Biography

Gerry (Gerald) McMahon DSM, Lieutenant General (retired), a native of Limerick, entered the Cadet School in the Curragh in 1953. He served in the Defence Forces for forty-five years, retiring in August 1998 as Chief of Staff. He served overseas with the 37th Infantry Battalion in the Congo, 21st Infantry Group in Cyprus, 44th Infantry Battalion in the Lebanon. He spent two years as an Observer with UNTSO (United Nations Truce Supervision Organisation) in the Middle East and also served in the UN Headquarters in New York. He oversaw a period of major reorganisation in the Defence Forces. Lt Gen McMahon was interviewed for the Military Archives Oral History Project in December 2016 and February 2017.

In this clip, Lieutenant General McMahon reflects on his family background and discusses the political make up of his mother’s side of the family.

In this clip, Lieutenant General McMahon reflects on the divisions caused by the Irish Civil War (1922-23) and how it manifested between his father and uncle who took opposing sides in the Civil War.

In this clip, Lieutenant General McMahon speaks about his father's interest in politics and recalls how he would bring the Irish Press home for his dinner during the day and would read extracts for the family. The Irish Press was a noted Fianna Fáil newspaper. He tells a short story about his brother Raphe bringing in the Irish Independent (traditionally Fine Gael newspaper) to the dinner table and how his father got very irritated with him and ordered him to leave. Finally, he recalls being sent to write down the election tallies during general elections and returning the tallies to his father.

In this clip, Lieutenant General McMahon speaks about his aunt Una Moroney who trained as a nurse in the UK in the late 1930s and was living there when World War II started. The hospital which they were meant to work in was bombed and Una joined the 'Land Army' for a farmer in Little Rissington near the Red Arrows Air Base. Una later joined the Queen Alexandra's Royal Army Nursing Corps and served in a Field Hospital in the Burma Campaign in India. Una later became a district nurse in Somerset. In contrast to his aunt Una, Lieutenant General McMahon noted that his father never left the island of Ireland.

In this clip, Lieutenant General McMahon outlines his reasons for joining the Irish Army in 1953. He explains that he had no military background apart from his uncle Vinny who had been in the Free State Army. He outlines that when he was doing his Leaving Cert he was informed that 'only Doctors' sons or solicitors' sons went to University'. He states that after being counselled by the Christian Brothers, he applied to several places for work including Shannon Airport, the ESB, CIE, Civil Service, An Garda Siochána and the Army. He was offered a Cadetship with the army, which his father advised him to take on the basis that it was 'a good job with a pension'.

In this clip, Lieutenant General McMahon speaks about his entry into the Cadet School and his feelings on joining the Army. He recalls that the Cadets who had been in boarding schools were 'far more worldly about real life' than the Cadets who had been living at home.

In this clip, Lieutenant General McMahon recalls his first day in Cadet School at the Curragh and recalls how the 'Munster men would stick together'. He states that; 'Oh I was absolutely excited about it. It was so new. I can remember the first few days going and collecting our uniforms and our bedding and what have you and bringing them over to the Cadet Lines ... that time we were in a billet of six.' He recalls an incident on the first day at Cadet School; 'We were told to go across now and draw your rifle. It was pointed out where we would do this ... I suppose being totally ignorant of things military, I remember making a beeline from A to B and it was straight across the Square. And there was this big man came out to the door with his arms folded and he looked at me. I didn’t know him, he was a famous character called the Liver Dunne and he was the Sergeant Major. He let me walk across the square and when I came within shouting distance from him he said 'come here sonny'. So I went over to him and he said 'do you know what you have just done? You have walked across the square. Nobody is allowed to walk across the square except dogs and officers!' So that was the first lesson on day one but, you know, I was up for it!'.

In this clip, Lieutenant General McMahon speaks about his feelings of disappointment at the situation in Athlone after he was sent there in January 1956. He outlines the reality of how poorly organised and staffed the army was at the time. He speaks in detail about the nature and morale of the army in the mid-1950s. He states that the 6th Battalion had only just over 100 soldiers when it should have been over 500. He declares that 'To my mind it was soul destroying' and claimed that 'The Defence Forces were allowed to kind of just wither on the vine though lack of money'.

In this clip, Lieutenant General McMahon recalls his Commissioning in November 1955. He recalls a funny story after his commissioning when his brother Raphe played a trick on his father. Raphe managed to introduce his father to General Seán Mac Eoin, the 'Blacksmith of Ballinlee' (who had taken the Free State side in Civil War and was later a Fine Gael politician in addition to a soldier). For years after, his bother Raphe would tease his father about 'the day you shook hands with the Blacksmith'. This was due to his father's strong affiliation with Fianna Fáil.

In 1967, Lieutenant General McMahon recalls he was Platoon Commander with the 37th Infantry Battalion in the Congo. In this piece of audio from December 2016, Lieutenant General McMahon speaks about the preparations for that mission. He discusses the levels of training and equipment associated with this and other Congo missions.

In 1967, Lieutenant General McMahon recalls he was Platoon Commander with the 37th Infantry Battalion in the Congo. In this piece of audio from December 2016, Lieutenant General McMahon reflects on the impact the Congo campaign had back in the early 1960s.

In this piece of audio from December 2016, Lieutenant General McMahon reflects on his appointment as Chief of Staff on 08 February 1995. He speaks about his emotions and feelings upon becoming Chief of Staff and reflects on joining the army in 1953 with little military background and his sense of gratitude for having made it to the top of the organisation. He describes how he was relatively confident he could handle the job, given the previous year's work with regard to the reorganisation of the army. He also reflects on his sadness that his parents hadn't lived to see him become Chief of Staff.

In this piece of audio from December 2016, Lieutenant General McMahon discusses the role played by the Defence Forces in the lead up to the Good Friday Agreement and 'the normalisation of the relationship between the UK and Ireland'. He speaks about the previously informal relationship between the Irish Defence Forces and British Army and the gradual movement towards a more overt form of this relationship. Lieutenant General McMahon also reflects on being the first head of the Irish Defence Forces to be invited to review a guard of honour in Britain. He describes this as 'A definitive statement that the British Forces and the Defence Forces of Ireland were on very, very good terms'.

In 1967, Lieutenant General McMahon was Platoon Commander with the 37th Infantry Battalion in the Congo. In this piece of audio from February 2017, Lieutenant General McMahon reflects on the importance of the Congo campaign for the evolution of the Irish Defence Forces.

In this piece of audio from February 2017, Lieutenant General McMahon recalls a story he heard from Colonel Seán Clancy regarding General Michael Brennan (Chief of Staff from October 1931 to January 1940), which underlines the importance of 'civil control of the military'. The story related to the election of Fianna Fáil to government when Brennan was Chief of Staff. Brennan, a native of Meelick in County Clare, had been on the Free State side of the Civil War and it was felt that this may have caused tension. Clancy informed Gerry that Brennan had insisted that the army had to accept the will of the people and to 'defend that democracy'.

In this piece of audio from February 2017, Lieutenant General McMahon reflects back over his military career, which spanned forty-five years.