The
Organisation of National Ex-Servicemen & Women is a support organisation for ex-service personnel of the
Irish Defence ServicesThe 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...
.
The organisation commenced operations in approximately 1950 and was formed as an amalgam of a number of ex-servicemen’s organisations which had sprung up after soldiers, sailors and airmen had been ‘demobbed’ from the fledgling
Irish Free StateThe Irish Free State was the state established as a Dominion on 6 December 1922 under the Anglo-Irish Treaty, signed by the British government and Irish representatives exactly twelve months beforehand....
Army following service during the Emergency. The emergency spanned the period 1939 to 1946 which was approximately the same period as the Second World War and over 140,000 soldiers, sailors, airmen, police and red cross personnel served 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...
at this time. The National Federation of Irish Ex-Servicemen and the Association of Regular Ex-Servicemen (Defence Forces) being just two of the organisations that came together. This was the first time that a unified veterans organisation had formed in the
Republic of IrelandIreland 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...
.
Formation and name
The initial name for the organisation was the "Irish Ex-Servicemen’s Organisation". This was soon converted to the
IrishIrish is a Goidelic language of the Indo-European language family, originating in Ireland and historically spoken by the Irish people. Irish is now only spoken natively by a small minority of the Irish population but also plays an important symbolic role in the life of the Irish state, and is used...
"Óglaigh Náisiúnta na hÉireann". The new organisation adopted an emblem resembling the
cap badge of the Free State ArmyThe Irish Defence Forces Cap Badge is – in distinction to the practice in British, Commonwealth, and many other militaries around the world – common to all services and corps...
and incorporated the number 1 into its design signifying the amalgamation of the different groups. Since this time the Organisation has been known as the
O.N.E. and
ONE forms part of the Organisation's emblem to this date. The first President of the Organisation was Major General Hugo McNeill and the vice Presidents were Senator Victor Carton PC, Lieutenant Colonel Fred O’Connor, Mr. Eoin O’Riain B.L. and Mr. Thomas Holt. Major Patrick J McDonagh was Chairman of the National Executive Committee and Commandant Peter Duffy was the Honorary National Secretary.
The organisation has been organised democratically since its inception and has held annual conventions from 1950 to 1999 to elect its National Executive Committee. From June 2000 onwards the organisation became a limited company with charitable status under the Companies Act 1963 following a special resolution placed before its members at an Extraordinary General Meeting held in Cobh, County Cork under the chairmanship of Mr Jack Gilmartin, a native of
DublinDublin is the largest city and capital of Ireland. It is officially known in Irish as Baile Átha Cliath or Áth Cliath ; the English name comes from the Irish Dubh Linn meaning "black pool". It is located near the midpoint of Ireland's east coast, at the mouth of the River Liffey and at the...
who lives in
CobhCobh is a sheltered seaport town on the south coast of County Cork, Ireland with a population of around 13,000 inhabitants....
.
The newly formed Company assumed ‘Teoranta’ meaning ‘Limited’ in Gaelic into its name and is now known as
O.N.E.T. The newly formed company adopted a
Memorandum of AssociationThe memorandum of association of a company, often simply called the memorandum , is the document that governs the relationship between the company and the outside INDIA...
and Articles of Association (M&As) which govern how the company interacts with people, government agencies, etc. as well as setting out regulations governing the relationships between the shareholders and directors of the company. The company has no share capital but has limited liablility. ONET's 'Handbook of Rules', which sets out membership criteria etc. remains intact but is subservient to the M&As.
New departure
The first Chairman of the newly formed Board of Directors was Captain Patrick T. Rooney (Rtd) a native of
DroghedaDrogheda is an industrial and port town in County Louth on the east coast of Ireland, 56 km north of Dublin. Drogheda is the third largest town in Ireland....
,
County LouthCounty Louth is one of the traditional counties of Ireland and is located within the province of Leinster. It was named after the village of Louth....
. Capt. Rooney had over thirty seven years service with the 8th Battalion, FCA (Reserve Defence Force) stationed along the Border between the
Irish RepublicThe Irish Republic was a unilaterally declared independent state of Ireland proclaimed in the Easter Rising of 1916 and formally established on 21 January 1919 by Dáil Éireann...
and
Northern IrelandNorthern Ireland is a part of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and it is situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland. It shares a border with the Republic of Ireland to the south and west...
in
County LouthCounty Louth is one of the traditional counties of Ireland and is located within the province of Leinster. It was named after the village of Louth....
