Military history of Ireland
# Military history of Ireland

The military history of Ireland comprises thousands of years of armed actions in the territory encompassing the island of Ireland.

Ireland was never invaded by the Roman Empire, and the island remained a warring collection of separate kingdoms throughout its early history. Although it is known that the Romans traded with the Irish kingdoms, historically it was thought that the Romans never established a military presence in Ireland. In recent times the find of ruins of a possibly Roman fort in Drumanagh near Dublin has questioned this belief.

After the November 2015 Paris attacks killed more than 130 people in France, the French government invoked a mutual defence clause of the Treaty of Lisbon, asking for military assistance from the European Union. The Irish government agreed to deploy peacekeeping troops to Mali in order to free up French troops stationed there for deployment elsewhere.

## Royal Air Force stations in Northern Ireland

| Name | Opened | Closed | Current use |
| - | - | - | - |
| RAF Aldergrove | February 1918 | | Joint Helicopter Command Flying Station Aldergrove |
| RAF Ballyhalbert | June 1941 | February 1946 | Ballyhalbert Caravan Park |
| RAF Ballykelly | June 1941 | June 1971 | |
| RAF Bishops Court | April 1943 | December 1990 | Bishopscourt Racing Circuit |
| RAF Boa Island | May 1944 | May 1945 | Slipway |
| RAF Castle Archdale | February 1941 | January 1958 | Castle Archdale Caravan Park & Camping Site |
| RAF Cluntoe | October 1942 | 1959 | Ardboe Business Park |
| RAF Eglinton | April 1941 | | City of Derry Airport |
| RAF Greencastle | July 1942 | 1947 | Farmland |
| RAF Killadeas | March 1941 | May 1947 | Marina |
| RAF Kirkistown | July 1941 | 1946 | Kirkistown Circuit |
| RAF Langford Lodge No. 20 SLG | May 1941 | 1953 | Industry |
| RAF Limavady | December 1940 | 1958 | Aghanloo Industrial Estate |
| RAF Long Kesh | November 1941 | October 1947 | Balmoral Park |
| RAF Maghaberry No. 101 Storage Sub Site | November 1941 | 1950s | Maghaberry Solar Farm |
| RAF Maydown | April 1941 | 1947 | Maydown Industrial Estate |
| RAF Mullaghmore | August 1942 | 1946 | Aghadowey Stadium |
| RAF Murlough No. 19 SLG | March 1941 | February 1945 | Farmland |
| RAF Newtownards | August 1934 | | Newtownards Airport |
| RAF Nutts Corner | June 1941 | September 1963 | Nutt's Corner Circuit |
| RAF Omagh | 1918 | 1930s | Farmland |
| RAF Sandy Bay | 1930s | 1940s | Marina |
| RAF St Angelo No. 18 SLG No. 106 Storage Sub Site | April 1941 | | Enniskillen/St Angelo Airport |
| RAF Sydenham | 1933 | | George Best Belfast City Airport |
| RAF Toome | January 1943 | 1969 | Creagh Industrial Park |

## Former Royal Air Force airfields in the Republic

| Name | Opened | Closed | Notes |
| - | - | - | - |
| Gormanston | August 1918 | April 1920 | |
| Tallaght | August 1918 | April 1920 | |
| Baldonnel | May 1918 | February 1922 | |
| The Curragh | December 1917 | February 1920 | |
| Fermoy | May 1918 | February 1922 | |
| Limerick | | | Detachment of No. 2 Squadron during 1913 |
| Rathbone Camp (Birr) | September 1913 | September 1913 | |
| Oranmore | May 1918 | February 1922 | |
| Castlebar | May 1918 | May 1921 | |
