WATCH: Galway's Lieutenant Colonel Cormac Brady to lead Irish troops in Lebanon

Lieutenant Colonel Cormac Brady will lead the 69th Infantry Group, which is completing its final preparations ahead of deploying in November to serve with the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL).

The deployment comes at a significant time for the Defence Forces, with the current UNIFIL mandate scheduled to end on December 31, potentially bringing an end to Ireland's large-scale peacekeeping mission in Lebanon after almost five decades.

Speaking during the contingent's Mission Readiness Exercise in the Glen of Imaal in County Wicklow, Lieutenant Colonel Brady said preparations had been progressing positively.

"Preparation has been underway for a number of weeks and months in relation to the deployment for the 69th Infantry Group," he said.

"It's been going very positively. You've joined us today on Phase Three, which is our Mission Readiness Exercise that will be conducted both over this week and into next week."

The exercise is designed to ensure personnel are prepared for the demands of their mission, with training scenarios reflecting the challenges they could encounter once they arrive in Lebanon.

"In relation to the Defence Forces, we have had service with UNIFIL for nearly 50 years. We plan and we prepare for multiple eventualities," Lieutenant Colonel Brady said.

He added by stating: "We learn from the after-actions of those who have gone before us. Certainly, the current situation is calm, it is volatile, but from that information we have been able to prepare appropriately for the mission," he said.

Training includes live firing, simulated mortar attacks, casualty evacuations, ambushes and patrols, with personnel put through demanding scenarios intended to test their readiness for the deployment.

Lieutenant Colonel Brady said responsibility for the mission extended throughout the chain of command, with every member of the contingent having an important role to play.

"For any command, whether you are here at home, as a lieutenant, as a section commander, as a corporal, you have roles, you have responsibility," he said.

"I am firmly committed to this appointment, but I also have faith in those who I am serving with and trust in those appointment holders. Our training has been very comprehensive."

The deployment carries particular significance given the history of Irish service in Lebanon, where more than 30,000 Irish troops have served since 1978.

However, 48 members of the Defence Forces have lost their lives while serving with UNIFIL, a legacy that remains at the forefront of preparations for the latest contingent.

Lieutenant Colonel Brady said the Defence Forces remained conscious of the impact those losses have had on families, friends and colleagues.

"We are very conscious of the 48 members of the Defence Forces family who did not return from UNIFIL and the effect that that has on family members at home," he said.

As the possibility of the mission drawing to a close approaches, the immediate focus remains on ensuring the 69th Infantry Group is ready for its responsibilities.

"It is something that we are aware of, but very clearly for the 69th we are now focused solely on ensuring that we have adequate training completed prior to the deployment so that we are actually fit for purpose, that we are confident in what we are doing and that we are confident in our position," he said.

Lieutenant Colonel Brady also highlighted the importance of force protection, acknowledging that risks would remain throughout the deployment.

"Like any deployment, there are risks that are there, but again we mitigate against those risks through the sort of training that we're doing," he said.

He pointed to investment in new body armour for personnel, which he said was enhancing protection and mobility while helping to build confidence among members of the contingent.

The logistical demands of the deployment could also prove challenging, particularly if the scheduled conclusion of the UNIFIL mandate leads to a wider withdrawal of personnel and equipment during 2027.

Lieutenant Colonel Brady said specialist personnel would play an important role in supporting the operation.

"We are exceptionally lucky and again the Defence Forces have put the right people in place who will support us," he said.

"I have a higher number of logisticians who are travelling with me. I have specialists like Lieutenant Colonel James Horrigan, who will also be very much plugged into that part of the mission."

While acknowledging that challenges would arise, he said the contingent had been preparing for the responsibilities ahead.

"So we are well prepared and there will be challenges to that, but we're ready for it," he added.

The 69th Infantry Group is made up primarily of personnel from the Defence Forces' Second Brigade area, with Dundalk's Aiken Barracks, home to the 27th Infantry Battalion, serving as the lead unit.

The contingent includes soldiers preparing for their first overseas deployment, alongside experienced personnel returning to Lebanon for a second, third or fourth tour of duty. Two father-and-son pairs are also among those preparing to deploy.

The group will take over duties from the 128th Infantry Battalion, which deployed in May 2026, continuing Ireland's contribution to the international peacekeeping mission.

With Ireland's involvement in UNIFIL potentially approaching its final chapter, the 69th Infantry Group will carry forward a peacekeeping tradition spanning almost five decades while focusing on the mission and the safety of those serving overseas.