Since its establishment in 1930 the Irish Military College has had a vital influence on not only the Defence Forces but on the nation. It has formed all of the nation’s commissioned officers, many of whom have achieved distinction both within and outside of the Defence Forces.

The story of this relatively unknown national institution is intriguing as it has attempted to fulfill the roles laid down for it in 1923 in training and instructing officers and officer candidates. The task has not been easy, as the Military College has inevitably been subject to the many changes and fluctuations in the duties, roles and fortunes of the wider Defence Forces.

Colonel Tom Hodson, a former instructor in the Military College and a graduate of École de Guerre, Paris, has charted its history. He recounts how from its early predecessor, the Army School of Instruction, it has repeatedly re-invented itself, culminating in the requirement for today’s modern institution to embrace and impart instruction based on the needs of NATO and European armies.