The Irish Military Heritage Foundation/Ireland's Military Story

31/12/2025

Happy New Year!
Malahide Castle awash in a light show for Wonderlights 2025. An amazing festive display.
The 12th century castle was home to the Talbot family. Steeped in history it even served as a Royal Flying Corps Airship Base during the Great War.

Malahide Castle & Gardens

26/12/2025

Wishing you all a Merry Christmas. Busy day yesterday with the newest member of our team Ana. Thanks everyone for your support this year, looking forward to 2026!

23/12/2025

29/11/2025

Ep.8. - Panhard AML-90 Armoured Car - Military Vehicles Through the Ages with IMVG.

The Panhard AML (automitrailleuse légère, or "light armoured car") is an armoured car designed by the French company Panhard on a lightly armoured 4×4 chassis, it weighs an estimated 5.5 tonnes, and is thus suitable for airborne deployment. Entering production in 1960 several variants remained in production until 1987.

Formally known as the AML H-90,, its major feature was its DEFA low-pressure 90mm rifled gun. The DEFA D921 was the first 90mm low-pressure gun to be mass-produced in France. It was specifically designed for vehicles weighing under ten tonnes, and the successful mating of such a large calibre weapon on the five tonne AML chassis was then considered a major engineering achievement. This made an AML-90 exceptionally well-armed in proportion to its weight, and offered the advantage of easier recoil loads over conventional tank cannon. The weapon was developed by the Etablissement d'Etudes et de Fabrications d'Armement de Bourges (EFAB) in the 1950s and partly modelled after the Mecar series of lightweight 90mm KEnerga guns from Belgium. Unlike the Belgian guns however, the DEFA D921 lacked a smoothbore barrel, instead utilising shallow rifling with a rather slow twist to impart a low rate of spin to the discharging projectile. Its ammunition was also fin-stabilised, but improved on the Mecar ammunition by incorporating the fins as a direct extension of the individual shell, making it much shorter.

As mounted on the AML-90, the D921 has an elevation of +15° and a depression of −8°. It is provided with a co-axial 7.62mm machine gun to the left of the main armament. A total of 20 90mm shells and 2,400 rounds of machine gun ammunition are carried.

The AML-90 served with the Irish Defence Forces Cavalry Corps from 1975 to 2023 at home and overseas on UN service in Lebanon and Liberia.

Supported by Department of Culture, Communications and Sport, and Community Foundation Ireland.

24/11/2025

Ep.8. - Panhard AML-90 Armoured Car - Military Vehicles Through the Ages with IMVG

The Panhard AML (automitrailleuse légère, or "light armoured car") is an armoured car designed by the French company Panhard on a lightly armoured 4×4 chassis, it weighs an estimated 5.5 tonnes, and is thus suitable for airborne deployment. Entering production in 1960 several variants remained in production until 1987.

Formally known as the AML H-90,, its major feature was its DEFA low-pressure 90mm rifled gun. The DEFA D921 was the first 90mm low-pressure gun to be mass-produced in France. It was specifically designed for vehicles weighing under ten tonnes, and the successful mating of such a large calibre weapon on the five tonne AML chassis was then considered a major engineering achievement. This made an AML-90 exceptionally well-armed in proportion to its weight, and offered the advantage of easier recoil loads over conventional tank cannon. The weapon was developed by the Etablissement d'Etudes et de Fabrications d'Armement de Bourges (EFAB) in the 1950s and partly modelled after the Mecar series of lightweight 90mm KEnerga guns from Belgium. Unlike the Belgian guns however, the DEFA D921 lacked a smoothbore barrel, instead utilising shallow rifling with a rather slow twist to impart a low rate of spin to the discharging projectile. Its ammunition was also fin-stabilised, but improved on the Mecar ammunition by incorporating the fins as a direct extension of the individual shell, making it much shorter.

As mounted on the AML-90, the D921 has an elevation of +15° and a depression of −8°. It is provided with a co-axial 7.62mm machine gun to the left of the main armament. The turret is traversed by rotating the gunner's handwheels, which are not power assisted. Cranking the turret through a full 360° takes approximately twenty-five seconds. A total of 20 90mm shells and 2,400 rounds of machine gun ammunition are carried. The 90 mm high-explosive anti-tank round possesses a muzzle velocity of 750 m/s (2,500 ft/s) and will pe*****te 320 mm (13 in) of armour at an incidence of 0°, or 120 mm (4.7 in) of armour at 60°. The high-explosive round has a muzzle velocity of 650 m/s (2,100 ft/s).

In 1964 the Panhard AML-60-7 CS armoured cars entered service with the Óglaigh na hÉireann / Irish Defence Forces. In 1970 20 AML-90 and 16 Panhard AML-60-7 HB armoured cars were ordered, all of which were delivered by 1975. Serving with Cavalry Corps the AML-90 was fitted with a H-90 turret armed with a D 921 F1 90mm gun and co-axial FN MAG 7.62mm machine gun. In addition to home service the AML-90 served on peacekeeping duties with the United Nations in Lebanon and Liberia. During the Battle of At Tiri in April 1980 in South Lebanon Irish UNIFIL troops, including an AML-90 armoured car, defended a checkpoint against an attack by the De Facto Forces (DFF). During the incident, the a timely intervention by the AML-90's 90mm gun helped neutralise an enemy half-track and the DFF ultimately withdrew.

