The Cavalry Corps is the armoured formation of the Irish Army

Irish Army

The Irish Army, officially named simply the Army is the main branch of the Defence Forces of Ireland. Approximately 8,500 men and women serve in the Irish Army, divided into three infantry Brigades...

. In peacetime the Cavalry carries out various duties in aid to the Civil Power, such as:

• Border operations supporting Gardaí.
• Escort duties - cash, explosives, prisoner.
• Patrolling Government installations.

For this, the corps is equipped with various light armoured vehicles including the Mowag Piranha

Mowag Piranha

The MOWAG Piranha is a family of armoured fighting vehicles designed by the Swiss MOWAG , corporation....

 and Panhard AML

Panhard AML

-Former Operators:: unknown number of AML-60s and AML-90s in service between 1960-1975.: 34 Eland 90s and Eland 60s in service with the Rhodesian Security Forces in 1979, passed on to successor state.-Trivia:...

, which are utilised as part of the light cavalry mission, in support of the infantry

Infantry

Infantrymen are soldiers who are specifically trained for the role of fighting on foot to engage the enemy face to face and have historically borne the brunt of the casualties of combat in wars. As the oldest branch of combat arms, they are the backbone of armies...

. In addition, a number of FV101 Scorpion

FV101 Scorpion

The FV101 Scorpion is a British armoured reconnaissance vehicle. It was the lead vehicle and the fire support type in the Combat Vehicle Reconnaissance , CVR, family of seven armoured vehicles...

 light tanks are also used in the armoured reconnaissance role.

History

The Cavalry Corps traces its history to the formation of the Armoured Car Corps on 14 September 1922. Mechanised from the start, the corps utilised armoured vehicles that the British Army

British Army

The British Army is the land warfare branch of Her Majesty's Armed Forces in the United Kingdom. It came into being with the unification of the Kingdom of England and Scotland into the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707. The new British Army incorporated Regiments that had already existed in England...

 left following the War of Independence. Following a debate on the use of the term "cavalry", and whether the word was meant to encompass horse, wheeled or tracked, the corps was renamed as the Cavalry Corps in 1934.

The first Irish Landsverk L60

Strv L-60

Stridsvagn L-60 was a Swedish tank developed in 1934. It was developed by AB Landsverk as a light tank which included several design features later adopted by Germany and Russia in their tank designs....

 was delivered in 1935 and joined Ireland's only other tank a Vickers Mk. D

Vickers Medium Mark II

The Vickers Medium Mark II was a British tank built by Vickers in the Inter-war period.The Medium Mark II, derived from the Vickers Medium Mark I, was developed to replace the last of the Medium Mark Cs still in use. Production and rebuilding ran from 1925 until 1934. The tank was phased out of...

 in the 2nd Armoured Squadron. The second Landsverk L60 arrived in 1936. The Landsverk's were still in use up until the late 1960s. One L60 is preserved in running order and the other is in the National Museum of Ireland, Collins Barracks

Collins Barracks (Dublin)

Collins Barracks is a former military barracks in the Arbour Hill area of Dublin, Ireland. The buildings are now the National Museum of Ireland, Decorative Arts and History...

, Dublin.

After The Emergency, the corps established a main battle tank

Main battle tank

A main battle tank , also known as a battle tank or universal tank, is a tank that fills the heavy direct fire role of many modern armies. They were originally conceived to replace the light, medium, heavy and super-heavy tanks. Development was spurred onwards in the Cold War with the development...

 cadre equipped with the Churchill

Churchill tank

The Tank, Infantry, Mk IV was a heavy British infantry tank used in the Second World War, best known for its heavy armour, large longitudinal chassis with all-around tracks with multiple bogies, and its use as the basis of many specialist vehicles. It was one of the heaviest Allied tanks of the war...

, which formed the basis of the 1st Tank Squadron in 1959. This was equipped with the Comet

Comet tank

The Tank, Cruiser, Comet I was a British cruiser tank that first saw use near the end of World War II. It was designed to provide greater anti-tank capability to Cromwell tank squadrons. It was armed with a 77mm HV, a derivative of the 17 pounder, with the result it was one of the few British...

 until its disbandment in 1973.

