Quinlan to give Athlone talk on Jadotville this month
A public lecture on the Siege of Jadotville, entitled 'Jadotville Revisited - The Untold Story', will be hosted by the Connaught Street and Environs Community Group in the Shamrock Lodge Hotel Athlone on Wednesday, August 19, at 7.30pm.
The lecture, to be delivered by retired Commandant Leo Quinlan, is one of a number of events planned by Connaught Street and Environs Community Group to mark National Heritage Week which takes place from Saturday, August 15 to Sunday, August 23.
Leo Quinlan is the son of the late Commandant Pat Quinlan, the Athlone resident who commanded the troops of 'A' Company, from the 35th Infantry Battalion, during the Siege of Jadotville in the Congo in September 1961.
The lecture will provide an in-depth account of a compelling episode in Irish military history, with fresh insight into the leadership, tactical planning, and enduring legacy of the Siege of Jadotville.
When leading 156 Irish United Nations peacekeepers, many from Athlone and other parts of the Midlands, Commandant Pat Quinlan found his company isolated, surrounded, and effectively abandoned, while facing repeated attacks from a Katangese force supported by experienced European and South African mercenaries.
The Irish soldiers were held in captivity between September 17 and October 25, and their courage inspired a Netflix film, 'The Siege of Jadotville', which was released ten years ago. The late Commandant Quinlan's strategic planning and battlefield leadership have attracted international attention as outstanding examples of defensive military operations.
The events at Jadotville also remain an important chapter in the history of United Nations peacekeeping during one of the most turbulent periods of post-colonial Africa, when political instability, conflict, and humanitarian crises tested the resolve of the international community.
Once denied the recognition he richly deserved, Quinlan, who lived in Beech Park Athlone, is now widely acknowledged as one of Ireland's greatest military commanders, whose professionalism, courage, foresight, and humanity saved the lives of every soldier under his command.
The evening will also feature the local launch of a book, Jadotville – Benchmark for Bravery, written by retired Lt Colonel Dan Harvey.
This is the latest book to be written on the Siege of Jadotville, the 65th anniversary of which falls in September.
Published in June, Harvey's narrative details the extraordinary stand of the Irish peacekeeping soldiers in the Congo.
The book not only recounts the battle but also the decades-long fight for recognition and honour that followed. Following its launch, the author will sign copies of the book.
Erica O'Meara, PRO, Connaught Street and Environs Community Group, said the lecture "offers a rare opportunity for the general public to hear the remarkable story behind one of Ireland's greatest military leaders from his son, Commandant Leo Quinlan". She added it would be a chance to "reflect on a chapter of Irish history whose lessons remain as relevant today as ever".