-461: The Directorate of Military Intelligence were deployed in Iraq , alongside heavily armed Irish Army Rangers, following the kidnapping of Irish journalist Rory Carroll in Baghdad by militants. Following the intervention of Irish, British and American governments, Rory Carroll was released unharmed days later and returned safely to Dublin. From 2006 to 2014, it has been reported that Military Intelligence and ARW Intelligence Section operatives were on
7729-423: The Directorate receive further specialist training. The Defence Forces run their own Defence Intelligence & Security Course (DISC). The course runs for a number of months and covers the main areas of intelligence operations, including the principles of intelligence operations, defence intelligence, intelligence analysis, and combat intelligence. The course is supported by additional "on-the-job" training as part of
7860-477: The Directorate. This includes additional weapons, surveillance and communications training to support ongoing operations. Further training in languages is available, and specialist training on sensitive subjects such as religion, culture, ethnicity and radicalisation are also provided. Members of the Intelligence Branch may also receive further training with friendly forces overseas, such as in imagery intelligence . The Directorate of Military Intelligence consists of
7991-419: The English journalist James Greenwood in 1867. His book The Seven Curses of London also contains a chapter on the Wrens. The problem of sexually transmitted diseases due to the prevalence of prostitution and men willing to partake in their services can be seen by the numbers reporting with gonorrhea in the military hospital in the 1911 census. A purpose-built post office, designed by Robert Cochrane of
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#17327901604268122-404: The European Union , only co-decision regulations were available until 2022, due to a five-year derogation, requested by the Irish Government when negotiating the language's new official status. The Irish government had committed itself to train the necessary number of translators and interpreters and to bear the related costs. This derogation ultimately came to an end on 1 January 2022, making Irish
8253-419: The Hare Park internment camp at the Curragh Camp through a tunnel which took over a month to construct using only knives and spoons. When the tunnel was completed the internees waited for a foggy night and used the noise from an ongoing concert to make their escape. None of the escapees were ever recaptured. After the Anglo-Irish War (21 January 1919 – 11 July 1921) the British Army handed over Curragh Camp to
8384-441: The IRA, Allied airmen and German mariners and airmen. British personnel were interned at the Curragh, whereas US personnel were repatriated due to an agreement between the Irish and US governments, though one US citizen, Roland Wolfe , whose nationality had been stripped by the US Government for fighting with the British (in No. 133 Squadron RAF ) prior to the US entry to the war, was also interned. The Allied and Axis "internees" at
8515-482: The Irish government with a better intelligence picture in relation to terror threats emanating from al-Qaeda and affiliated groups, working with western partners. The 2004 Madrid train bombings (11-M) in Spain and 7 July 2005 London bombings in the United Kingdom also saw an increase in the budget and deployments of Irish intelligence officers. The service came to national and international attention in late 2005, when Arabic -speaking intelligence officers from
8646-425: The Irish language policy followed by Irish governments as a "complete and absolute disaster". The Irish Times , referring to his analysis published in the Irish language newspaper Foinse , quoted him as follows: "It is an absolute indictment of successive Irish Governments that at the foundation of the Irish State there were 250,000 fluent Irish speakers living in Irish-speaking or semi Irish-speaking areas, but
8777-441: The Irish parliament Oireachtas enacted the Emergency Powers Act 1939 , which gave the government the power to intern foreign nationals and Irish citizens. During the IRA's campaign of bombing and sabotage in England from 1939 to 1940 (the S-Plan ), many Irish republicans were deported and interned in the Curragh. IRA members who were arrested by the Garda Síochána (the police and security service of Ireland) were also interned in
8908-454: The Labour Exchange to draw unemployment benefits or applying for jobs. Even to cross the road was a terrible effort, the traffic, thin enough after the war, seemed fantastic after the years in the Curragh. The difference in women's fashion frightened them and added to the general air of unfamiliarity. After years in confinement with adult men, children seemed fragile and small scale. Most remained republicans in sympathy, but had no means of solving
