Defence Forces' first female platoon reunite in Athlone for 44th Anniversary

By Rebekah O'Reilly

The first ever group of female recruits in the Irish Defence Forces reunited in Athlone on Saturday, January 18, to mark the 44th anniversary of women joining the army.

Fifteen of the ladies who were originally recruited in 1981 came together in Athlone's Radisson Blu Hotel to celebrate the sisterhood and many years of friendship shared between them.

The women are now all retired, but keep in touch with each other for annual get-togethers to share their memories of their careers in the Defence Forces.

The 1st Female Platoon was recruited in June 1981, with ten women joining the force in Athlone's Custume Barracks on June 5.

This was followed by a further 30 women joining the force in Dublin, The Curragh, and Cork. All of the 40 women were trained together in The Curragh as non-combative soldiers.

“We really had no concept of what it meant to be a solider,” said retired Corporal Paula Dowling. “When they asked me in my interview why I wanted to join the army – I said I wanted to be like the women in MASH.!

“All we knew of women in the army were those American films, or pictures of women during World War II in their uniforms and their heels. We didn't know what we were signing up for.”

Despite having initially been introduced as non-combative soldiers, the women's roles soon changed, meaning they were allowed to use weapons, and to serve on missions.

“We were meant to be the Women's Service Corps originally,” Paula said. “We were kind of an anomaly, I suppose.

“Things had to change in the barracks once we came in. I think for the men it was very different as well – the army was still very much a men's army.”

The Irish Defence Forces didn't recruit any more women for another ten years.

Paula served in the Defence Forces for 42 years, and was the last of that first group of female recruits to retire.

In July 2023, the Government approved the establishment of a Tribunal of Inquiry to examine a range of matters pertaining to the effectiveness of the complaints processes within the Defence Forces.

This came as a result of an RTE documentary titled 'Women of Honour', which investigated the treatment of misogyny and sexual assault, allegations.

“I'm very aware of the Defence Forces Tribunal. In my role, I would've been very involved in listening to people coming forward.

“A lot of the girls would have experienced those kinds of things, but when we meet each other for our annual reunions, we don't talk about that. We just catch up, and focus on the happy memories.”

When asked whether she would recommend a career in the Defence Forces to the next generation of women, Paula said it is a very challenging career path for women.

“The army is a difficult career – for both men and women. It's especially difficult for women because our bodies are physiologically and psychologically different," Paula said. "Women are still the caregivers, and once you become a Mum, you can't really go abroad, and you don't want to leave your children.

“It is a great career. It gives you a lot of experiences, and it gives you great confidence – but its not an easy job at all.”