List of wars involving the Republic of Ireland

This is a list of wars involving the Republic of Ireland and its predecessor states, since the Irish War of Independence. Since the 1930s, the state has had a policy of neutrality and has only been involved in conflicts as part of United Nations peacekeeping missions.

There have been many wars on the island of Ireland throughout history. Before independence, all of Ireland was part of the United Kingdom and Irish soldiers fought in many foreign wars as part of the British military. Irish soldiers also fought in conflicts as part of other armies.

List

Conflict	Combatant 1	Combatant 2	Result
Irish War of Independence (1919–1921)	Irish Republic^[1]	United Kingdom	Victory Anglo-Irish Treaty:^[2] Dominion status for 26 counties of Southern Ireland as the Irish Free State 6 counties of Northern Ireland remain part of UK United Kingdom retains the Ports of Berehaven, Spike Island and Lough Swilly
Irish Civil War (1922–1923)	National Army^[3]	Irish Republican Army^[3]	Victory Confirmation of the Irish Free State Defeat of Anti-Treaty forces
Congo Crisis (1960–1964)	ONUC Ireland^[4]^[5] Others	Katanga	Victory Debellation of the State of Katanga
Cyprus conflict (1964–present)	UNFICYP Ireland^[5]^[6]^[7] Others	Turkey Cyprus Greece	Ongoing
The Troubles (1968–1998)	State security forces Ireland Irish Defence Forces^[8] Gardaí^[8]	Irish republican paramilitaries Saor Éire (1967–75)^[9] Provisional IRA(1969–97)^[8] Official IRA(1969–72)^[10] INLA (1974–98)^[11] IPLO (1986–92)^[12] CIRA (1994–)^[13] RIRA (1997–)^[14] Ulster loyalist paramilitaries UVF(1966–94)^[15] UDA/UFF(1971–94)^[16] RHC(1972–94)^[17] UR (1986–) LVF (1996–)^[18]	Stalemate Good Friday Agreement^[19] Principle of consent accepted by all major parties involved^[19] Devolved powers to the local Northern Ireland Assembly^[19] Ceasefire and decommissioning of weapons from paramilitary groups^[19] Withdrawal of British troops from Northern Ireland^[19] Reform of the local police force^[20]
Lebanese Civil War and South Lebanon conflict (1978–present)	UNIFIL Ireland^[21]^[7] Others	South Lebanon Army Israel^[21] Hezbollah^[21] Amal PFLP-GC	Ongoing
Somali Civil War (1992–1995)	UNOSOM II Ireland^[22]^[7] Others	United Somali Congress	Victory UN humanitarian mandate fulfilled About 100,000 lives were saved by outside resistance Civil war is ongoing
Yugoslav Wars (1991–2001)	United Nations peacekeeping force Ireland^[7]^[23] Kosovo Force	FR Yugoslavia	Victory Stabilisation of the Balkans On-going Active Irish Presence
East Timorese Crisis (1999–2000)	UNTAET Ireland^[24]^[7] Others	Pro-Indonesia militia	Victory Defeat of pro-Indonesian militia Stabilisation of East Timor
Chadian Civil War (2008–2010)	EUFOR Chad/CAR MINURCAT Ireland^[25]^[7] Others	Rebel groups
Syrian Civil War in the Golan Heights (2013–2018)	United Nations peacekeeping force Ireland Others	Syrian opposition Al-Nusra Front Syria

