DUNDALK’S FREE NEWSPAPER Dundalk residents move into Ireland’s first 3-D Printed Houses Page 4
Dundalk FC confirm Halpin departure Page 6
Ciarán organising sleepout for Simon in Omeath Page 10
Wednesday, 12th February, 2025. Vol. 18, Issue 7 • 9A, Crowe Street, Dundalk, Co. Louth Tel: 042 932 0888 | Email: editorial@dundalkleader.com; advertising@dundalkleader.com
Returned Treasure! Stationmaster at Dundalk returns precious scrapbooks to retired military veteran By Paul Byrne BACK in 1993 the Irish army sent over around 100 troops with a Defence Force transport company to Somalia to assist in a UN mission after a vicious civil war broke out in the country. All the vehicles for the mission left from Clancy Barracks in Islandbridge, Dublin. Viv Collins was working in Clancy Barracks at the time as a member of the Defence Forces getting the vehicles and the logistics ready for the operation in Somalia. They operated out there for a year in a peace enforcing mission to get food to the people in the towns and villages. During that time Viv put together scrapbooks of newspaper cuttings, photographs, paperwork and letters from soldiers who were on the mission. The scrapbooks were in Viv’s wardrobe for thirty years. Last year was the 30th an-
niversary of the safe return of the Irish troops from Somalia which prompted Viv to take out the old scrapbooks and show them to the soldiers who served in Somalia at a reunion last year. Viv then planned to hand over his treasured scrapbooks to the UN museum in Arbour Hill. The scrapbooks were given to a friend of Viv’s who had served in Somalia who brought them on the train back to Drogheda where he lived. He had planned to deliver them to the UN museum in Arbour Hill the following day. However, disaster struck when the scrapbooks were left behind on the train as Viv’s friend departed at Drogheda. While the books were of no value to most people they are priceless and irreplaceable to the members of the Veterans of the Defence Forces. Continued on Page 2
Dundalk Stationmaster Anthony Monaghan with retired military veteran Tony White who accepted the scrapbooks on Viv Collins behalf.