Memories of the Battle of the Tunnel

Sean Norton
Interviewed for MAOHP - 30/01/2017
Reference Code: IE_MA_MAC_006_MAOHP_003_G
Location(s): Elizabethville Katanga
Length: 2.42

Colonel Seán Norton enlisted in the Irish Army in January 1955 at the age of nineteen. Sixty-two years later, he sat down at Cathal Brugha Barracks to offer his memories to the MAOHP. In December 1961, Colonel Norton was one of three Platoon Commanders at the Battle of the Tunnel in which two Irish soldiers were killed, including one of the Platoon Commanders, Lieutenant Paddy O'Riordan. Norton was awarded a Distinguished Service Medal for his role in the battle. In this piece of audio, Colonel Norton recalls some of his memories of the battle.

Jadotville

Peter Feely
Interviewed for MAOHP - 10/01/2018
Location(s): Jadotville

Length: 3.12

In this piece of audio taken from an interview on 24th June 2016, you will hear retired Colonel Peter Feely, a veteran of the Congo and one of three Platoon Commanders at the Battle of the Tunnel (December 1961). Col. Feely was one of 14 men from 'A' Company of...

Death of Lieutenant Paddy O’Riordan

Peter Feely
Interviewed for MAOHP - 24/06/2016
Location(s): Elizabethville Katanga Congo

Length: 3.01

Battle of the Tunnel (Throwing hand grenades)

Peter Feely
Interviewed for MAOHP - 24/06/2016
Location(s): Elizabethville Katanga

Length: 3.34

Battle of the Tunnel (Receiving orders)

Peter Feely
Interviewed for MAOHP - 24/06/2016
Location(s): Elizabethville Katanga Congo

Length: 4.35

Battle of the Tunnel

Peter Feely
Interviewed for MAOHP - 24/06/2016
Location(s): Elizabethville Katanga Congo

Length: 5.13

Arrival at Leopold Farm with ‘A’ Company 36th Battalion (December 1961)

Peter Feely
Interviewed for MAOHP - 24/06/2016
Location(s): Elizabethville Katanga Congo

Length: 2.22

Flight into Elizabethville under fire with ‘A’ Company 36th Battalion (December 1961)

Peter Feely
Interviewed for MAOHP - 24/06/2016
Location(s): Elizabethville Katanga Congo

Length: 4.03

Eve of the Battle of the Tunnel

Peter Feely
Interviewed for MAOHP - 24/06/2016
Location(s): Elizabethville Katanga Congo

Length: 3.22

Niemba – Sean Norton

Sean Norton
Interviewed for MAOHP - 30/01/2017
Location(s): Niemba

Length: 2.24

Niemba Ambush – Peter Feely

Peter Feely
Interviewed for MAOHP - 24/06/2016
Location(s): Curragh Camp

Length: 4.29

Selected for Congo Mission

Peter Feely
Interviewed for MAOHP - 24/06/2016
Location(s): Congo

Length: 2.33

Voluntereers wanted for Congo

Peter Feely
Interviewed for MAOHP - 24/06/2016
Location(s): Congo

Length: 3.25

Congo

Paul Cushnan
Interviewed for MAOHP - 11/07/2017
Location(s): Congo

Length: 2.03

Retired Barrack Quarter Master Sergeant Paul Cushnan is a native of Athlone, whose father had been in the British army. Cushnan joined the Irish Army in 1947 and retired as Barrack Quarter Master Sergeant. In July 2017, Cushnan offered his memoires to the MAOHP. Here, he discusses his own experience...

Death of Corporal Mick Fallon

Sean Norton
Interviewed for MAOHP - 30/01/2017
Location(s): Congo

Length: 0.42

Death of Paddy O’Riordan

Sean Norton
Interviewed for MAOHP - 30/01/2017
Location(s): Congo

Length: 1.56

Death of Paddy Mulcahy

Sean Norton
Interviewed for MAOHP - 30/01/2017
Location(s): Congo

Length: 2.01

Colonel Seán Norton enlisted into the Irish Army in January 1955 at the age of nineteen. Sixty-two years later, he sat down at Cathal Brugha Barracks to offer his memories to the MAOHP. In December 1961, Colonel Norton was one of three Platoon Commanders at the Battle of the Tunnel....