9039-408: The Military College, Defence Forces Training Centre (DFTC), Curragh Camp . In Ireland, national security is primarily the responsibility of the Garda Síochána (national police service), while the Defence Forces are responsible for intelligence. The Directorate of Military Intelligence Defence Intelligence ( DI ) Section is staffed by military commissioned and non-commissioned officers . It
9170-502: The Minister for Defence or Minister for Justice is required to intercept a telephone call or email of an Irish citizen. J2 maintains a secured information technology network and a registry of classified documentation. All intelligence electronically transmitted to J2 from abroad comes via secured data links to the Army's Intelligence Comcen (Communications Centre), where messages are encrypted and electronically logged before being passed on for analysis. J2's computer systems are linked with
9301-424: The Republic of Ireland ), new appointees to the Civil Service of the Republic of Ireland , including postal workers , tax collectors , agricultural inspectors, Garda Síochána (police), etc., were required to have some proficiency in Irish. By law, a Garda who was addressed in Irish had to respond in Irish as well. In 1974, in part through the actions of protest organisations like the Language Freedom Movement ,
9432-517: The base in night convoys but this was done for security reasons and it noted that there were underground facilities at Forkhill but that these were for accommodation and protection in the event of a mortar attack. Military intelligence did, however, have a reservation that Forkhill was "now on a microwave communications network which would have a Nato function in relation to possible nuclear attack". J2 has been deployed numerous times alongside Irish forces on peacekeeping duties globally, mainly to ensure
9563-694: The beginning of the following academic year. For a number of years there has been vigorous debate in political, academic and other circles about the failure of most students in English-medium schools to achieve competence in Irish, even after fourteen years of teaching as one of the three main subjects. The concomitant decline in the number of traditional native speakers has also been a cause of great concern. In 2007, filmmaker Manchán Magan found few Irish speakers in Dublin , and faced incredulity when trying to get by speaking only Irish in Dublin. He
9694-497: The border problem. Some were broken and turned to drink or had nervous breakdowns." In June 1945 the Irish government ordered the closure of the internment camp with many of the prisoners being released within a few months. Internment of several hundred men and women continued in Northern Ireland. A member of Northern Irelands Parliament T.J.Campbell wrote to the Prime Minister of Northern Ireland ( Basil Brooke ) concerning
9825-724: The boys will be there, with their pikes in good repair. There were numerous training camps organised on the Curragh in the 19th century including for training militia to defend the UK during the Napoleonic Wars . However, the first permanent military structures were designed and built from 1855 by British soldiers of the Corps of Royal Engineers to support efforts in the Crimean War . These structures for 10,000 infantry were constructed of wood. The camp also had its own post office,
9956-463: The building. The Curragh Cemetery has many graves that attest to the British Army presence on the Curragh up to their departure in 1922. The Commonwealth War Graves Commission maintains the graves of 104 servicemen who died at the camp during World War I , which are scattered throughout the cemetery. In March 1914, before the enactment of the Home Rule Act , the Camp became the scene of
10087-537: The continuation of internment: "This Government [of Northern Ireland] and the British Government, as alder and abettor, can gleefully claim proud possession of the one remaining concentration camp in Western Europe." It was also used to intern Allied and Axis personnel who had found themselves in Ireland during World War II . There were three sections in the camp at the time: one each for
10218-807: The cover of the Irish Red Cross delivering supplies to refugees in Spain , in order to gather information on the Irish minister (precursor to ambassador) in Madrid whom the Irish government had become increasingly suspicious about, due to his close links with Germany. Leopold H. Kerney had been visited by Edmund Veesenmayer , a senior Waffen-SS officer, who was one of the main Nazis involved in plotting secret Nazi operations in Ireland. G2 made contact with British spies in Lisbon and Madrid and concluded that Kerney