. The first Company Secretary was Mr. Pat Dunleavy a native of
MullingarMullingar is the administrative centre of County Westmeath, Ireland and the seat of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Meath. Local government affairs are administered for the county from the town and county council buildings....
,
County WestmeathCounty Westmeath is one of the traditional counties of Ireland and is located within the province of Leinster.Westmeath is the 23rd largest of Ireland’s 32 counties in area and 22nd largest in terms of population. It is the sixth largest of Leinster’s 12 counties in size and eighth largest in...
, who had served with the 4th Regiment in Mullingar, 2nd Garrison S&T, Transport Corps in Dublin and had seen service with the
United NationsThe 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...
ONUC force in the Congo. Mr. Dunleavy was a long serving member of the Organisation who was the driving force behind the building of a home in
DublinDublin is the largest city and capital of Ireland. It is officially known in Irish as Baile Átha Cliath or Áth Cliath ; the English name comes from the Irish Dubh Linn meaning "black pool". It is located near the midpoint of Ireland's east coast, at the mouth of the River Liffey and at the...
for destitute soldiers, sailors and airmen. In October 2003 Mr. Joe Lynch, a native of
DroghedaDrogheda is an industrial and port town in County Louth on the east coast of Ireland, 56 km north of Dublin. Drogheda is the third largest town in Ireland....
, was selected as the first Chief Executive Officer (CEO) for the newly formed Company . The current Chairman of the Board is Lt. General Gerry McMahon, retired Chief of Staff of the Defence Forces and native of
LimerickLimerick is the third largest city in the Republic of Ireland,
[Information based on Central Statistics Office figures from 2006, which is the most recent census information available.] and the principal city in County Limerick...
while the current Chief Executive Officer is Mr. Ollie O’Connor, a native of
DroghedaDrogheda is an industrial and port town in County Louth on the east coast of Ireland, 56 km north of Dublin. Drogheda is the third largest town in Ireland....
.
The
Board of DirectorsA board of directors is a body of elected or appointed members who jointly oversee the activities of a company or organization. The body sometimes has a different name, such as board of trustees, board of governors, board of managers, or executive board...
is elected directly by the members of ONET. There are currently fifteen members of the Board and each year five Board members must step down. These Board members may place themselves before the membership for re-election if they so wish. The Board, at its inaugural meeting, elects a Chairperson to serve until the next AGM. Any member of the charity may seek nomination and election to the Board. Members may vote in person at the
Annual General MeetingAn annual general meeting is a meeting that official bodies, and associations involving the public , are often required by law to hold...
(AGM) of the charity
or submit their '
proxy voteProxy voting and delegated voting are procedures for the delegation to another member of a voting body of that member's power to vote in his absence. Proxy appointments can be used to form a voting bloc that can exercise greater influence in deliberations or negotiations...
' in advance of this meeting. The AGM normally takes place in Brú na bhFiann in the month of June.
Homes
During the late 1980’s Ireland experienced a severe shortage of accommodation for less fortunate people and this was reflected in no small part in the Defence Community where a substantial number of Ex-Servicemen were living rough on the streets of Ireland’s cities. During the winter of 1988/9 up to seven people died on the streets of Dublin through hypothermia among them were ex-servicemen. A small group of men who were members of the Organisation of National Ex-Servicemen and Women banded together under the leadership of Mr. Pat Dunleavy to raise awareness among members of the Defence Community and to raise funding for a soldier’s home. In 1991 the planning reached a critical stage and with a concrete strategy in place building works commenced and were brought to fruition in 1994 when the then
President Mrs. Mary RobinsonMary Therese Winifred Robinson served as the seventh, and first female, President of Ireland, serving from 1990 to 1997, and the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, from 1997 to 2002. She first rose to prominence as an academic, barrister, campaigner and member of the Irish senate...
opened the newly built 20 bedroom home called
Brú na bhFiann, liberally translated from Gaelic as ‘Home of the Brave’.
Since 1994 over five hundred ex-servicemen have been accommodated in the charity's homes throughout Ireland and many have moved on to independent living. From January 2002 to March 2005
Brú na bhFiann was temporarily located in Leeson Bridge House, Leeson Street Upper,
DublinDublin is the largest city and capital of Ireland. It is officially known in Irish as Baile Átha Cliath or Áth Cliath ; the English name comes from the Irish Dubh Linn meaning "black pool". It is located near the midpoint of Ireland's east coast, at the mouth of the River Liffey and at the...
