Irish soldiers are successful at peacekeeping because of their lack of cultural arrogance and their ability to empathise with the people of the country in which they serve.
Comdt Dan Harvey, author of the new book Peacekeepers - Irish Soldiers in the Lebanon, says the troubled history of Ireland gives peacekeepers from this country an understanding of suffering.
Troops from various nations were first posted in Lebanon in 1978 to oversee United Nations resolutions for an Israeli withdrawal and a reciprocal guarantee of border security. The UN Interim Forces in Lebanon (UNIFIL) have been there ever since. The Defence Forces press officer said there is a sadness for soldiers leaving the country for the last time.
However, there is consolation in having made a major contribution towards the restoration of normal life in Lebanon.
"After a few visits you get to know families in the area. Then you get to see their children going on to be parents themselves. We saw the infrastructure being built back over the years and the beginnings of hope among people. We were literally putting ourselves out of a job from the day we started."
UNIFIL often worked beyond their official work by providing humanitarian relief including the rebuilding of houses, providing water for orphanages and supplies to schools.
The peacekeepers' mandate was to confirm the withdrawal of Israeli troops but over the years a deep bond was created between the Irish and the Lebanese.
Comdt Harvey said the peacekeepers' role was evolving, with new situations constantly testing the Irish soldiers. In his book he recounts the sense of fear felt among soldiers who privately questioned their own capabilities.
"The dread was a fear of fear itself, or more precisely, a fear of showing fear, a fear of failure, of losing control, of not being able to cope with the speed of reactions required. I sensed I was not alone in thinking these thoughts: each man of the platoon was already at war . . . with himself."
The Cork-born soldier put together the account of his time in Lebanon in order to answer the question he and his fellow soldiers are asked in pubs: "What was it like in the Leb?"
Comdt Harvey said he was worried the troops' 23 years in Lebanon would be forgotten in spite of the loss of the lives of 44 Irish soldiers. One, Private Kevin Joyce, remains missing. This prompted him to write a personal account of everyday life in the platoon.
Comdt Harvey also wanted to emphasise the contribution made by Irish soldiers. "UNIFIL was the one constant in Lebanon and the Irish battalion was the one constant of that force. The book gives me the opportunity to pay tribute to the ongoing commitment of peacekeepers all over the world."
President McAleese is set to review a military parade on November 25th in Dublin to mark the withdrawal of Irish troops from Lebanon.
Comdt Harvey's book, with a foreword by Jim Cusack, Security Editor of The Irish Times is available at stores throughout the State. The author has served in the Defence Forces since 1979.