ABSTRACT
This chapter examines Irish civil-military relations through two prisms. The first shows how active duty military officers and warrant officers, non-commissioned officers (NCOs), and soldiers, although officially not permitted to engage in political activity, were able to pressure the Irish government into allowing them to form elected representative organisations, which have become quite influential in decision making concerning the Republic of Ireland’s Permanent Defence Forces (PDF).2 The chapter explores why those serving in the military felt the need to agitate for a representative association, despite the risks of disapproval and even punishment, as well as the efforts of the Department of Defence and senior military officers to defend their position prohibiting the formation of such representative associations. The case study concludes by elaborating some of the changes brought about in the Irish military because of the work of these new elected representative organisations.