. During this time ONET housed twenty four ex-servicemen and commenced provision of B&B style accommodation for serving and retired members of the Defence Forces and their families. This was seen as an integral part of ONET's strategy of integration with the Defence Forces. In March 2005 the residents and staff of
Brú na bhFiann, the National HQ and all of ONET's records moved to the newly built
Brú na bhFiann located in the redeveloped
Smithfield MarketSmithfield is an area on the northside of Dublin. Its focal point is a public square, formerly an open market, now officially called Smithfield Plaza, but known locally as Smithfield Square or Smithfield Market....
complex.
Vision & mission
Since 2003 the Board of Directors has driven a plan which has disestablished the National Executive Committee in 2005 and has seen the Organisation grow from a base of one 20 bedroom home to an expanding portfolio of housing in three centres in Ireland under the direction of the former CEO, Joe Lynch and the current CEO, Ollie O'Connor. The old
Brú na bhFiann was demolished during the redevelopment of Dublin’s
Smithfield MarketSmithfield is an area on the northside of Dublin. Its focal point is a public square, formerly an open market, now officially called Smithfield Plaza, but known locally as Smithfield Square or Smithfield Market....
and replaced with a state-of-the-art 40 bedroom complex, which was officially opened by the
President of IrelandThe President of Ireland is the head of state of Ireland. The President is usually directly elected by the people for seven years, and can be elected for a maximum of two terms. The presidency is largely a ceremonial office, but the President does exercise certain limited powers with absolute...
and
PatronPatrón is a luxury brand of tequila produced in Mexico and sold in hand-blown, individually numbered bottles.Made entirely from Blue Agave, Patrón comes in five varieties: Silver, Añejo, Reposado Gran Patrón Platinum and Gran Patrón Burdeos...
of ONET,
Mrs. Mary McAleeseMary Patricia McAleese is the eighth and current President of Ireland. She is Ireland's second female president and the world's first woman to succeed another woman as an elected head of state. She was first elected president in 1997 and won a second term, without a contest, in 2004...
. The new home contains a reception, bar, kitchen, dining room capable of seating up to 90 people, laundry and administration offices.
The two other homes that the charity owns and operates are located in
LetterkennyLetterkenny with a population of 17,568 is the largest town in County Donegal, part of the Province of Ulster in Ireland. It is located on the River Swilly...
,
County DonegalCounty Donegal is one of the traditional counties of Ireland. It is located within the Province of Ulster and is part of the Republic of Ireland. It was named after the town of Donegal ....
, which has 7 bedrooms and
AthloneAthlone is a town that lies on the River Shannon near the southern extremity of Lough Ree, Ireland.Athlone is located close to the geographical centre of Ireland, on the border of two counties, Roscommon and Westmeath, which are located in the provinces of Connacht and Leinster respectively...
,
County WestmeathCounty Westmeath is one of the traditional counties of Ireland and is located within the province of Leinster.Westmeath is the 23rd largest of Ireland’s 32 counties in area and 22nd largest in terms of population. It is the sixth largest of Leinster’s 12 counties in size and eighth largest in...
which has 8 bedrooms. The Letterkenny home is called
Beechwood House and is located in Letterkenny Town itself. The home was purchased in 2003 and refurbished during 2004 using funding gained under the Irish Government's housing and anti poverty strategy, local donations and fundraising and from ONET's national funds. Beechwood House was ONET's second purchase and represented a major leap forward for the charity. The home was fully refurbished to the highest Health & Safety standards and delivers first class safe, affordable and comfortable accommodation to its residents since it was officially opened by Cllr Dessie Larkin, Letterkenny Town Mayor, in March 2004.
Custume House has a long history associated with the local Barracks and was, for many years, the home of the General Officer Commanding the Western Brigade. Negotiations for the purchase of the home from the Department of Defence concluded in 2005 and following a major investment from ONET which was again funded through the Irish Government's housing and anti poverty strategy, local donations and from ONET's national funds, the home was officially opened by the Minister for Defence, Willie O'Dea TD, in August 2006. Custume House is currently home to seven ex-servicemen.
