Defence Forces' elite Army Ranger Wing to get new €46m state of the art HQ

The Defence Forces’ elite fighting unit is to get a new €46 million base, it has emerged. The Mirror has learned that Tánaiste Simon Harris, who is also Minister for Defence as well as Foreign Affairs, is set to seek cabinet approval for a new headquarters and training centre for the Army Ranger Wing – The Defence Forces’ special forces unit. The new HQ will be located where its current base is – the Curragh Camp in Co Kildare.

Once the cabinet gives the go ahead, construction will begin in a matter of months. The new base for the ARW was a key recommendation of the Commission on the Defence Forces, which reported in February 2022. The unit is on standby every single day of the year to respond to any crisis that may arise anywhere in the state as aid to gardai.



That could mean hostage rescue, undercover surveillance of dissident republican terrorists - or even protecting VIPs, like the Queen when she visited Ireland in 2011. But the unit is also active abroad in more traditional military roles and has seen service in Somalia, Liberia, Chad and East Timor and Mali. And in 2021 it sent operators to Afghanistan to rescue more than 200 Irish citizens from the chaos of Kabul Airport.

And in September 2023 ARW operators made world headlines when they stormed the MV Matthew off the south east coast – and recovered more than 2,253 kilos of cocaine, worth a massive €157 million. Its highly trained soldiers are experts in guerrilla warfare, marksmanship, hostage rescue, parachuting and long range patrolling. They have access to a wide range of weapons, including the Heckler and Koch HK416 assault rifle, the Minimi machine gun - and even the Javelin anti armour missile.

Around 40 soldiers try to pass ARW selection every year, but less than a dozen pass the gruelling process that sees them allowed into the unit - and wear the coveted green beret that marks them out as a Fianoglach, or Ranger. Welcoming the move, the Tánaiste said today: “I’m delighted to announce this significant level of investment in our Army Ranger Wing. This speaks to my commitment to ensuring our Defence Force personnel across all services have fit-for-purpose infrastructure to enable them to carry out their duties.

I look forward to visiting this project upon its completion, which will act as a fitting headquarters and training centre for our ARW personnel.” And Chief of Staff of the Defence Forces, Lieutenant General Seán Clancy said: "This investment marks an important milestone in the advancement of unique Defence Forces capabilities. “Both the training and the operations of the Army Ranger Wing will benefit from this investment and are of huge importance as we move towards the levels of ambition recommended in the CoDF.

The unique capability provided by Special Operations Forces cannot be mass produced and cannot be created after an emergency has occurred. “The benefits of maintaining this capability aren't always evident to the public, but operations like the seizure of the MV Matthew highlight the risks that these personnel are prepared to endure to protect the State." Subscribe to our newsletter for the latest news from the Irish Mirror direct to your inbox: Sign up here.

.