10349-718: The education system. Linguistic analyses of Irish speakers are therefore based primarily on the number of daily users in Ireland outside the education system, which in 2022 was 20,261 in the Gaeltacht and 51,707 outside it, totalling 71,968. In response to the 2021 census of Northern Ireland , 43,557 individuals stated they spoke Irish on a daily basis, 26,286 spoke it on a weekly basis, 47,153 spoke it less often than weekly, and 9,758 said they could speak Irish, but never spoke it. From 2006 to 2008, over 22,000 Irish Americans reported speaking Irish as their first language at home, with several times that number claiming "some knowledge" of
10480-565: The effects of an earlier hunger-strike), Denny Barry (while on hunger strike) on 20 November 1923 and Joe Lacey, brother of Dinny Lacey , who died on 24 December 1923 in the Curragh Camp hospital from complications due to his participation in the 1923 Irish Hunger Strikes. During the Emergency (1939–1946), internment of Irish Republicans was again instituted by the Fianna Fáil government of Éamon de Valera . On 3 September 1939,
10611-574: The end of 2019, after 30 years, show Irish government concerns over the possibility of British nuclear weapons in Northern Ireland. Colonel L Buckley, then Director of Intelligence briefed Peter Barry , then foreign minister, in November 1983 on the possibility of British/NATO nuclear missiles on the island of Ireland. Col Buckley believed nuclear weapons could be situated at underground facilities inside Benbradagh mountain in Derry, which US forces used as
10742-474: The end of the famine, and under 17,000 by 1911. Irish is recognised by the Constitution of Ireland as the national and first official language of Republic of Ireland (English being the other official language). Despite this, almost all government business and legislative debate is conducted in English. In 1938, the founder of Conradh na Gaeilge (Gaelic League), Douglas Hyde , was inaugurated as
10873-447: The entire Defence Forces (Army, Naval Service and Air Corps), who then serve on a full-time basis with J2. Military Intelligence personnel regularly train, liaise and deploy with foreign intelligence, government and non-government agencies to share knowledge and best practice. This ensures they keep abreast of threats and are able to collate essential intelligence to further protect the state, the Defence Forces and its interests. The service
11004-484: The farmhouse was also arrested and lodged in Mountjoy Prison . Controversy surrounds the circumstances of the death of Thomas Behan, one of the men. One version has it that his arm was broken when he was being apprehended and he was subsequently killed by a blow of a rifle butt on the head at the scene of the raid when he was unable to climb on the truck that conveyed the men to the Curragh. The official version
11135-560: The first President of Ireland . The record of his delivering his inaugural Declaration of Office in Roscommon Irish is one of only a few recordings of that dialect. In the 2016 census, 10.5% of respondents stated that they spoke Irish, either daily or weekly, while over 70,000 people (4.2%) speak it as a habitual daily means of communication. From the foundation of the Irish Free State in 1922 (see History of
11266-646: The flagpole requiring the Irish officers to physically hold the flagpole while the tricolour was raised. Both the Union Flag and the tricolour, which measures 10 ft × 18 ft (3.0 m × 5.5 m) are now preserved in the DFTC. In December 1922, seven men were executed in the Curragh Military Prison. The Leinster Leader of 23 December 1922 reported that a column of ten men had operated against railways, goods trains and shops in
11397-804: The government's decision, as intelligence officers believed their experience put them in the best position to extract Smith and her child safely and quietly, rather than the DFA or Gardaí. Later, in October 2019 it was reported the Army Ranger Wing had been deployed to the Syrian border in order to try and extract Smith and her child in a Non-Combatant Evacuation Operation after the 2019 Turkish offensive into north-eastern Syria resulted in Kurdish-held ISIS prisoners escaping, including Smith, although
11528-633: The ground in; Afghanistan , Iraq , Syria , Lebanon , Israel , Sudan , Ivory Coast , Liberia , Kosovo and Bosnia-Herzegovina as part of various international missions. The Directorate receives intelligence reports from civil servants posted at Irish diplomatic missions overseas, via the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA). Irish Military Intelligence works closely with the British Security Service (MI5) and Secret Intelligence Service (SIS/MI6), American Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) and National Security Agency (NSA), and