References

^ Cottrell, Peter (2006). The Anglo-Irish War, The Troubles, 1913–23. Osprey Publishing. p. 28. ISBN 978-1-84603-023-9.
^ "The Signing of the Anglo-Irish Treaty, 1921". National Museum of Ireland. Retrieved 2024-10-05.
^ ^a ^b Gannon, Darragh; McGarry, Fearghal. "Century Ireland - Introducing Ireland 1922: Independence, Partition, Civil War". RTÉ. Retrieved 5 October 2024.
^ "Military Archives | The 60th anniversary of the Battle of Jadotville…". Military Archives. Retrieved 2024-10-05.
^ ^a ^b "Military Archives | Cyprus Unit Histories". Military Archives. Retrieved 2024-10-05.
^ O'Kelly, Kevin (12 May 1964). "Peace Keeping In Cyprus". RTÉ News. Retrieved 5 October 2024 – via RTÉ Archives.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f "Past Missions". www.military.ie. Retrieved 2024-10-05.
^ ^a ^b ^c McGreevy, Ronan (2 January 2022). "Gardaí confirm Provisional IRA killed garda and soldier during Don Tidey kidnap". The Irish Times. Retrieved 5 October 2024.
^ "Garda Fallon first on the force killed in modern Troubles". The Irish Times. 21 April 2001. Retrieved 5 October 2024.
^ "INLA Chief of Staff was shot by Official IRA in 1977". Irish Independent. 8 November 2007. Retrieved 5 October 2024.
^ Cusack, Jim (6 June 1997). "INLA warns gardai after shot robber dies". The Irish Times. Retrieved 5 October 2024.
^ Morris, Allison (5 September 2017). "Named: Man arrested over 1987 INLA feud murders". Irish News. Retrieved 5 October 2024.
^ MacDermott, Diarmaid (8 July 2003). "Bail for Continuity IRA bomb find accused". The Irish Times. Retrieved 5 October 2024.
^ Lally, Conor (20 December 2018). "Gardaí exonerated over shooting dead of Real IRA raider MacLochlainn". The Irish Times. Retrieved 5 October 2024.
^ McGreevy, Ronan (17 May 2024). "Dublin-Monaghan bombings: 'When I looked out into the street, I knew all normality was gone. It was like hell on Earth'". The Irish Times. Retrieved 5 October 2024.
^ Clarke, Ric (19 December 1991). "IRA bomb rocks center of Belfast, UFF starts Dublin firebomb blitz". UPI. Retrieved 5 October 2024.
^ "Interim Report on the Report of the Independent Commission of Inquiry into the Dublin Bombings of 1972 and 1973" (PDF). Houses of the Oireachtas. November 2004. p. 135. Retrieved 5 October 2024 – via dublinmonaghanbombings.org.
^ "Cross-border alert as LVF threatens further attacks". Irish Independent. 24 February 1998. Retrieved 5 October 2024.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e "Good Friday Agreement: What is it?". BBC News. 3 April 2023. Retrieved 5 October 2024.
^ "'New era' as NI police change name". BBC News. 4 November 2001. Retrieved 5 October 2024.
^ ^a ^b ^c Moore, Aoife (25 September 2024). "No plans to remove Irish peacekeepers from Lebanon". BBC News. Retrieved 5 October 2024.
^ Lavery, Don (28 February 2010). "Irish troops will train Somali soldiers". Irish Independent. Archived from the original on 5 October 2024. Retrieved 5 October 2024.
^ O'Brien, Joe (15 December 2003). "Keeping The Peace". RTÉ News. Retrieved 5 October 2024 – via RTÉ Archives.
^ "Last Irish soldiers to leave East Timor today". Irish Examiner. 16 October 2002. Retrieved 5 October 2024.
^ "Irish troops safe in Bosnia, insists O'Dea". Irish Examiner. 4 March 2008. Retrieved 5 October 2024. The minister also confirmed that there was no threat to Irish troops serving in Chad after an EU peacekeeping jeep that encroached into Sudan was attacked.

[1] Cottrell, Peter (2006). The Anglo-Irish War, The Troubles, 1913–23. Osprey Publishing. p. 28. ISBN 978-1-84603-023-9.

[2] "The Signing of the Anglo-Irish Treaty, 1921". National Museum of Ireland. Retrieved 2024-10-05.

[:0-3] Gannon, Darragh; McGarry, Fearghal. "Century Ireland - Introducing Ireland 1922: Independence, Partition, Civil War". RTÉ. Retrieved 5 October 2024.

[4] "Military Archives | The 60th anniversary of the Battle of Jadotville…". Military Archives. Retrieved 2024-10-05.

[:1-5] "Military Archives | Cyprus Unit Histories". Military Archives. Retrieved 2024-10-05.

