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Imelda Conway-Duffy is a freelance writer, artist and documentary film-maker. She began working in the film industry in 1979 for the film director, John Boorman and she has made documentaries on subjects such as Irish military service in the Congo. She recalls the ‘practically daily’ public coverage of the first Irish Battalion to serve overseas in the Congo in 1960. She also discusses the Childers family in Wicklow and the ‘Battle of Glendalough’ which took place during the Civil War. Imelda Conway-Duffy was interviewed for the Military Archives Oral History Project on 24th August 2016.

In this clip, Imelda recalls her research into Glendalough House in County Wicklow, associated with the Barton and Childers family. She recalls spending time with Bobby Childers (Brother of President Erskine Childers and son of Erskine Childers who was executed by the Irish Free State during the Irish Civil War). Imelda also reflects on the importance of Glendalough House for the locality and refers to a recent memorial to the Bartons and Childers in Annamoe.

In this clip, Imelda recalls meeting with Congo veterans during her research into the documentary 'Fighting for Peace' and reflects briefly on the significance of the episode in their lives. Between July 1960 and June 1964, Irish troops were deployed to the Congo as part of a United Nations Peacekeeping mission. July 27th 1960 marked a watershed when the first element of 32 Infantry Battalion, the first complete unit from the Defence Forces to serve overseas, took off from Dublin bound for the Congo. The Congo became independent of Belgium in 1960, led initially by the nationalist, Patrice Lumumba. Almost immediately, the new Republic of the Congo, a vast state covering much of central Africa, lapsed into civil war as two Congolese provinces, Katanga and South Kassai, backed by Belgium and to a lesser extent by France, declared themselves to be independent states. During the ONUC mission the Irish Defence Forces came of age and took its place on the international stage.

In this clip, Imelda recalls being an 11-year-old girl listening to news of the Congo on their wireless radio in Wicklow and reflects on how connected the country was with the episode. Between July 1960 and June 1964, Irish troops were deployed to the Congo as part of a United Nation Peacekeeping mission. July 27th 1960 marked a watershed when the first element of 32 Infantry Battalion, the first complete unit from the Defence Forces to serve overseas, took off from Dublin bound for the Congo. The Congo became independent of Belgium in 1960, led initially by the nationalist, Patrice Lumumba. Almost immediately, the new Republic of the Congo, a vast state covering much of central Africa, lapsed into civil war as two Congolese provinces, Katanga and South Kassai, backed by Belgium and to a lesser extent by France, declared themselves to be independent states. During the ONUC mission the Irish Defence Forces came of age and took its place on the international stage

In this clip, Imelda remembers hearing about the Niemba Ambush in November 1960 and describes the sense of sadness in the area when the news came back. The Niemba Ambush occurred on 8 November 1960 when an Irish Army platoon was ambushed in the Congo by Baluba tribesmen. Nine Irish soldiers were killed in the ambush which was the first time the Irish Army was involved in a battle on foreign soil. The army were in the Congo on a peacekeeping mission, as part of the United Nations Operation in the Congo (ONUC). The nine Irish soldiers who died at Niemba were as follows: Lieutenant Kevin Gleeson of Carlow, Sergeant Hugh Gaynor of Leixlip, Corporal Peter Kelly of Templeogue, Corporal Liam Dougan of Cabra, Private Matthew Farrell of Jamestown, Dublin, Trooper Thomas Fennell of Donnycarney, Trooper Anthony Browne of Rialto, Private Michael McGuinn of Carlow, and Private Gerard Killeen of Rathmines. Some 25 Baluba tribesmen were also killed.

In this clip, Imelda reflects on the evolution of both the Defence Forces and Ireland since the Congo campaign. She recalls a story that she heard during her time making the documentary 'Fighting for Peace', about a soldier whose five-month old child died and was buried before he got home. She also speaks about the importance of peacekeeping in the Irish Defence Force experience.

In this clip, Imelda speaks about her relation Tom Cullen who was involved in a shootout at a hotel in Glendalough during the Irish Civil War, where he was shot in the spine. Cullen was on the National Army side in the action. Imelda states that three months after the Battle of Glendalough, Cullen arrested Erskine Childers at Glendalough House, from where he was taken and later executed. She also notes that he counted this as the greatest regret of his life.

In this clip, to underline the significance of the Congo in the Irish experience, Imelda recalls the one time that the news was dominated by another subject. She recalls hearing about three young men Peter Synnot, Peter Donegan and Seamus Organ, who had gone missing off the coast of Wexford on a boat. Seamus Organ was her father’s nephew and he was convinced they were dead. They were later found alive in Wales. Imelda states that the news story about the three men was the only item that took the focus away from Congo news stories.

In this clip, Imelda offers her impressions and views on the Congo experience and offers an analysis of where it sits in the broader Irish experience. She explains the economic importance for Ireland in joining the United Nations in the 1950s and also speaks about other landmarks in Ireland during this time including the visit of John F. Kennedy in 1963.