11659-532: The information with Allied forces . Under Colonel Daniel "Dan" Bryan , Director of Intelligence, G2 apprehended all thirteen Nazi spies sent to Ireland, notably Hermann Görtz , and broke German codes during the war, under the supervision of cryptologist Richard J. Hayes . During this period, G2 also undertook intelligence operations in Europe, including a notable covert mission in April 1943 where G2 officers travelled to neutral Portugal by flying boat , using
11790-538: The internees with four wounded and one killed. Two days later Irish Republican internee Barney Casey from County Longford was shot and killed by military police in the camp. After these fires and killings 40 Camp leaders were placed in solitary confinement for ten weeks and subjected to severe beatings. The camp was usually called Tin Town ( Baile an Stáin or an Bhaile Stáin ) by the internees. According to historian Tim Pat Coogan , around 2,000 IRA men passed time in
11921-408: The internment camp during the war years. According to Coogan: " Gaeltachts , peopled entirely by Irish -speaking internees, were set up and Máirtín Ó Cadhain ran highly successful language classes. Other prisoners who had more education than these fellows gave tutorials in their own special subjects, and many a young Irish counntry lad who had left school at age twelve emerged from the Curragh with
12052-511: The knowledge of Minister for Finance Charles Haughey and Minister for Agriculture and Fisheries Neil Blaney whereby £50,000 of a secret Irish government humanitarian fund of £100,000 (which had been set-up to help refugees fleeing Northern Ireland) was diverted and used to illegally import and smuggle arms and ammunition for the Provisional Irish Republican Army (IRA). The Garda Special Branch became aware of
12183-716: The language family, is derived from the Old Irish term. Endonyms of the language in the various modern Irish dialects include: Gaeilge [ˈɡeːlʲɟə] in Galway, Gaeilg / Gaeilic / Gaeilig [ˈɡeːlʲəc] in Mayo and Ulster , Gaelainn / Gaoluinn [ˈɡeːl̪ˠən̠ʲ] in West/Cork, Kerry Munster , as well as Gaedhealaing in mid and East Kerry/Cork and Waterford Munster to reflect local pronunciation. Gaeilge also has
12314-410: The language was in use by all classes, Irish being an urban as well as a rural language. This linguistic dynamism was reflected in the efforts of certain public intellectuals to counter the decline of the language. At the end of the 19th century, they launched the Gaelic revival in an attempt to encourage the learning and use of Irish, although few adult learners mastered the language. The vehicle of
12445-476: The language. For most of recorded Irish history , Irish was the dominant language of the Irish people , who took it with them to other regions , such as Scotland and the Isle of Man , where Middle Irish gave rise to Scottish Gaelic and Manx . It was also, for a period, spoken widely across Canada , with an estimated 200,000–250,000 daily Canadian speakers of Irish in 1890. On the island of Newfoundland ,
12576-916: The last of the internees were eventually released and the internment camp was closed on 11 March 1959. The Curragh Camp is now home to the Defence Forces Training Centre of the Irish Defence Forces , housing the Command and Staff School, the Cadet School, the Infantry School, the Combat Support College, the Combat Services Support College, the Equitation School, a logistics base, a supply and services unit, and
12707-582: The mid-18th century, English was becoming a language of the Catholic middle class, the Catholic Church and public intellectuals, especially in the east of the country. Increasingly, as the value of English became apparent, parents sanctioned the prohibition of Irish in schools. Increasing interest in emigrating to the United States and Canada was also a driver, as fluency in English allowed
12838-640: The mid-1920s following the Anglo-Irish Treaty , the Office of the Directorate of Intelligence was originally the intelligence arm of the Irish Army , hence its code-name "G2", which is a designation in NATO's continental staff system used to refer to an army intelligence, security, and information branch. Later the Directorate became the intelligence service for the entire Irish armed forces, hence it
12969-471: The military) could be present only in death penalty cases. Inquests of military or police actions were also banned. The Act was not repealed until 1953. In 1921 there were several camps within the Curragh that were used to house internees to include Hare Park and Tintown camps. During the Irish Civil War (June 1922 – May 1923) at least 30 internment camps/prisons existed in Ireland which were used by