Memories of the Battle of the Tunnel

Sean Norton
Interviewed for MAOHP - 30/01/2017
Location(s): Elizabethville Katanga

Length: 2.42

Swapping Platoons before battle

Sean Norton
Interviewed for MAOHP - 30/01/2017
Location(s): Congo

Length: 1.38

The Sound of silence

Sean Norton
Interviewed for MAOHP - 30/01/2017
Location(s): Cathal Brugha Barracks

Length: 0.29

Trooper Pat Mullins

Art Magennis
Interviewed for MAOHP - 24/06/2016
Location(s): Congo

Length: 3.23

In this clip, extracted from an interview undertaken in June 2016, Commandant Magennis speaks about his connection to the story of Trooper Pat Mullins. Mullins, an 18-year-old soldier from Kilbehenny on the Cork-Limerick border was killed on 14 September 1961, when his armoured car was ambushed in the city of...

Arrival to Congo – 1961

Art Magennis
Interviewed for MAOHP - 24/06/2016
Location(s): Elizabethville

Length: 2.44

In this clip, extracted from an interview undertaken in June 2016, Commandant Magennis remembers his arrival in the Congo for the first time in 1961 and his witnessing of a plane crash close to their base. In July 1960, Irish troops were sent to the Congo as part of the...

Hearing news from the Congo

Imelda Conway Duffy
Interviewed for MAOHP - 24/08/2016
Location(s): Congo

Length: 2.04

In this clip, Imelda recalls being an 11-year-old girl listening to news of the Congo on their wireless radio in Wicklow and reflects on how connected the country was with the episode. Between July 1960 and June 1964, Irish troops were deployed to the Congo as part of a United...

Meeting Congo Veterans

Imelda Conway Duffy
Interviewed for MAOHP - 24/08/2016
Location(s): Congo

Length: 0.49

In this clip, Imelda recalls meeting with Congo veterans during her research into the documentary 'Fighting for Peace' and reflects briefly on the significance of the episode in their lives. Between July 1960 and June 1964, Irish troops were deployed to the Congo as part of a United Nations Peacekeeping...

Niemba Ambush – Imelda Conway Duffy

Imelda Conway Duffy
Interviewed for MAOHP - 24/08/2016
Location(s): Congo

Length: 1.20

In this clip, Imelda remembers hearing about the Niemba Ambush in November 1960 and describes the sense of sadness in the area when the news came back. The Niemba Ambush occurred on 8 November 1960 when an Irish Army platoon was ambushed in the Congo by Baluba tribesmen. Nine Irish...

Reflections on the Congo Campaign

Imelda Conway Duffy
Interviewed for MAOHP - 24/08/2016
Location(s): Congo

Length: 4.12

In this clip, Imelda offers her impressions and views on the Congo experience and offers an analysis of where it sits in the broader Irish experience. She explains the economic importance for Ireland in joining the United Nations in the 1950s and also speaks about other landmarks in Ireland during...

Three men in a boat overtake Congo news

Imelda Conway Duffy
Interviewed for MAOHP - 24/08/2016
Location(s): Congo

Length: 3.35

In this clip, to underline the significance of the Congo in the Irish experience, Imelda recalls the one time that the news was dominated by another subject. She recalls hearing about three young men Peter Synnot, Peter Donegan and Seamus Organ, who had gone missing off the coast of Wexford...

Summary of Katanga Conflict and description of ‘The Tunnel’

Seamus McDermott
Interviewed for MAOHP - 13/10/2016
Location(s): Elizabethville

Length: 1.32

In this piece of audio, Corporal Seamus McDermott offers his memories of the Congo in 1961 and discusses 'the Tunnel', which was later the scene of a battle involving Irish soldiers in December 1961. He also discusses some of the reasons for the conflict.

