The Chief-of-Staff Lieut Gen Gerry McMahon, who visited Irish contingents in Cyprus, Lebanon and Syria this week, retires when he reaches his 63rd birthday next August. What, Quidnunc asked him, were the highlights and the lowlights of his five-year term as head of the Army.
The lowest point, he said, was undoubtedly the Army deafness issue, which is now being dealt with. He hoped the degree of hearing loss as opposed to hearing disability could be worked out, and settlements could be made out of court.
The best points were the challenges of various jobs and trips overseas which included the Congo in 1962, then Cyprus, Lebanon, the Golan, Baghdad, Lebanon again and the UN in New York. Ireland came to peacekeeping, he said, from relative isolation. We were neutral in the second World War and we didn't join NATO. "In the Congo we found out how pathetic our equipment was so our reequipping dates from that time. We found to our delight that our training was excellent. While the Congo was a difficult experience for us, we grew in self-confidence and developed our own unique peace keeping ability."
Lieut Gen McMahon's successor will be chosen by the Cabinet on the recommendation of the Minister for Defence. Although anyone from the rank of colonel can be appointed, it is expected in army circles that the job will go to a higher ranking officer.
Names mentioned include Maj Gen David Stapleton, a force commander of UNDOF, the observer force in the Golan, Brig Gen Colm Mangan, GOC Eastern Command, Brig Gen John Martin, GOC Western Command and Brig Gen Frank Colclough, GOC Curragh Command.