13100-438: The movements of air and sea-based nuclear weapons. A separate file marked "Secret" from June 1985 shows that Irish military intelligence carried out reconnaissance on a British Army installation at Forkhill , Armagh (Northern Ireland) after it received information of "strong rumors" from locals that it was being converted into a nuclear facility. Their findings "strongly discounted the possibility". Materials had been brought into
13231-804: The name of the language is Gaeilge , from the South Connacht form, spelled Gaedhilge prior the spelling reform of 1948, which was originally the genitive of Gaedhealg , the form used in Classical Gaelic . The modern spelling results from the deletion of the silent ⟨dh⟩ in Gaedhilge . Older spellings include Gaoidhealg [ˈɡeːʝəlˠəɡ] in Classical Gaelic and Goídelc [ˈɡoiðʲelɡ] in Old Irish . Goidelic , used to refer to
13362-469: The new immigrants to get jobs in areas other than farming. An estimated one quarter to one third of US immigrants during the Great Famine were Irish speakers. Irish was not marginal to Ireland's modernisation in the 19th century, as is often assumed. In the first half of the century there were still around three million people for whom Irish was the primary language, and their numbers alone made them
13493-450: The newly formed Irish government to hold internees opposed to the Anglo-Irish Treaty . The official internment camp at the Curragh was the Rath camp which held 1,300 internees in 60 wooden army huts on a ten-acre area. The compound was surrounded by ten foot high fences with machine gun towers at each corner. Multiple escape attempts were made using tunnels and other means to get men out of
13624-666: The next biggest user of such data after the Garda Síochána , ahead of the Revenue Commissioners and Garda Síochána Ombudsman Commission . Individuals can apply to be selected for the Directorate of Military Intelligence, and they must be Officers or NCOs to be considered for appointment. Unlike a number of similar military forces, the Irish Defence Forces actively include intelligence as part of Officer and NCO education, but those selected to join
13755-655: The number now is between 20,000 and 30,000." In the 1920s, when the Irish Free State was founded, Irish was still a vernacular in some western coastal areas. In the 1930s, areas where more than 25% of the population spoke Irish were classified as Gaeltacht . Today, the strongest Gaeltacht areas, numerically and socially, are those of South Connemara , the west of the Dingle Peninsula , and northwest Donegal, where many residents still use Irish as their primary language. These areas are often referred to as
13886-503: The other official language, if not already passed in both official languages. In November 2016, RTÉ reported that over 2.3 million people worldwide were learning Irish through the Duolingo app. Irish president Michael D. Higgins officially honoured several volunteer translators for developing the Irish edition, and said the push for Irish language rights remains an "unfinished project". There are rural areas of Ireland where Irish
14017-523: The plan. She would have been brought by Kurdish forces who had arrested her south to the Jordanian border by US military intelligence where Irish military intelligence would have escorted her back to Ireland. The plan was presented to the government by Minister Kehoe but was rejected by the government. There was reported to be significant dissatisfaction within J2 and the higher levels of the Defence Forces with
14148-557: The political party holding power in the Stormont Parliament , the Ulster Unionist Party (UUP), was hostile to the language. The context of this hostility was the use of the language by nationalists. In broadcasting, there was an exclusion on the reporting of minority cultural issues, and Irish was excluded from radio and television for almost the first fifty years of the previous devolved government. After
14279-555: The provisions of all legislation regulating the conduct of intelligence gathering. The Interception of Postal Packets and Telecommunications Messages (Regulation) Act 1993 does provide the Defence Forces with the authority to conduct intelligence-led operations involving surveillance, electronic communications and stored electronic information in order to safeguard and maintain the security of the State. The Criminal Justice (Surveillance) Act 2009 also provides for surveillance to be conducted by
14410-492: The relationship between the three Goidelic languages (Irish, Scottish Gaelic and Manx). Gaelic is a collective term for the Goidelic languages, and when the context is clear it may be used without qualification to refer to each language individually. When the context is specific but unclear, the term may be qualified, as Irish Gaelic, Scottish Gaelic or Manx Gaelic. Historically the name "Erse" ( / ɜːr s / URS )
