| an Cor Marcra | |
|---|---|
Collar badge of the Cavalry Corps |
|
| Active | 1934 |
| Country | Ireland |
| Branch | Army |
| Type | Armoured |
| Role | Light Cavalry Armoured Reconnaissance |
| Size | Seven squadrons |
| Garrison/HQ | 1st Armoured Cavalry Squadron - Curragh Camp 1st Cavalry Squadron - Cork 2nd Cavalry Squadron - Rathmines 4th Cavalry Squadron - Athlone |
The Cavalry Corps (Irish an Cor Marcra) is the armoured formation of the Irish Army. In peacetime the Cavalry carries out various duties in aid to the Civil Power, such as:
For this, the corps is equipped with various light armoured vehicles including the Mowag Piranha and Panhard AML, which are utilised as part of the light cavalry mission, in support of the infantry. In addition, a number of FV101 Scorpion light tanks are also used in the armoured reconnaissance role.
The Cavalry Corps traces its history to the formation of the Armoured Car Corps on 14 September 1922. Mechanised from the start, the corps utilised armoured vehicles that the British Army left following the War of Independence. Following a debate on the use of the term "cavalry", and whether the word was meant to encompass horse, wheeled or tracked, the corps was renamed as the Cavalry Corps in 1934.
The first Irish Landsverk L60 was delivered in 1935 and joined Ireland's only other tank a Vickers Mk. D in the 2nd Armoured Squadron. The second Landsverk L60 arrived in 1936. The Landsverk's were still in use up until the late 1960s. One L60 is preserved in running order and the other is in the National Museum of Ireland, Collins Barracks, Dublin.
After The Emergency, the corps established a main battle tank cadre equipped with the Churchill, which formed the basis of the 1st Tank Squadron in 1959. This was equipped with the Comet until its disbandment in 1973.
The Cavalry Corps has served in many locations on UN peacekeeping missions, including the Congo, Cyprus and Lebanon, either as Cavalry groups on their own, or attached as part of a battalion group.
The Cavalry Corps today is approximately equivalent in size to two typical cavalry regiments; however the Irish Army has never utilised the regimental structure (although there was an attempt during 1942 to organise units into a cavalry regiment). Instead, cavalry operates as independent squadrons. Today, the army has a total of four regular cavalry squadrons:
The 1st, 2nd and 4th Squadrons are standard light cavalry units equipped with the Mowag Piranha AFV and Panhard AML armoured car. One squadron is attached to each of the army's three infantry brigades to act as light armoured support. In addition to their regular duties, 2nd Cavalry Squadron also operates as the Presidential Motorcycle Escort, a task inherited from the Blue Hussars in 1948. The 1st Armoured Cavalry Squadron was formed in 1998 by the amalgamation of the 1st Armoured Car Squadron and the reformed 1st Tank Squadron. This operates the FV101 Scorpion in the armoured reconnaissance role; 1st Armoured Cavalry Squadron is an independent unit that is stationed at The Curragh.
In addition to the four regular army units, there are also three Army Reserve squadrons: