This vital work by Daniel Ayiotis explores the intricate relationship between discipline, religion and the Army, shedding light on the challenges faced and the values that were required of soldiers, from manliness and clean living to a chivalrous spirit and a degree of religious fervour. 

This examination raises important questions about the role of religion in shaping the behaviour and actions of the Army and the influence of religious instruction on young soldiers. It also acknowledges the role of the Irish Army as a government institution and the values that were instilled during its early years of formation. 

Daniel Ayiotis is the Director of the Military Archives and a commandant in the Irish Army, based at Cathal Brugha Barracks, Rathmines, Dublin. Since 1990 the Military Archives has been the statutory place of deposit for the records of the Irish Defence Forces, Department of Defence, and Army Pensions Board under the terms of the National Archives of Ireland Act, 1986. His latest publication was The Military Archives: A History (Eastwood Books, 2022)