Ambush in the Congo

Seamus McDermott
Interviewed for MAOHP - 13/10/2016
Location(s): Elizabethville Jadotville

Length: 5.01

In this clip, Corporal Seamus McDermott remembers an ambush in the Congo in 1961. He remembers that on the return to Elizabethville, their convoy was ambushed when a Swedish armoured personnel carrier was bombed and machine gun fire opened up on their bus from the side of the road. He...

Feelings on going to Congo

Seamus McDermott
Interviewed for MAOHP - 13/10/2016
Location(s): Congo

Length: 0.45

In this short clip, Corporal Seamus McDermott reflects back to September 1960 and his personal feelings of excitement about going to the Congo, despite the warning given to him by others.

Going to the toilet under fire

Seamus McDermott
Interviewed for MAOHP - 13/10/2016
Location(s): Elizabethville

Length: 1.09

Here, Corporal Seamus McDermott describes life in a military camp under the constant threat of fire and offers one example of how military personnel kept themselves safe while using the toilet at night time.

‘It was just an adventure I suppose’

Seamus McDermott
Interviewed for MAOHP - 13/10/2016
Location(s): Custume Barracks Congo

Length: 1.06

Corporal Seamus McDermott was born in Corlea in county Monaghan in May 1941 and joined the Defence Forces in 1957. In this clip he recalls the evening that he volunteered for a mission to the Congo in September 1960. He remembers that after volunteering, he and some colleagues went to...

Niemba Ambush and going to Congo

Seamus McDermott
Interviewed for MAOHP - 13/10/2016
Location(s): Niemba

Length: 1.37

In this piece of audio, Corporal Seamus McDermott discusses his family's feelings on his tour and reflects briefly on the Niemba Ambush (November 1960) in the context of his own experiences later. He speaks about his own personal feelings on leaving for the Congo.

Operation Rumpunch (1961)

Seamus McDermott
Interviewed for MAOHP - 13/10/2016
Location(s): Elizabethville

Length: 4.05

In this piece of audio, Corporal Seamus McDermott speaks about 'Operation Rumpunch' on 28th August 1961, a surprise operation aimed at capturing foreign mercenaries. He recalls the preparations for this operation and outlines the purpose of the UN force in Congo. He outlines the change from peacekeeping to peace enforcement...

Preparations and Departure for Congo (1961)

Seamus McDermott
Interviewed for MAOHP - 13/10/2016
Location(s): McKee Barracks

Length: 4.19

Here Corporal Seamus McDermott speaks about his preparations for a tour to the Congo in 1960. He states that 'there was very little preparation from a military point of view' with the 35th Battalion. He recalls the journey to the Congo on the Globemaster plane, which was the first time...

Rats and snakes in the Congo

Seamus McDermott
Interviewed for MAOHP - 13/10/2016
Location(s): Elizabethville

Length: 1.14

Here, Corporal Seamus McDermott outlines the conditions of their camp in the Congo (1961) which was initially shared with Swedish forces. He describes an issue with large rats in the camp. He discusses his early interaction with the native Congolese and also remembers a native child that got bitten by...

Reflection on Katanga Secession

Seamus McDermott
Interviewed for MAOHP - 13/10/2016
Location(s): Katanga

Length: 1.16

In this clip, Corporal Seamus McDermott reflects briefly on the conflict in Katanga and outlines the wealth of the area and how this was central to the conflict there. He also speaks about the political dynamics at play.

Refugee camps for Baluba tribe

Seamus McDermott
Interviewed for MAOHP - 13/10/2016
Location(s): Elizabethville

Length: 4.41

In this clip, Corporal Seamus McDermott recalls being moved to Leopold Farm (Congo) and outlines some of the operations his unit were involved with. He recalls being sent with a section to check the identification of tribes who were looking for refuge from the United Nations. Corporal McDermott speaks about...

