Born in the Civil War of 1922-23, the army of the Republic of Ireland occupied a sensitive place in the national culture for many years. In World War II, it faced the challenge of maintaining Ireland's integrity as a neutral. Post-war, it found a new role in 1960, providing troops for the United Nations intervention in the war-torn Congo; and since then has supported UN missions in the Middle East and elsewhere. More recently the border with troubled Ulster has obliged the Republic to invest in reform and modernisation. Ireland's freedom to seek examples and equipment worldwide has created an interesting progression of uniforms, illustrated in this study of Ireland's forces over 80 years.

Formation of Free State national army · Civil War 1922-23 · The diminished force of the 1930s · The political background to the volunteer Territorial Force · The Treaty Ports & Forts handed back in 1938 · World War II: the difficulties of neutrality - the Emergency Army & Local Defence Force - the eight invasion scares · Post-war reorganisation · Peace-keeping missions · Border security & counter-terrorism since 1968 · The controversial EU commitment

Donal MacCarron is an established military and aviation historian. Educated at CBS, he studied civil engineering and architecture at University College, Dublin. He has had a number of books and articles published, including 'Wings over Ireland: the Story of the Irish Air Corps', and 'Step Together, the story of Ireland's Emergency Army'. This is his first book for Osprey.