14541-432: The requirement for entrance to the public service was changed to proficiency in just one official language. Nevertheless, Irish remains a required subject of study in all schools in the Republic of Ireland that receive public money (see Education in the Republic of Ireland ). Teachers in primary schools must also pass a compulsory examination called Scrúdú Cáilíochta sa Ghaeilge . As of 2005, Garda Síochána recruits need
14672-647: The revival was the Gaelic League ( Conradh na Gaeilge ), and particular emphasis was placed on the folk tradition, which in Irish is particularly rich. Efforts were also made to develop journalism and a modern literature. Although it has been noted that the Catholic Church played a role in the decline of the Irish language before the Gaelic Revival, the Protestant Church of Ireland also made only minor efforts to encourage use of Irish in
14803-499: The safety and security of Irish troops, but also to provide intelligence on hostile forces. It is considered one of the most secretive intelligence agencies in Europe, and the Irish government and Defence Forces rarely allude to its very existence. Following the September 11 attacks on the United States in 2001, the Directorate of Military Intelligence significantly expanded their operations both internally and externally to provide
14934-432: The secretive National Security Committee (NSC). The organisation's number of employees and budget are classified, with a further 150-200 operatives in the Army Ranger Wing (ARW), who can conduct missions at the behest of Military Intelligence. Funding comes from the overall Department of Defence budget (€1.16 billion in 2012). The only publicly known funding is that for the budget to pay confidential informants , through
15065-617: The unsanctioned operation and informed Minister for Justice Mícheál Ó Móráin and Taoiseach Lynch, who were slow to take action. Sensing this inaction, the Special Branch leaked the information to the press and the leader of the opposition Fine Gael leader Liam Cosgrave , who put pressure on Lynch to act. This resulted in Ministers Haughey (who later became Taoiseach) and Blaney being sacked from their posts, Captain Kelly
15196-726: The vacancy to which they are appointed. This requirement is laid down by the University College Galway Act, 1929 (Section 3). In 2016, the university faced controversy when it announced the planned appointment of a president who did not speak Irish. Misneach staged protests against this decision. The following year the university announced that Ciarán Ó hÓgartaigh , a fluent Irish speaker, would be its 13th president. He assumed office in January 2018; in June 2024, he announced he would be stepping down as president at
15327-415: The vicinity of Kildare for some time. Five of them had apparently taken part in an attempt to disrupt communications by derailing engines on 11 December. Two engines had been taken from a shed at Kildare and one of them had been sent down the line into an obstruction at Cherryville, thereby blocking the line. It was also alleged that goods trains had been looted and shops robbed in the locality. The same column
15458-594: The work of such writers as Geoffrey Keating , is said to date from the 17th century, and was the medium of popular literature from that time on. From the 18th century on, the language lost ground in the east of the country. The reasons behind this shift were complex but came down to a number of factors: The change was characterised by diglossia (two languages being used by the same community in different social and economic situations) and transitional bilingualism (monoglot Irish-speaking grandparents with bilingual children and monoglot English-speaking grandchildren). By
15589-412: Was also reported to have taken part in an ambush of Free State troops at the Curragh siding on 25 November. On 13 December, the men were surprised in a dug-out at a farmhouse at Moore's Bridge, on the edge of the Curragh plains, by Free State troops. In the dug-out were ten men, ten rifles, a quantity of ammunition, and other supplies. The men were arrested and conveyed to the Curragh. The proprietress of
15720-531: Was also sometimes used in Scots and then in English to refer to Irish; as well as Scottish Gaelic. Written Irish is first attested in Ogham inscriptions from the 4th century AD, a stage of the language known as Primitive Irish . These writings have been found throughout Ireland and the west coast of Great Britain. Primitive Irish underwent a change into Old Irish through the 5th century. Old Irish, dating from