The Cavalry Corps has served in many locations on UN peacekeeping

Peacekeeping

Peacekeeping is an activity that aims to create the conditions for lasting peace. It is distinguished from both peacebuilding and peacemaking....

 missions, including the Congo, Cyprus

Cyprus

Cyprus , officially the Republic of Cyprus , is a Eurasian island country, member of the European Union, in the Eastern Mediterranean, east of Greece, south of Turkey, west of Syria and north of Egypt. It is the third largest island in the Mediterranean Sea.The earliest known human activity on the...

 and Lebanon

Lebanon

Lebanon , officially the Republic of LebanonRepublic of Lebanon is the most common term used by Lebanese government agencies. The term Lebanese Republic, a literal translation of the official Arabic and French names that is not used in today's world. Arabic is the most common language spoken among...

, either as Cavalry groups on their own, or attached as part of a battalion group.

Cavalry Corps Today

The Cavalry Corps today is approximately equivalent in size to two typical cavalry regiments; however the Irish Army has never utilised the regimental structure (although there was an attempt during 1942 to organise units into a cavalry regiment). Instead, cavalry operates as independent squadrons. Today, the army has a total of four regular cavalry squadrons:

• 1st Cavalry Squadron
• 2nd Cavalry Squadron
• 4th Cavalry Squadron
• 1st Armoured Cavalry Squadron

The 1st, 2nd and 4th Squadrons are standard light cavalry

Light cavalry

Light cavalry refers to lightly armed and lightly armored troops mounted on horses, as opposed to heavy cavalry, where the riders are heavily armored...

 units equipped with the Mowag Piranha

Mowag Piranha

The MOWAG Piranha is a family of armoured fighting vehicles designed by the Swiss MOWAG , corporation....

 AFV and Panhard AML

Panhard AML

-Former Operators:: unknown number of AML-60s and AML-90s in service between 1960-1975.: 34 Eland 90s and Eland 60s in service with the Rhodesian Security Forces in 1979, passed on to successor state.-Trivia:...

 armoured car. One squadron is attached to each of the army's three infantry brigades to act as light armoured support. In addition to their regular duties, 2nd Cavalry Squadron also operates as the Presidential Motorcycle Escort, a task inherited from the Blue Hussars

Blue Hussars

The Blue Hussars, officially called the Mounted Escort, was the ceremonial army troop that escorted the President of Ireland on state occasions, most famously to and from presidential inaugurations between 1938, when the first president took office, and 1948 when they were disbanded...

 in 1948. The 1st Armoured Cavalry Squadron was formed in 1998 by the amalgamation of the 1st Armoured Car Squadron and the reformed 1st Tank Squadron. This operates the FV101 Scorpion

FV101 Scorpion

The FV101 Scorpion is a British armoured reconnaissance vehicle. It was the lead vehicle and the fire support type in the Combat Vehicle Reconnaissance , CVR, family of seven armoured vehicles...

 in the armoured reconnaissance role; 1st Armoured Cavalry Squadron is an independent unit that is stationed at The Curragh

Curragh Camp

The Curragh Camp is an army base and military college located in The Curragh, County Kildare, Ireland. It is the main training centre for the Irish Army.- Brief history of the Curragh's military heritage :...

.

In addition to the four regular army units, there are also three Army Reserve

Irish Army Reserve

The Army Reserve is the land component of the Reserve Defence Forces . It is the second line reserve of the Army. The Army Reserve is a part-time, fully voluntary organisation, and is one of two elements of the Reserve Defence Forces of Ireland, the other element being the Naval Service Reserve.It...

 squadrons:

• 31st Reserve Cavalry Squadron
• 54th Reserve Cavalry Squadron
• 62nd Reserve Cavalry Squadron
  62 Reserve Cavalry Squadron
  The 62 Reserve Cavalry Squadron is an armoured unit in the Irish Reserve Defence Forces . It was formed in 2005 from the former 11 Cavalry Squadron FCÁ, 11 Motor Squadron FCÁ, 11 Cyclist Regiment FCÁ, and 41, 42, 43, 44 Cyclist Squadrons LDF....
  
  

Cavalry Tasks

• ISTAR
  • CBRN Recce
  • Obstacle Recce
  • Route Recce
  • Patrolling
  • Scouting
  • OP Screen
  • CTR
  • Control Measure Security & Marking
  • Location Recce

• Security/Protective
  • Screens
  • Advance and Rear Guard
  • Counter Recce
  • Deception
  • Anti-Airborne
  • Flank Protection
  • Rear Area and Supply Route Security

• Expolitation
  • Raids
  • Pursuit
  • Seize and Hold
  • Recce Strike
  • Delaying Action

• Secondary
  • Liaison
  • Traffic Regulation
  • Escort
  • Communications