Celebrating the centenary of the 3rd Infantry Battalion in Kilkenny
On Friday (January 27), the 3rd Infantry Battalion will celebrate the centenary of its formation and 25 years at its home base in Stephens Barracks in Kilkenny.
One of the army’s largest units and indeed one of the largest employers in Kilkenny and the surrounding counties, the Battalion has a strength of almost 450 personnel.
The 3 Infantry Battalion is the oldest Army unit of the Irish Defence Forces and traces its foundation back to January 1923. It played a critical role in national defence preparations during the Second World War period and during the Troubles. Almost one hundred of the Battalion’s soldiers returned home only recently from Syria and the unit has served on many UN-mandated missions overseas since 1960, including in the Congo, Mali, Chad, Lebanon, Liberia and Kosovo.
The 3rd Infantry Battalion are also the lead unit deploying to the UNIFIL mission in Lebanon in November 2023. Locals will have seen the exceptional work carried out by the Battalion during the recent pandemic at vaccination centres, testing sites and in manning contact tracing call centres. Its soldiers – including many sporting legends such as Kieran Brennan, Paul Murphy and Stacey Keogh, have been at the heart of communities in the southeast for many years.
The Battalion, initially formed in January 1923 in Drumboe, Co. Donegal was born amidst the chaos and tragedy of the Civil War. Moving to its longstanding home at the Curragh Camp in 1927, the Battalion – known affectionately as ‘The Bloods’ - has had a long-standing relationship with Kilkenny and the southeast since its deployment there throughout the Second World War/Emergency period.
In 1971 the Battalion moved ‘A’ Company from the Curragh Camp to James Stephens Barracks, followed by the entire Unit moving in 1998 and amalgamating with the 30th Infantry Battalion. The 3rd Infantry Battalion is the oldest unit in continuous existence not just in the army, but across the Air Corps and Navy also.
Although the centenary parade is not open to the general public, families of serving soldiers and veterans of the unit are invited to register for the event. The ceremony will include live music from the Band of 1 Brigade under the baton of Captain Fergal Carroll. Veteran pipers of the 3rd Infantry Battalion will be performing on the day also, including a special rendition of the Battalion’s marching tune, The Dawning of The Day on the barrack square.
Dignitaries including local T.Ds, the Mayor of Kilkenny, the Dean of St Canice’s Cathedral, the Battalion’s Chaplain and the General Officer Commanding 1 Brigade will also be present. The celebration will see four Companies from the 3rd Infantry Battalion on parade as well as a representative body from our sister Unit in the Curragh, one mechanised Infantry (1MIC) whose origins lie with B Company, 3rd Battalion. The soldiers of 1 MIC will provide armoured Vehicles on display, joined by the iconic Sliabh na mBan 1922 Rolls Royce armoured Car which is just about the same age as the Battalion. The parade will include the traditional blessing and presentation of new unit colours to commemorate the Centenary of the unit.
The event will be followed by the opening of the refurbished Veterans Centre and a new Museum exhibition and oral history collection entitled ‘Bloods 100’.
The Officer Commanding 3rd Inf Bn, Lt Col Gareth Prendergast, originally from Westmeath, is an adopted local man (Johnswell) and the Battalion Sergeant Major, BSM John Kelleher is a Corkman.
The Battalion’s Motto is Dílis go Bráth (loyal forever).