Offaly councillors back call for award of Jadotville medals

OFFALY County Council supported a motion from Cllr Ken Smollen which called on the Government to award medals to the soldiers who fought in the Jadotville siege.

Speaking at the September meeting of the council, Cllr Smollen recalled the battle in the Congolese province of Katanga in 1961 involving an Irish United Nations contingent.

The commander, Commandant Pat Quinlan, recommended that 32 of the Irish soldiers receive military medals for gallantry and distinguished service medals but they were never awarded.

Some of those in the siege were from Offaly, the council meeting was told.

Outlining the reasons for bringing his motion before the council, Cllr Smollen said that in 1960 Katanga seceded from the country which later became known as the Republic of Congo.

The Irish UN troops were sent to the mining town to assist with the protection of citizens and in 1961 they were attacked by a combined force of Belgian, French and Rhodesian mercenaries along with Belgian settlers who were armed with a mix of heavy and light armament.

Along with thousands of men, the attackers were supported by a fighter jet while the Irish had light personal weapons, some Vickers machine guns and 60mm mortars.

“The lightly armed Irish soldiers besieged in Jadotville resisted heavy assaults for five days as a relief force of Irish, Indian and Swedish trooops unsuccessfully attempted to reach the Irish force,” said the Irish Democratic Party councillor.

As ammunition and drinking water became exhausted, the Irish surrendered and were held as prisoners of war for about a month. They inflicted casualties but suffered no loss of life themselves.

Cllr Smollen said only eight of the 32 men recommended for medals are still alive.

“With 19 of the 26 counties being represented on that mission at least two of those men that fought there are from Co Offaly, and possibly more.”

He said their bravery should be properly recognised while they're still alive.

“It's time that this wrong was put right and it's just another part of our history that has been purposely but shamefully omitted from our history books.”

His motion was seconded by Cllr Sean O'Brien, Independent, who said quite a few local people were involved in the battle, including Noel Stanley, a Clara man who lives in Tullamore, Joe Bracken, also from Clara, who lives in Athlone, and Jimmy Feery, a native of O'Molloy Street, Tullamore.

Cllr O'Brien said Mr Feery, now a resident of Athlone, had been awarded a distinguished service medal for other service in the Congo.

Cllr O'Brien said it was important for others who served with the Irish army abroad, that the bravery of their Jadotville colleagues be recognised.

“We have a very good record of people locally serving in the army,” said the councillor.

He noted that Dinjo Connolly had served in Lebanon during difficult times and was now a great organiser for the UN veterans' group.

“It'd be extremely important for those people. You can imagine at the time the difficult conditions they served under.”

The Tullamore councillor said pay is still an issue in the army and in the early 1960s they were paid a pittance.

According to research read by Cllr O'Brien, two of those in Jadotville were just 15 years of age at the time and their mothers were still collecting their children's allowance.

“It's an amazing story and it certainly needs to be recognised,” stated the councillor.