July 27th 1960 marked a watershed when the first element of 32 Inf Bn, the first complete unit from the Defence Forces to serve overseas, took off from Dublin bound for the Congo. After gaining independence from Belgium the previous month the Congo descended into something approaching anarchy. Prime Minister Patrice Lamumba successfully appealed to the UN for intervention and on July 13th Ireland was one of the countries requested to provide troops to the proposed ONUC mission. The Irish government passed the enabling legislation on July 19th and a new battalion designated 32 Inf Bn was activated for deployment under the command of battalion commander, Lt Col M J Buckley. During the ONUC mission the Defence Forces came of age and took its place on the international stage. It had been a difficult and traumatic mission (one MMG and 65 DSMs were awarded over the four years) in which the Irish troops' performance and even-handedness in dealing with all parties had earned them a new respect within the UN. Even before the last troops had left the Congo Ireland had been requested to supply a contingent to a new UN mission in Cyprus. Little did anyone imagine at the time that the Congo had been the beginning of over 50 years of unbroken service on UN missions for the Irish Defence Forces.
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