The Irish Military Intelligence Service is often referred to as
G2 or
G-2. G2 is used in several western and NATO forces to refer to the Intelligence and Security branch of the staff function. It is more commonly referred to in the
Irish Defence ForcesThe Irish Defence Forces encompass the army, navy, air corps and reserve forces of Ireland. Their official title in Irish is Óglaigh na hÉireann; another more literal translation, attested in Irish-language literature, is Fórsaí Cosanta na hÉireann...
as the
Defence Forces Directorate of Intelligence. The role of the Directorate is:
- to provide operational intelligence and security to deployed Irish forces globally, and
- the provision of security in relation to the state and its national interests (both domestic and foreign).
The Defence Intelligence Section of the Directorate is staffed by
NCOsNon-commissioned officer , abbreviated to NCO or Non-com , is a term in many armed forces indicating leadership ranks less senior than commissioned officers...
and Officers.
The Irish Military Intelligence Service is often referred to as
G2 or
G-2. G2 is used in several western and NATO forces to refer to the Intelligence and Security branch of the staff function. It is more commonly referred to in the
Irish Defence ForcesThe Irish Defence Forces encompass the army, navy, air corps and reserve forces of Ireland. Their official title in Irish is Óglaigh na hÉireann; another more literal translation, attested in Irish-language literature, is Fórsaí Cosanta na hÉireann...
as the
Defence Forces Directorate of Intelligence. The role of the Directorate is:
- to provide operational intelligence and security to deployed Irish forces globally, and
- the provision of security in relation to the state and its national interests (both domestic and foreign).
Activities
The Defence Intelligence Section of the Directorate is staffed by
NCOsNon-commissioned officer , abbreviated to NCO or Non-com , is a term in many armed forces indicating leadership ranks less senior than commissioned officers...
and Officers. It is tasked with providing intelligence support to the Defence Forces. Staff actively monitor relevant political, economic, social and military situations to produce intelligence reports or strategic studies to support operations. The soldiers in this section can be found briefing all the way up to Ministerial level. The Irish Defence Forces have regularly supported
UNThe United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and the achieving of world peace...
operations and provided intelligence personnel on various UN staffs.
The National Security Intelligence Section deals with threats to the state and Defence Forces in general. These includes identifying, monitoring and assessing possible threats to the state and
IrishIreland is a country in north-western Europe. The modern sovereign state occupies about five-sixths of the island of Ireland, which was partitioned on 3 May 1921. It is a parliamentary democracy and a republic...
national interests, be it by hostile intelligence services, criminal organisations or terrorist groups.
Counter-intelligenceCounterintelligence refers to efforts made by intelligence organizations to prevent hostile or enemy intelligence organizations from successfully gathering and collecting intelligence against them. National intelligence programs, and, by extension, the overall defenses of nations, are vulnerable...
is also part of the section's remit, in addition to providing counter subversive, counter sabotage, counter terrorist and physical security advice.
Although a small service, G2 personnel regularly train, deploy and liaise with foreign intelligence, government and non-government agencies to share knowledge and best practice. This ensures they keep abreast of threats and are able to collate essential intelligence to further protect the state, the Defence Forces and its interests.
Training and Selection
Individuals can apply to be selected for the Directorate of Intelligence and they must be NCOs or Officers to be considered for appointment. Unlike a number of military forces, the Irish Defence Forces actively include intelligence as part of NCO and Officer education, but those selected to join the Directorate receive further specialist training. The Defence Forces run their own Defence Intelligence & Security course. It is a combined course for NCOs and Officers. The course runs for 5 weeks and covers the main areas of intelligence operations including principles of intelligence operations, defence intelligence, intelligence analysis, and combat intelligence. The course is supported by additional "on the job" training as part of the Directorate. This includes additional communications, weapons and surveillance training to support ongoing operations. Further training in languages is also available, and specialist training on sensitive subjects such as religion, culture, ethnicity and radicalisation are also provided.
Although a small service, the personnel are well respected and maintain a discreet profile. They continue to recruit some of the most able individuals within the Defence Forces from all backgrounds, and focus on the reliability, integrity, dedication and honesty of individuals to achieve the best results.
World War II
G2 played a crucial role in the detection and arrest of 13 German spies in Ireland during The Emergency, as
World War IIWorld War II, or the Second World War , was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including all great powers, organized into two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
was known as in neutral Ireland. From 1942 the Chief Staff Officer of G2 was
Colonel Dan BryanColonel Dan Bryan was an officer in the Irish Army and head of G2 during World War II, known in neutral Ireland as "The Emergency"....
, who closely collaborated on codebreaking with Richard Hayes, the Director of the
National Library of IrelandThe National Library of Ireland is a national library located in Dublin, Ireland, in a building designed by Thomas Newenham Deane. The Minister for Arts, Sport & Tourism is the member of the Irish Government responsible for the library....
. The Irish Republican Army (IRA) also came under G2 scrutiny during
The Emergency. The IRA would remain a subject of G2 operations.
See also
- Irish Defence Forces
The Irish Defence Forces encompass the army, navy, air corps and reserve forces of Ireland. Their official title in Irish is Óglaigh na hÉireann; another more literal translation, attested in Irish-language literature, is Fórsaí Cosanta na hÉireann...
- Irish Army
The Irish Army is the main branch of the Irish Defence Forces . It was first formed in 1922 after the implementation of the Anglo-Irish Treaty and the subsequent foundation of the Irish Free State...
- Irish Army Rangers
The Irish Army Ranger Wing is the special forces unit of the Irish Defence Forces.The ARW trains and operates with many international special operations units worldwide, including the US Army Rangers, Delta Force and Navy SEALs, French GIGN, German GSG 9, Swedish SSG, Italian COMSUBIN, Australian...
- List of intelligence agencies
- Military Intelligence
Military intelligence is a military service that uses intelligence gathering disciplines to collect informations that informs commanders decision making process....
- Politics of the Republic of Ireland
The Republic of Ireland is a parliamentary representative democratic republic. While there are a number of political parties in the state, the political landscape is dominated by Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael, historically opposed and competing entities, though both occupy the traditional centre...