Second Patrol to Jadotville Bridge

Seamus McDermott
Interviewed for MAOHP - 13/10/2016
Location(s): Elizabethville

Length: 5.59

In this piece of audio, Corporal Seamus McDermott discusses in detail his involvement in the second patrol which attempted to reach Jadotville, where a company of Irish soldiers were under siege. He details the requisition of at least sixteen buses which were used in order to go on a patrol...

Siege of Jadotville

Seamus McDermott
Interviewed for MAOHP - 13/10/2016
Location(s): Elizabethville

Length: 1.33

In this clip, Corporal Seamus McDermott remembers the Congo in 1961, when he was part of a UN force attempting to relieve the Irish unit involved in the Siege of Jadotville. He outlines how during the operation, a Fouga plane, flown by a mercenary, was regularly bombing their position. He...

Statement on Jadotville

Seamus McDermott
Interviewed for MAOHP - 13/10/2016
Location(s): Jadotville

Length: 4.04

In this clip, Corporal Seamus McDermott reads aloud a prepared statement regarding 'A' Company, 35th Battalion (Siege of Jadotville). He wrote this in order to express his pride in 'A' Company and affirms that any negative comments which were made were entirely wrong. He laments that many of the men...

First Battle of the Tunnel

Seamus McDermott
Interviewed for MAOHP - 13/10/2016
Location(s): Elizabethville

Length: 2.01

Here, Corporal Seamus McDermott outlines the significance of the Tunnel which separated the airport at Elizabethville from the town. He suggests that the first 'Battle of the Tunnel' was led by the 35th Battalion when they defended the tunnel from gendarmerie who wanted to take it over. A major battle...

Under fire in the trenches

Seamus McDermott
Interviewed for MAOHP - 13/10/2016
Location(s): Elizabethville

Length: 0.58

Here, Corporal Seamus McDermott reflects on the emotions of being under fire in trenches in Albert Park, where the UN (United Nations) forces were based. He recalls an incident when he was in a trench with Private Smullen from Athlone when a bullet was fired between their heads. This incident...

Volunteering for Congo

Seamus McDermott
Interviewed for MAOHP - 13/10/2016
Location(s): Custume Barracks Congo

Length: 1.31

In this piece of audio, Corporal Seamus McDermott recalls arriving in Athlone Army Barracks in September 1960 at the same time that the tours to the Congo were being organised. Seamus explains that he and his friends were just apprentice engineers but that they immediately volunteered for the Congo but...

Congo Veterans

Michael Walsh
Interviewed for MAOHP - 07/02/2017
Location(s): Congo

Length: 1.48

Commandant Walsh speaks about the instructors including Sam Shannon (from Kilrush in County Clare) who had been a Congo Veteran and Packie Burke who had been at Jadotville (1961). He regrets the fact that during Cadet School in the Defence Forces, the experience of the instructors in the Congo and...

Congo with the 37th Infantry Battalion (1962)

Gerry McMahon
Interviewed for MAOHP - 21/12/2016
Location(s): Elizabethville

Length: 5.5

In 1967, Lieutenant General McMahon recalls was Platoon Commander with the 37th Infantry Battalion in the Congo. In this piece of audio from December 2016, Lieutenant General McMahon speaks about the preparations for that mission. He discusses the levels of training and equipment associated with this and other Congo missions.

The Irish Army and the Congo

Gerry McMahon
Interviewed for MAOHP - 21/12/2016
Location(s): Cathal Brugha Barracks

Length: 3.16

In 1967, Lieutenant General McMahon recalls was Platoon Commander with the 37th Infantry Battalion in the Congo. In this piece of audio from December 2016, Lieutenant General McMahon reflects on the impact the Congo campaign had back in the early 1960s.

Reflections on Congo Campaign

Gerry McMahon
Interviewed for MAOHP - 10/02/2017
Location(s): Elizabethville

Length: 3.14

In 1967, Lieutenant General McMahon was Platoon Commander with the 37th Infantry Battalion in the Congo. In this piece of audio from February 2017, Lieutenant General McMahon reflects on the importance of the Congo campaign for the evolution of the Irish Defence Forces.

