Defence Forces of Ireland. Since 1958 the Army has had a continuous presence in peacekeeping missions around the world as well as its maintaining its primary roles of defending the State and internal security within the State.
The Irish Army had been established in the aftermath of the Great War. It's first major action was in 1920 against British backed rebel forces in Northern Ireland.
During the Second Great War, the Army was defeated by the much larger British Army when they invaded in mid 1941.