All of the homes are managed and run by ONET on a charitable basis and are dependent on funding from serving and retired members of the Defence Forces and donations from the
Department of DefenceThe Minister for Defence is the senior minister at the Department of Defence in the Government of Ireland. The current Minister for Defence is Willie O'Dea, TD; he is assisted by Minister of State Pat Carey, TD...
and
Dublin City CouncilDublin City Council refers to two different entities.* From 1841 until 1 January 2002 it referred to the unicameral city assembly of Dublin, which was part of the overall administrative and governmental system of Dublin known as Dublin Corporation....
. ONET also accommodates serving and retired members of the Defence Forces and their families from Ireland and overseas in their Dublin home, Brú na bhFiann.
UN Service
Ireland became a member of the United Nations in 1955. Since 1958, the Defence Forces has had a continuous presence on peacekeeping missions, mainly in the
Middle EastThe Middle East is a region that spans southwestern Asia, southeastern Europe, and northeastern Africa. It has no clear boundaries, often used as a synonym to Near East, in opposition to Far East...
. The Congo was the first large scale involvement that Irish troops had abroad since the foundation of the
Irish Free StateThe Irish Free State was the state established as a Dominion on 6 December 1922 under the Anglo-Irish Treaty, signed by the British government and Irish representatives exactly twelve months beforehand....
. The
Belgian CongoThe Belgian Congo was the formal title of present-day Democratic Republic of the Congo between King Leopold II's formal relinquishment of personal control over the state to Belgium on 15 November 1908, and the dawn of Congolese independence on 30 June 1960.-Background: 1884-1908:Until the later...
became an independent Republic on 30 June 1960. Twelve days later, the Congolese government requested military assistance from the
United NationsThe 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...
to maintain its territorial integrity. The
Irish governmentThe Government of Ireland is the cabinet that exercises executive authority in Ireland. The Government is headed by a prime minister called the Taoiseach, and a deputy prime minister called the Tánaiste. The Taoiseach is appointed by the President after being designated by Dáil Éireann...
consented to a request from the Secretary General for a contingent of Irish troops to serve with the UN Force in the Congo, and so on the 28 July 1960 the
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...
involvement in
AfricaAfrica is the world's second-largest and second most-populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area. With a billion people in 61 territories, it accounts for about 14.8% of the...
began with the UN mission ONUC (UN Operation in Congo). Six thousand one hundred and ninety one Irish soldiers took part in the mission and twenty six were killed. The largest casualties were sustained on the 8th of November 1960 at
NiembaNiemba is a town in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Katanga Province. It is situated on the Lukuga River, a tributary of the Lualaba river. The population is around 1,800. It is connected by rail to Kalemie.-Niemba Ambush:...
when nine Irish UN peacekeepers were massacred. Irish involvement with the mission ended on 30 June 1964. Each year on the nearest Saturday to the anniversary of the Niemba ambush ONET commemorates the event with a mass and wreath laying ceremony in
Cathal BrughaCathal Brugha was an Irish revolutionary and politician, active in the Easter Rising, Irish War of Independence, and the Irish Civil War and was the first Ceann Comhairle, or Speaker, of Dáil Éireann.-Background:Brugha was born in Dublin of mixed Irish Catholic and Irish Protestant parentage...
Barracks,
RathminesRathmines is a suburb on the southside of Dublin, about 3 kilometres south of the city centre. It effectively begins at the south side of the Grand Canal and stretches along the Rathmines Road as far as Rathgar to the south, Ranelagh to the east and Harold's Cross to the west.Rathmines has...
,
DublinDublin is the largest city and capital of Ireland. It is officially known in Irish as Baile Átha Cliath or Áth Cliath ; the English name comes from the Irish Dubh Linn meaning "black pool". It is located near the midpoint of Ireland's east coast, at the mouth of the River Liffey and at the...
. The general public is invited to attend the event which normally commences with a parade from the main square in Cathal Brugha Barracks at 11.45 to St. Patrick's Church, also in Cathal Brugha Barracks, on the Saturday morning. Normally over 100 ex-servicemen and women take part in the event and dignitaries from the Defence Forces, Department of Defence and politicians from Ireland and abroad also take part in the ceremony.