The AML-90s were withdrawn from service along with AML fleet in 2013.

This project was supported by Department of Culture, Communications and Sport and Community Foundation Ireland


Cavalry Club Military History Ireland Irish Military Veterans
Military History Ireland
Curragh History County Carlow Military Museum (CCMM)
Óglaigh Náisiúnta na hÉireann ONE Veterans Charity
Iunva Post 1 Arbour House Dublin 7 Irish United Nations Veterans Association Irish Military Veterans United Nations United Nations Peacekeeping

18/11/2025

Ep.7 - ACMAT VLRA Utiility Truck - Military Vehicles with IMVG
In this video Alan Curran introduces you to the ACMAT VLRA troop transport.
The ACMAT VLRA (Véhicule de Liaison de Reconnaissance et d'Appui or Liaison, Reconnaissance, and Support Vehicle), a 4x4 tactical vehicle produced by ACMAT. It was characterised by its robustness. It could transport 2.5 tonnes of payload, a maximum range of 1,600 km and a water tank with a capacity of 200lt. Known for their reliability, simplicity, ruggedness and their 80% (over 3,500) commonality of parts across the entire product line. ACMAT offers over 70 VLRA variants, several of which served and continue to serve with the Irish Defence Forces including with the Artillery Corps and Army Ranger Wing primarily for troop transport and gun tractor, convoy es**rt, and special operations tactical support .

This project was supported by the Department of Culture, Communications and Sport , and the Community Foundation Ireland.

17/11/2025

Ep.7. - ACMAT VLRA - Military Vehicles Through the Ages with IMVG
In this video Alan Curran introduces you to the ACMAT VLRA.
The ACMAT VLRA (Véhicule de Liaison de Reconnaissance et d'Appui or Liaison, Reconnaissance, and Support Vehicle), a 4x4 tactical vehicle produced by ACMAT. It was characterised by its robustness. It could transport 2.5 tonnes of payload, a maximum range of 1,600 km and a water tank with a capacity of 200lt. Known for their reliability, simplicity, ruggedness and their 80% (over 3,500) commonality of parts across the entire product line. ACMAT offers over 70 VLRA variants several of which served and continue to serve with the Óglaigh na hÉireann / Irish Defence Forces including with the Artillery Corps and Army Ranger Wing primarily for troop transport and gun tractor, convoy es**rt, and special operations tactical support .

This project was supported by Department of Culture, Communications and Sport and Community Foundation Ireland


County Carlow Military Museum (CCMM) Óglaigh Náisiúnta na hÉireann ONE Veterans Charity Irish Military Veterans Military History Ireland Iunva Post 1 Arbour House Dublin 7
Ireland then and now Ireland Old and New
Military Vehicles

16/11/2025

14/11/2025

We remember two casualties, father and son, of the Great War: Staff Sergeant Major Patrick Lowry and Corporal Ernest Patrick Lowry of “Avondale” Stanford-le-Hope, Essex.

A follower from Stanford-le-Hope. in Essex, UK, went looking for any Irish listed on the local war memorial. At the time the town was small. The 1911 census gives Stanford-le-Hope population of 4,300. Initially of the 83 names there were no Irish. With the help from Mal Murray Gallipoli Association he discovered two names listed as Patrick and Ernest Loury, which was an incorrect spelling of Lowry.

Patrick was originally from Carlow. Service Number: T2/SR/01280, 312th Coy, Army Service Corps who died on 31 May 1916, age 55. Husband of Alice Annie Lowry, of 259, Millbrook Rd., Southampton, Hants. Their son Ernest was born in India as was their daughter Florence.

Patrick had served as a Conductor of the Indian Staff Supply and Transport Corps. In 1914 he was on an army pension but reenlisted.

Patrick originally served in the Rifle Brigade. He served from 05 October 1914. He was discharged on 18 May 1916, no longer physically fit for war service Para 392 XV1 King's Regulations. His medical discharge arterial sclerosis and extensive paralysis of the right foot and hernia as his problems/disability. He was also suffering from Bronchitis.
He died on 31 May 1916 and is buried in the churchyard of St Margaret of Antioch, Stanford-le-Hope.
He is not listed on any of the Carlow War Memorials.

Ernest was a Corporal with "C" Coy. 1st/3rd Bn, London Regiment (Royal Fusiliers), Service No:2043. He was 27. Prior to enlistment he had been employed as a clerk on the Great Eastern Railway. Ernest was killed in France on 10 March 1915.

As with his father he is commemorated as Loury on the Stanford-le-Hope war memorial and on the brass war memorial in the church of St Margaret of Antioch, Stanford-le-Hope and on Panel 44 Le Touret Memorial, Richebourg-l'Avoue, Departement du Pas-de-Calais, Nord-Pas-de-Calais, France.

There are still Irish born in graves around the world that have been forgotten.

We will Remember them with Honour.

Image: Grave of Patrick Lowry, St Margaret's Church.
Image: Stanford-le-Hope War Memorial unveiled on Sunday the 26 of September 1920.


Stanford le Hope
Untold The Museum Royal British Legion Republic of Ireland Dublin Central Branch, Royal British Legion
The Somme Association & Somme Museum
Commonwealth War Graves Commission Dublin Branch, Western Front Association Carlow County Museum County Carlow Military Museum (CCMM) Great War 100 Irish Genealogical Research Society
Irish Men & Irish Women in Uniform

12/11/2025