Leaving for Congo

Joe Mallon
Interviewed for MAOHP - 15/12/2017
Location(s): Casement Aerodrome Congo

Length: 3.02

In this clip, Company Sergeant Joe Mallon, a native of Ballysax in County Kildare speaks about his family's feelings on his tour to the Congo. Joe was 17 years of age when he first went to the Congo with the first group to travel there (32nd Battalion). He recalls the...

First Impressions of Congo

Joe Mallon
Interviewed for MAOHP - 15/12/2017
Location(s): Elizabethville

Length: 1.37

Here, Company Sergeant Joe Mallon speaks about his first impressions of landing in the Congo in 1960 with the 32nd Battalion. He discusses the challenges of the hot climate as well as reactions to the vaccinations and inoculations which they had received in Dublin.

Loneliness of Congo

Joe Mallon
Interviewed for MAOHP - 15/12/2017
Location(s): Elizabethville

Length: 1.12

Here, Company Sergeant Joe Mallon reflects on his tour with the 32nd Battalion (32nd Infantry Battalion - Jul 1960 – Jan 1961) and discusses the loyalty and discipline within the battalion. He also reflects on loneliness on a tour and the importance of keeping oneself occupied as much as possible....

Volunteering for Congo – July 1960

Joe Mallon
Interviewed for MAOHP - 15/12/2017
Location(s): Duncannon Fort

Length: 2.37

In this clip, Company Sergeant Joe Mallon outlines how he was selected for the 32nd Battalion tour of the Congo in 1960. He recalls going on the first ever summer camp to Wexford to Duncannon Fort. After two days in the Summer Camp and that a Muster Parade was ordered....

Lessons from Niemba Ambush

Joe Mallon
Interviewed for MAOHP - 15/02/2017
Location(s): Niemba

Length: 2.31

Company Sergeant Joe Mallon speaks about the Niemba Ambush (November 1960) and outlines his memories and feelings on the incident. He mentions that he had a diary from this tour. He also notes that Trooper Browne's body was found while he was on tour with the 38th Battalion. Anthony Browne...

Memories of the Battle of the Tunnel

Related Stories

Jadotville

Death of Lieutenant Paddy O’Riordan

Battle of the Tunnel (Throwing hand grenades)

Battle of the Tunnel (Receiving orders)

Battle of the Tunnel

Arrival at Leopold Farm with ‘A’ Company 36th Battalion (December 1961)

Flight into Elizabethville under fire with ‘A’ Company 36th Battalion (December 1961)

Eve of the Battle of the Tunnel

Niemba – Sean Norton

Niemba Ambush – Peter Feely

Selected for Congo Mission

Voluntereers wanted for Congo

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Death of Corporal Mick Fallon

Death of Paddy O’Riordan

Death of Paddy Mulcahy

Memories of the Battle of the Tunnel

Swapping Platoons before battle

The Sound of silence

Trooper Pat Mullins

Arrival to Congo – 1961

Hearing news from the Congo

Meeting Congo Veterans

Niemba Ambush – Imelda Conway Duffy

Reflections on the Congo Campaign

Three men in a boat overtake Congo news

Summary of Katanga Conflict and description of ‘The Tunnel’

Ambush in the Congo

Feelings on going to Congo

Going to the toilet under fire

‘It was just an adventure I suppose’

Niemba Ambush and going to Congo

Operation Rumpunch (1961)

Preparations and Departure for Congo (1961)

Rats and snakes in the Congo

Reflection on Katanga Secession

Refugee camps for Baluba tribe

Second Patrol to Jadotville Bridge

Siege of Jadotville

Statement on Jadotville

First Battle of the Tunnel

Under fire in the trenches

Volunteering for Congo

Congo Veterans

Congo with the 37th Infantry Battalion (1962)

The Irish Army and the Congo

Reflections on Congo Campaign

Leaving for Congo

First Impressions of Congo

Loneliness of Congo

Volunteering for Congo – July 1960

Lessons from Niemba Ambush