Royal Irish Regiment

In the second part of a series of articles on the Royal Irish Regiment in Canada, News Letter reporter Steven Moore looks at the difficulties facing Roman Catholic soldiers.

Gary Hilton hasnt been home for more than two years. As a Roman Catholic serving in the Army, visiting family and friends can be a hazardous experience.

The last time he was home in Newcastle, the 24-year-old Ranger had to get a police escort to escape republican thugs who cornered him in a pub in the seaside town.

Gary`s family has a military tradition and he followed his father into the Army six years ago.
He said: " I havent been home in two years because of the trouble in Newcastle about me being in the Army, but hopefully that is going to die down a bit.
"My close friends are all right and know me as a person, but not everyone likes the fact that I`m a soldier and I get hassle.
"I got chased out of a bar. People came in and started to give me trouble and I had to get the police to get me out of the bar. I havent been back since then."

Gary is by no means an exception in the First Battalion: one Roman Catholic reckons the proportion among the Ulster lads at close to a third of the total.
"There are a fair few Catholics in the battalion, including alot from the south," said Gary.
"There are no problems. In the early years the battalion wasnt quite as mixed and there were a few religious problems but that has all died down. There are so many races now."

Gary recently completed an operation tour of Northern Ireland, which again provided its own difficulties.
"It was alright but it was getting a bit dodgy," he said. " I was posted close to home, too close to home.
"They worry about your family as well if you are recognised, but its not really that which is the big concern, its being identified in the uniform."

For his own safety, Gary stays with a friend when he visits the Province and nips home for the day. He hopes to return again before too long.

Security can also be a particular issue for RIR soldiers from the Republic.
Sgt O`Connor is from dublin and despite being in the Army for the past 14 years, many of his extended family still dont know what he does.
The 34 year old specifically asked that his first name not be used so as to help protect his identity.
The Royal Irish is known as the Family Regiment as so many generations have served in its ranks. likewise, Sgt O`Connor has a strong military background.
"My family goes back a long way in the British Army," he said.
"My Grandfather was in the Fusiliers in the Second World War. My Great-Grandfather was a Dublin Fusilier in the First World War, and I`d two great uncles in the Boer War, in the Dublin Fusiliers.
"I tried to join the Irish Army at the same time but they wernt recruiting at the time. There was an age limit and certain qualifications you needed, so i applied to both at the same time and the British Army came through first.

"I was over in England since I was 16 looking for work and I met aguy who was in the Irish Rangers and he told me all about the Irish Rangers and how it was an Irish Regiment with guys from the south and North getting on together in the same battalion, so i joined up.

Sgt O`Connor plans on completing the maximun 22 years service and would recommend the life to anyone.
"Ive been all over the world, to nine or 10 different countries, done operations in places like Bosnia, the Falklands, so Ive been to the top of the world and the bottom. I wouldnt have got to do that if I`d stayed in Ireland.
"That is why most of us join anyway. youve got about 30% Southern Irish at the moment, which is quite good.
"It sort of stopped for a while when we merged with the UDR. the lads from the South stopped joining, then two years ago we started a big recruitment campaign on TV and it began again.
"I think people thought the Irish Rangers had been done away with and recruitment in the Rangers just went down hill.
"Then people started realising that the General Service battalion was what the old Irish Rangers were, and recruitment started again from the South of Ireland."

He added: "If you want to do something with your life and get away from home, get away from the normal old routine and get to see places in the world, then I`d advise anyone to join the army.
It doesnt matter what background you come from, if you are looking for excitement in your life, this is the place to come. But its not always exciting. There is alot of barrack life goes with it. But 90 per cent of the time you are away.