New Jadotville memorial is unveiled

A memorial for the solders who fought at the Siege of Jadotville was unveiled at the gates of the former Columb Barracks in Mullingar on Friday.

Cllr Mick Dollard, cathaoirleach of the Municipal District of Mullingar Kinnegad, and Tom Gunne, last Mullingar survivor of the battle at Jadotville, performed the formal honours in front of guests including members of Post 20 IUNVA and the (Óglaigh Náisiúnta Na hÉireann, the Organisation of National Ex-Service Personnel (ONE).

Mary Goldsberry, district manager, was MC, and historian Jason McKevitt, a former member of the RDF and from a family with a long military history, gave the historical context for the Jadotville Memorial. Acknowledging Declan Power (who was present) whose book ‘Siege at Jadotville’, subtitled ‘The Irish Army’s Forgotten Battle’, brought the story of the men of A Company to prominence (the 2016 film The Siege of Jadotville, based on the book, elevated the story further still in the public consciousness), Jason outlined the now well-known story of how the 155 Irish soldiers, officers, NCOs and men of A Company, 35th (Irish) Infantry Battalion, who served with the United Nations Peace Keeping Force at Jadotville in the Congo in September 1961 were attacked by superior numbers of Katangese Forces for five days. When they ran out of ammunition and food, they were taken captive as prisoners of war and held for five weeks before being released.

All the men returned home safely, but the story of their heroic actions remained forgotten, for political reasons, till in 2005, a review of the incident cleared the soldiers’ reputations.

Cllr Dollard said: “The Jadotville Memorial unveiled here today, outside Colin Barracks, is a fitting tribute to the brave men from Mullingar and the district who served in Jadotville in 1961.”

Elected representatives present included Minister of State Kevin Boxer Moran, and Deputy Sorca Clarke.