Citation for Puckane UN veteran of the Congo

A ceremonial presentation of a Citation was recently made to the personnel of 'A' Company, 35th Irish Battalion, who fought so gallantly at Jadotville in the Congo in September 1961.

Puckane man Sean Foley, retired Company Quarter Master Sergeant with the Irish Defence Forces, was a young corporal in the Congo and a member of the No 3 Platoon of 'A' Company. He attended the ceremony at the Custume Barracks in Athlone, where a memorial was unveiled in 2005.

 

Undoubtedly this occasion was a moving experience for both the veterans and all the other survivors and family members of those who have gone to their eternal reward.

 

Sean served 30 years in the Defence Forces and 10 years in the First Line and Second Line Reserve. He did two tours in the Congo. He was also three times in Lebanon with his sons John and Liam in 1989/90. This was a first for the Defence Forces – father and two sons on the same mission.

 

Sean's family are extremely proud of him and his Citation. Not one to make a fuss himself, Sean's daughters Sinead Foley and Michelle Clifford of Carney said their father often mentions others from North Tipperary who served in the Congo all those years ago.

 

Among them were Billy McGrath, Tommy Nagle, Joe Mitchell (all Nenagh), Martin Corrigan (Nenagh and Lorrha), Tony Foran (Nenagh and Limerick), Liam Gaffney (Cloughjordan), Michael Power, Jim Hough and Jim's late brother Fr Tom Hough (Borrisokane), Lieutenant T Ryan (Burgess), John Grace (Ballinahinch), John Glennon (Wilton, Ballymackey), and Ned Fox (Luska, Puckane).

 

They all wore the Blue Beret with pride. Nenagh and its surrounds can be proud of the service its sons and daughters have given down through the years to peacekeeping worldwide.

 

The recently released Netflix film 'The Siege of Jadotville' endeavours to sum up the actions of 'A' Company, 35th Irish Battalion. Sean recounted many of his own experiences of the Congo in a book he wrote under the name Seán Ó Foghlú. Titled 'No White Feather', the book was published in 2011 by Book Republic.