Irish Army Apprentice School

The Army Apprentice School (AAS) - Scoil Phrintisigh an Airm (SPA), was situated in Devoy Barracks, Naas, County Kildare.

The School was established on 16 August 1956 when the Irish Defence Forces (Óglaigh na hÉireann) recognised the need for suitably trained craftsmen within the Army and Naval Service. Apprentices were trained as a soldier first and a tradesman second. The school closed in 1998 due to Irish government cutbacks at the time, of which the Irish Defence Forces would later regret. The Irish Defence Forces would later send enlisted personnel to train as apprentices and send them to civilian colleges to be taught. Devoy Barracks was sold to a private company, who would later demolish it and build Kildare County Council offices and "The Osprey Hotel & Spa" on the site. The arch and clock tower are the only structures remaining from the original barracks.

Crest

• 
  Crest of the Irish Army Apprentice School (1956 to 1998)

Motto

"Ni Obair In Aisce Í" meaning "There is no work without gain"

Enlistment

The apprenticeships had age limits on application. These were initially a minimum age of 15 years old and a maximum age of 17 years old. However, these age limits were later increased to a minimum age of 16 years old and a maximum age of 18 years old.

Apprentices under the age of 18 were also required to have their parents' written permission to be able to enlist. Their contract was for a four year apprenticeship and they signed up for a period of 9 years service, which could later be extended to the standard 21 years service if the apprentice so wished.

If an apprentice wanted to terminate their contract they would have to "buy themselves out". The cost for this in the 1990's was IR£25 during initial training and then rose to £5,000 for the fourth year and until completion of the 9 year contract. The Defence Forces had raised the cost to "buy oneself out" to £5,000 to stop apprentices from leaving their ranks and joining "civvy street" for much better pay.

Apprentice Trades

The following are the list of Apprenticeship Trades that were taught:

• Electrician
• Fitter/Armourer
• Motor Technician
• Carpenter/Shipwright
• Radio Technician

Apprenticeship Duration

The apprenticeship was broken into three parts:

• 3 Years based in Devoy Barracks

Students held the rank of Apprentice, which was the equivalent to the rank of Recruit. Apprentices were required to spend three years at Devoy Barracks in Naas, Co. Kildare. (This may be the longest known military course in the world). During the three years in Devoy Barracks apprentices attended school onsite from September to June each year. The school was staffed by both civilians and army personnel. Some people suggest that the school had the best instructors of Ireland teaching in the school, which turned out the finest of tradesmen. Most apprentices went on to win the National Apprentice Awards of Ireland after qualifying. All apprentices were housed onsite in Devoy Barracks in dormitory-type prefab buildings and fed in the army dining-hall within the barracks. Apprentices were often required to have their sleeping quarters sparkling clean and failure to pass each Friday inspection often resulted in apprentices being refused permission to return home for the weekend.

From June to September each year the apprentices were required to undergo "Military Training", where they were taught the basics of military drill and fieldcraft. Most apprentices hated this part of the year because military instructors were brought in from different parts of the country and these instructors were usually allowed "let loose" on the apprentices. The army instructors being jealous of the apprentices because of them learning a trade. During military training the apprentices spent two months learning the military side of life, which also included a gruelling two weeks in either the much hated "Kilbride Military Camp" or the "Glen of Imaal" in Co. Wicklow. It cannot be said that the Army Apprentice School did not turn out the finest of military personnel.

Upon completion of the 3 years the apprentices achieved the rank of "2 Star Private".

Most apprentices would agree that they became part of a new family for the three years they spent in Devoy Barracks and this new family would remain in their lives, for the rest of their lives. In other words, a "Band of Brothers".

• 9 Weeks of 3 Star Training.

After completing the 3 years in Devoy Barracks army apprentices were then relocated to a different barracks somewhere in Ireland for 9 weeks to undergo the standard "3 Star Private" military training. Naval apprentices were deployed to the Irish Naval Base in Haulbowline, Co. Cork. After these 9 weeks the army apprentices were then posted to their new units in the various barracks scattered around Ireland to undergo the 4th year "On the Job" training.