[6] O'Kelly, Kevin (12 May 1964). "Peace Keeping In Cyprus". RTÉ News. Retrieved 5 October 2024 – via RTÉ Archives.

[:2-7] ^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f "Past Missions". www.military.ie. Retrieved 2024-10-05.

[:3-8] McGreevy, Ronan (2 January 2022). "Gardaí confirm Provisional IRA killed garda and soldier during Don Tidey kidnap". The Irish Times. Retrieved 5 October 2024.

[9] "Garda Fallon first on the force killed in modern Troubles". The Irish Times. 21 April 2001. Retrieved 5 October 2024.

[10] "INLA Chief of Staff was shot by Official IRA in 1977". Irish Independent. 8 November 2007. Retrieved 5 October 2024.

[11] Cusack, Jim (6 June 1997). "INLA warns gardai after shot robber dies". The Irish Times. Retrieved 5 October 2024.

[12] Morris, Allison (5 September 2017). "Named: Man arrested over 1987 INLA feud murders". Irish News. Retrieved 5 October 2024.

[13] MacDermott, Diarmaid (8 July 2003). "Bail for Continuity IRA bomb find accused". The Irish Times. Retrieved 5 October 2024.

[14] Lally, Conor (20 December 2018). "Gardaí exonerated over shooting dead of Real IRA raider MacLochlainn". The Irish Times. Retrieved 5 October 2024.

[15] McGreevy, Ronan (17 May 2024). "Dublin-Monaghan bombings: 'When I looked out into the street, I knew all normality was gone. It was like hell on Earth'". The Irish Times. Retrieved 5 October 2024.

[16] Clarke, Ric (19 December 1991). "IRA bomb rocks center of Belfast, UFF starts Dublin firebomb blitz". UPI. Retrieved 5 October 2024.

[17] "Interim Report on the Report of the Independent Commission of Inquiry into the Dublin Bombings of 1972 and 1973" (PDF). Houses of the Oireachtas. November 2004. p. 135. Retrieved 5 October 2024 – via dublinmonaghanbombings.org.

[18] "Cross-border alert as LVF threatens further attacks". Irish Independent. 24 February 1998. Retrieved 5 October 2024.

[:4-19] "Good Friday Agreement: What is it?". BBC News. 3 April 2023. Retrieved 5 October 2024.

[20] "'New era' as NI police change name". BBC News. 4 November 2001. Retrieved 5 October 2024.

[:5-21] Moore, Aoife (25 September 2024). "No plans to remove Irish peacekeepers from Lebanon". BBC News. Retrieved 5 October 2024.

[22] Lavery, Don (28 February 2010). "Irish troops will train Somali soldiers". Irish Independent. Archived from the original on 5 October 2024. Retrieved 5 October 2024.

[23] O'Brien, Joe (15 December 2003). "Keeping The Peace". RTÉ News. Retrieved 5 October 2024 – via RTÉ Archives.

[24] "Last Irish soldiers to leave East Timor today". Irish Examiner. 16 October 2002. Retrieved 5 October 2024.

[25] "Irish troops safe in Bosnia, insists O'Dea". Irish Examiner. 4 March 2008. Retrieved 5 October 2024. The minister also confirmed that there was no threat to Irish troops serving in Chad after an EU peacekeeping jeep that encroached into Sudan was attacked.

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v t e Lists of wars involving European countries
Sovereign states	Albania Andorra Armenia Austria Azerbaijan Belarus Belgium Bosnia and Herzegovina Bulgaria Croatia Cyprus Czech Republic Denmark Estonia Finland France Georgia Germany Greece Hungary Iceland Ireland Italy Kazakhstan Latvia Liechtenstein Lithuania Luxembourg Malta Moldova Monaco Montenegro Netherlands North Macedonia Norway Poland Portugal Romania Russia San Marino Serbia Slovakia Slovenia Spain Sweden Switzerland Turkey Ukraine United Kingdom
States with limited recognition	Abkhazia Kosovo Northern Cyprus South Ossetia Transnistria
Dependencies and other entities	Åland Faroe Islands Gibraltar Guernsey Isle of Man Jersey Svalbard

List

See also

References