Every year on Easter Sunday ONET commemorates deceased members of 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...
with a wreath laying ceremony in Arbor Hill,
DublinDublin is the largest city and capital of Ireland. It is officially known in Irish as Baile Átha Cliath or Áth Cliath ; the English name comes from the Irish Dubh Linn meaning "black pool". It is located near the midpoint of Ireland's east coast, at the mouth of the River Liffey and at the...
, where the 1916
Easter RisingThe Easter Rising , was an insurrection staged in Ireland during Easter Week, 1916. The Rising was mounted by Irish republicans with the aims of ending British rule in Ireland and establishing the Irish Republic...
burial plot is located. This annual event is called (in
IrishIrish is a Goidelic language of the Indo-European language family, originating in Ireland and historically spoken by the Irish people. Irish is now only spoken natively by a small minority of the Irish population but also plays an important symbolic role in the life of the Irish state, and is used...
)
Lá na bhFiann. The event is normally attended by over one hundred ex-servicemen and women who have served their country both at home and abroad on UN service as well as members of the
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...
, Government officials, the
Lord Mayor of Dublinright|thumb|325px|[[Mansion House, Dublin|The Mansion House]], on [[Dawson Street]], is the official residence of the Lord Mayor of Dublin.The Lord Mayor of Dublin is the symbolic head of the city government of Dublin, the capital of Ireland. The Lord Mayor is elected to office annually by members...
, and members of the general public.
Membership & communication
Membership of ONET is open to men and women who have served in the Permanent Defence Forces (PDF),
Reserve Defence ForcesThe Army Reserve , is the reserve force of the Irish Army. It is a part-time, fully voluntary organisation, and is one of two elements of the Reserve Defence Forces of the Defence Forces of Ireland, the other element being the Naval Service Reserve...
(RDF), An Slua Muirí, An Fórsa Cosanta Áitiúil (FCÁ), Maritime Inspection, Local Defence Force (LDF), Local Security Force (LSF), Coast Watching Service, Construction Corps,
Irish Red CrossThe Irish Red Cross Society , commonly referred to as the Irish Red Cross , is the national Red Cross society in the Republic of Ireland. It was established either on 1 July or 1 August 1939.The society is organised on a voluntary basis...
, or Civil Defence providing such person has had at least one-years satisfactory service and has been honourably discharged. The charity operates on a not-for-profit basis and all funds collected through subscription are applied to the running of the charity and the maintenance and upkeep of the charities homes. To become a member of the company a person must be accepted as a member of a branch and must sign a written declaration of acceptance of the Memorandum of Association & Articles of Association and the Handbook of Rules. Since the year 2000 membership has grown from a low ebb of 1,250 members to its current standing of over 1,700 members some of whom are located overseas in the USA, Canada and Australia. Branches are organised throughout the
Republic of IrelandIreland 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...
with one Branch located in
London[]London is the capital of England and the United Kingdom. It has been a major settlement for two millennia, and the history of London goes back to its founding by the Romans, when it was named Londinium. London's core, the ancient City of London, the 'square mile', retains its medieval boundaries...
. ONET also operates a ‘National Branch’ to cater for Ex-Servicemen and Women who do not live close to a Branch (this includes overseas members). The ONET web site contains an on-line form to join the Organisation which must be printed and forwarded to the Company Secretary.
ONECONNECT is the quarterly magazine which is published by the charity and distributed to its members by post. It is a topical journal that updates members on the charity’s activities for the previous quarter and also informs them of upcoming events. The journal is also used to publish the annual accounts for the organisation prior to the Annual General Meeting as well as distributing nomination papers and ballot papers for Board of Directors positions.
Uniform
ONET members wear a distinctive uniform of Black Blazer with Branch Crest on the left breast, Charcoal Grey Slacks, White Shirt, Navy ONET Crested Tie, Black Shoes and Black Beret with ONET Cap Badge. There are two types of Branch Crest - plain emboidered cloth or Silk and wire. Either crest is acceptable. Medals awarded during service (including ONET service) are displayed on ceremonial occasions and are pinned over the left breast above the ONET Crest. Medals awarded to deceased family members may be worn over the right breast. ONET awards a service medal after three years and a service bar following seven years service with the company. Each Branch has an Irish National flag (Tri-Colour), Branch flag, which displays the ONET Company Crest and a UN flag, all of which are paraded when a local ceremony takes place. ONET is often called upon to perform ceremonial duties for fallen comrades at funeral ceremonies and Branches are frequently requested to take part in St. Patrick's Day Parades.
External links