• 4th year of "On the job" training.

(Radio Technicians attended the School of Signals in the Curragh Camp. Upon completing this year the Radio Technicians were deployed to different barracks throughout Ireland).

Naval apprentices in the AAS

The 32nd platoon was the first mixed Army/Navy apprentice platoon in the Irish Defence Force (PDF). 10 Electrical and Engine Room Artificer apprentices from the Irish Naval Service spent the first 6 weeks at the Naval depot in Haulbowline island, before joining 20 Army colleagues in the AAS at Devoy Barracks. The Naval detachment were accompanied by a Naval Non Commissioned Officer for the duration of the 3 years of training, initially a Senior chief petty officer. The Navy apprentices wore naval uniform for the duration of their time at the AAS and did not wear the AAS insignia flash. Mixed platoons continued until the eventual closure of the School on a cost basis .

Death in Training

In the scorching Summer of 1991 apprentices remember that their Military Training was particularly brutal and harsh. It was during this Summer that Apprentice Oliver Mullaney from Co. Leitrim, a 17 year old quiet and soft-spoken boy from the 34th Platoon, turned his own assault rifle on himself and committed suicide while performing Guard Duty in Devoy Barracks. His colleagues from his platoon blamed the treatment he received from his military instructors. There were rumors that he cried himself to sleep each night during the military training. It was also said that the military instructors and officers had placed bets with each other on which apprentice would drop out first. No one was ever held accountable for his untimely death. His platoon commander at the time was a person namely, Lt. Gerard Lane, who would later be promoted to Judge Advocate General (JAG) for the Irish Defence Forces. Another platoon commander was a Lt. Tom Clonan, who would later resign his commission some years later and compile a report on bullying within the Irish Defence Forces.

Rates of Pay

• 1st Year - £40 gross per week.
• 2nd Year - £60 gross per week.
• 3rd Year - £90 gross per week.
• 4th Year - £150 gross per week.

Apprentices used to be paid the same rate as a recruit. But from 1988 the Irish unemployment and apprenticeship body called "FAS" were not happy with army apprentices receiving a higher rate of pay then their civilian counterparts, so the Irish Defence Forces were only too happy to reduce the apprentices' rate of pay in line with civilian apprentices. Apprentices totally disagreed with receiving the civilian rate of pay because they did not have the same freedom as a civilian apprentice and they were also subject to military discipline on a daily basis. But this disagreement would fall on deaf ears.

Dress Code

Apprentices wore the normal army issue uniform of the time. However, they were unique in having a blue patch on their beret behind the brass "Oglaigh na hEireann" cap badge, rather than the standard red patch worn by other military personnel. They also wore a blue lanyard hanging from their shoulder on their formal Number 1 dress uniform.

Hall of Fame

The photos of each platoon hung in the Devoy room, located in the Canteen block.

32nd Platoon, 1987 to 1989
Electricians (Electrical Artificers): Tony McKeown(NS), Liam Kehoe(NS), Alan Leahy(NS), Brian Maher(NS), Kenneth Lloyd(NS)
Carpenters: Martin Carr, Pat Tallon, W McCarthy, Brian Cambell, Niall O'Shea
Fitter Armourers: Ger Heaney, Tom Boylan, Noel Cleary, John Rock, Martin Keeney,
Motor Technicians / Engine Room Artificers John Roche(NS), John Glennon(NS),Vincent O'Keefe(NS),Jerry O'Mahoney(NS),Shane Kearns(NS) Tom Hennessy, John Lewis, Tom Boylan, Martin Kavanagh, Enda Madden
Radio Technicians: Brian Tobin, Aidan Doorey, Robbie Kelly, John Hennessy, Derek Jones, Ger Eustace

32nd Platoon, Irish Army Apprentice School 1987 to 1989