15851-476: Was at war with America held on the Curragh attracted upwards of 50,000 spectators. It was also a muster point during the 1798 Rebellion and was mentioned in the Irish peasant song The Sean-Bhean bhocht . As translated by Padraic Colum in 1922: And where will they have their camp? Says the Shan Van Vocht; Where will they have their camp? Says the Shan Van Vocht; On the Curragh of Kildare
15982-525: Was built at the camp in 1879, and six new barracks were subsequently constructed around the start of the 20th century: Ponsonby Barracks, Stewart Barracks, A.S.C Barracks, Engineer Barracks, Gough Barracks and Keane Barracks. By 1893, the General Officer Commanding (GOC) was Major-General Lord Ralph D. Kerr CB. The garrison was the 1st Battalion Royal Irish Regiment (18th Foot), the 1st Battalion Lancashire Fusiliers (20th Foot), and
16113-668: Was enacted 1 July 2019 and is an 18-page document that adheres to the guidelines of the Official Languages Act 2003 . The purpose of the Scheme is to provide services through the mediums of Irish and/or English. According to the Department of the Taoiseach, it is meant to "develop a sustainable economy and a successful society, to pursue Ireland's interests abroad, to implement the Government's Programme and to build
16244-539: Was establishing itself as the primary language. Irish speakers had first arrived in Australia in the late 18th century as convicts and soldiers, and many Irish-speaking settlers followed, particularly in the 1860s. New Zealand also received some of this influx. Argentina was the only non-English-speaking country to receive large numbers of Irish emigrants, and there were few Irish speakers among them. Curragh Camp The Curragh Camp ( Irish : Campa an Churraigh )
16375-460: Was forced to resign, and the subsequent trial of all three in which the case collapsed and they were cleared of charges. During the Cold War , G2 monitored known and suspected communists as well as agents of communist governments operating in Ireland, primarily through embassies in Dublin, sharing information with western allies. Declassified intelligence files marked "Confidential" released at
16506-533: Was in fact neutral. G2 was involved throughout The Troubles (late 1960s to 1998), and Army officers were sent across the border into Northern Ireland on intelligence-gathering missions from 1969. In August 1969 Taoiseach Jack Lynch asked Irish Army Intelligence to draft proposals for a military intervention and guerilla operations in Northern Ireland in order to protect Irish nationalists there from sectarian attack from Ulster loyalist mobs, under
16637-549: Was mentioned in the British Parliament 's Contagious Disease Acts , which allowed the authorities to stop and arrest women if they suspected them of being prostitutes. The women lived in the furze-covered areas surrounding the camp, living in holes in banks and ditches with few possessions, in what were known as 'nests'. Their story gained prominence in a series of articles in the Pall Mall Gazette by
16768-474: Was passed 14 July 2003 with the main purpose of improving the number and quality of public services delivered in Irish by the government and other public bodies. Compliance with the Act is monitored by the An Coimisinéir Teanga (Irish Language Commissioner) which was established in 2004 and any complaints or concerns pertaining to the Act are brought to them. There are 35 sections included in
16899-693: Was spoken throughout Ireland, Isle of Man and parts of Scotland . It is the language of a large corpus of literature, including the Ulster Cycle . From the 12th century, Middle Irish began to evolve into modern Irish in Ireland, into Scottish Gaelic in Scotland, and into the Manx language in the Isle of Man . Early Modern Irish , dating from the 13th century, was the basis of the literary language of both Ireland and Gaelic-speaking Scotland. Modern Irish, sometimes called Late Modern Irish, as attested in
17030-452: Was that he was shot when attempting to escape from a hut in which he was detained in the Curragh Camp. Those who were executed: A memorial to the executed men can be found in Kildare Town. During the Irish Civil War , at least two men died in the Curragh Camp while in custody: Owen Boyle on 13 November 1923 and Frank O'Keefe also in 1923 (day of year not stated). During this time, Irish Republican prisoners in Mountjoy Prison began
17161-442: Was unable to accomplish some everyday tasks, as portrayed in his documentary No Béarla . There is, however, a growing body of Irish speakers in urban areas, particularly in Dublin. Many have been educated in schools in which Irish is the language of instruction. Such schools are known as Gaelscoileanna at primary level. These Irish-medium schools report some better outcomes for students than English-medium schools. In 2009,
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