Commanded by Lieutenant Colonel Cathal Keohane, the 122nd Infantry Battalion have been in training for the past two months and are scheduled to deploy to Lebanon later this month with the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL). The UNIFIL mission continues to represent Ireland’s largest overseas deployment.

 

The 122nd Infantry Battalion will deploy to the UNIFIL area of operations with 347 personnel (9 Maltese and 338 Irish). Drawn primarily from Sarsfield Barracks, Limerick, the 122nd Infantry Battalion will replace the 121th Infantry Battalion from Galway who deployed to Lebanon last November. There are 85 soldiers within the 122nd Infantry Battalion deploying on their first overseas peacekeeping misison. There are also five female personnel deploying. 

The ceremonial occasion consisted of a parade, a blessing of the 122nd Infantry Battalion unit flag, Ministerial Inspection and address in Sarsfield Barracks.

Pic 1: 122nd Infantry Battalion on parade in Sarsfield Barracks, Limerick

Pic 2: An Tánaiste and Minister for Defence, Mr Micheál Martin T.D. reviews the men and women of 122nd Infantry Battalion

Pic 3: Members of the 122nd Infantry Battalion salute An Tánaiste and Minister for Defence, Mr Micheál Martin T.D

Pic 4: Members of the 122nd Infantry Group Marching into position in Sarsfield Barracks, Limerick

Bio for Lt Col Cathal Keohane

 

Lieutenant Colonel Cathal Keohane is the commanding officer of the 122nd Infantry Battalion. A native of Skibbereen in West Cork, he joined the 71st Cadet Class in Oct 1994 and was commissioned to the 30th Infantry Battalion in Kilkenny in Jul 1996. Lt Col Keohane, an infantry officer, has held a variety of command and training appointments in Ireland to include; Officer Commanding 1 Bde Training Centre, as ISTAR Coy Commander of the Nordic Battle Group in 2015, Chief Instructor of the Cadet School and more recently as Commanding Officer of the 12th Infantry Battalion in Sarsfield Bks, Limerick.

Lieutenant Colonel Keohane has undergone extensive Professional Military education, holds a Bachelor’s degree in Civil Engineering from National University of Ireland Galway (NUIG) and a Master of Arts degree in Leadership, Management and Defence Studies from Maynooth University.

This will be Lt Col Keohanes’ seventh overseas mission with previous service including; deployment as an infantry Platoon Commander in Eritrea and as Company second in command in Liberia. He served as a staff officer in the EUFOR HQ in Bosnia and further in Sweden as part of the NBG HQ. His most recent overseas experience was as part of the EUBG HQ embedded within DSK, the German Airborne Division. Lt Col Keohanes` previous service in Lebanon was with the 111th Infantry Battalion in 2018 where he was the Battalion Deputy Command Officer and Chief of Staff.

Cathal, a keen sportsman enjoys coaching and developing juvenile sports teams and competes, when time allows, in distance team endurance events. He lives in Rochestown in Cork with his wife Connie, where they have been blessed with four daughters, Aoibhinn, Sadhbh, Doireann and Réailtí

ENDS.