Useful

**irlsgt** · 19-10-2005, 18:23

Originally Posted by Irishmech

Can any of you Irish Army boys enlighten me on the contracts/terms of service new recruits sign up now. When I applied to join (around '95) I was told it was 5 years service and you were out on your ear.

The initial contract is 5 years, extendable to 12 years if promoted to corporal. 21 years when promoted to sergeant and up to age 60 (i think) after that). These were introduced in the 1990s and a voluntary early retirement scheme was run as the average age of a private was TOO high, mid 30s.

**Irishmech** · 21-10-2005, 10:49

Many thanks for the reply Irlsgt.

**CutLunchCommando** · 21-10-2005, 21:48

Ahh...I'd forgotten this thread!

The Saw Doctors sang........

F.C.A. Lyrics

When I signed on
I was sixteen
Had to lie about my age
Had me hair cut short already
At the time 'twas all the rage
I heard so many stories
About the crack in Mullingar
And the glen ablow in Wicklow
Keepin watch under the stars

I was bored, broke, oblivious
So I joined the F.C.A.

I got fitted for the uniform
One sunny summers night
The trousers never fitted
And the beret was'nt right
But the boots were strong and powerful
I still have them to this day
Though the shine is long deserted
They still keep out the rain

I was bored, broke, oblivious
So I joined the F.C.A.

The tightest trousers
Come from Tuam
In Milltown they have
No ballroom
Oh I was so drunk and
disorderly
I don't know what I did
But I have the strangest
feeling
I owe Tom Wholihan 25 quid

I was bored, broke, oblivious
So I joined the F.C.A.

The night before we left
I met my favourite girl uptown
I felt like I was leaving
For some war on foreign ground
We promised love, kissed goodbye
Like we never did before
For the cause of Mother Ireland
She could'nt have dunmore

Copyright: Moran/Carton

**irlsgt** · 29-10-2005, 17:26

The last DF recruitment video:

http://www.cawleynea.ie/showreel/videos/showreel2.mov

I've got another 3.5 minute video on my hard drive, but can't figure out how to attach it here.

**California_Tanker** · 29-10-2005, 19:31

They still haven't released a new one since then?

Still, far better than anything on US TVs.

NTM

**Kilbride_Killer** · 01-11-2005, 18:44

There's videos on this page http://www.62infantry.com/Irish_Defe...s_Videos.shtml

**the_matelot** · 04-11-2005, 13:36

Whats the music in the background of those recruitment videos?

**irlsgt** · 04-11-2005, 19:29

It was done especially for the ad as far as I know.

**GDav** · 12-11-2005, 20:03

Great thread this. I'm an ex Irish Hussar and met loads of guys from the IDF in my time. It was deemed inapproriate at that time because of the Northern troubles to seen to be friendly towards anything Southern but it never stopped us.

It's good to see the IDF guys on the same thread as the BA.

Any chance yez might be reforming the Blue Hussars yet? (not on fecking motorbikes either) and if you are is there room for an old geezer?

**gallowglass** · 12-11-2005, 21:02

Originally Posted by GDav

Any chance yez might be reforming the Blue Hussars yet? (not on fecking motorbikes either) and if you are is there room for an old geezer?

This was attempted after the Emergency (better known as the Second World War in the real world) but the proverbial pig's ear was made of it. Economic reasons were cited by the Fianna Fáil apparatchiks at the time, but the feeling in the Army was that the real reason was good old-fashioned peasant begrudgery at the imagined 'Britishness' of the uniforms and the unit's élite status and ethos. Ironically, the Blue Hussars were an Artillery Corps unit - something my father (a former officer in the 'Premier Corps'

and Equitation School) never tires of telling me. I actually have pictures from an Osprey book showing the Blue Hussars' uniform.

In the QRIH were you? - yes, you'll do.

Now, if we could just persuade the Government to re-form the Connaughts, Munsters, Dublin Fusiliers, Leinsters.....