I was in the British Army (when Centurion was a rank not a tank) and one of my mates was from Ireland an had cut his teeth in the FCA. Good lad - squaddies are squadies at the end of the day. Years later I heard the Saw Doctors singing FCA which put a smile on my face and I thought of him and some of the stories he told me.
I enjoyed this video very much. I spent 3 happy years in the FCA and became quite a marksman with the .303 Lee-Enfield. As my Commanding Officer used to say, a bullet from a Lee-Enfield can kill just the same as an AK47 or an M16. Especially as soldiers trained with a bolt-action rifle are often trained well in marksmanship - as the FCA were :) I would recommend service in the FCA to any young man or woman. You'll never regret it :)
Very good, I joined the FCA in 1982, then enlisted in the Irish Defence Forces in 1985, I retired in 2007. I still have very good friends from my sandbag sorry FCA days that I meet up with evan today. And as a member of IUNVA I stay connected with old friends, Thanks for the video it was very good.
I've just watched this video for the second time. I loved my time in the FCA, I loved everything about it. The drilling, the days at the range, the PT and running, the weekend training sessions and the annual camps. We used to do long marches when on camp, the soles of your feet became like supple leather (once the blisters had been sorted out and the boots had been 'broken in'). Nothing like a plate of stew and boiled spuds after a very, very long cross-country march :). We used to get through hundreds of rounds at the range, we seemed to have an endless supply of ammo until I found out we were using up out-of-date bullets! I became an excellent shot with the .303 Lee-Enfield - an extremely effective rifle as each shot was AIMED, rather than the 'spray-and-pray' approach that seems popular in some armies when using automatic rifles. Great times indeed. Long Live the Engineers!
I spent 7 great years in the FCA before starting a career in the Permanent Defence Forece that lasted 35 years. The FCA was a critical formative influence on so many people, it's a pity that the penny pinchers in the Department of Defence see fit to denigrate it.
The Irish can be proud of their part in history.Because the Irish do not lay down for anyone or anything. Smart enough to know when it's time to regroup and take another Avenue. Brave enough to never give up. There are not many peoples who can claim this.
07:18 as of Feb 23, the Report of the Commision on the Defence Forces is already out of date, it's out over a year, no high level actions taken, no sign of an implementation plan, and no movement since Ukraine was invaded. The government is more concerned about where to put "refugees" from Albania, Algeria, and Georgia than defence of the country. The Reserve Defence Forces are dying a slow death by 1000 cuts. In all honestly, it should be disbanded due to such low numbers, but ironically & perhaps cynically, it won't be by the bloated department of defence looking to keep their job for life existence going.
Interesting a right of passage for young men, Army life, even for a few years on a part time basis. A lot of young men could do with this experience I feel nowadays. In todays "woke" culture where they are not sure what being a man is. Your right the power of firearms is not at all like Hollywood would have you believe, even WW2 weapons like Lee Enfields or bren guns are defining and there power immense especially when your on the receiving end of them in the butts With bullets striking the backstop yards away from you.
Thanks for posting this video. It's very informative. It's crazy, our depth of defence can't field sufficient troops but the depth of justice still want to disarm the civilian population. It makes no sense at all.
I, too, did my time in the butts 😊 back in '90-91. Left because of budget cuts. One of the only regrets I have in my 50 years on this earth was leaving.
I was in the British Army (when Centurion was a rank not a tank) and one of my mates was from Ireland an had cut his teeth in the FCA. Good lad - squaddies are squadies at the end of the day. Years later I heard the Saw Doctors singing FCA which put a smile on my face and I thought of him and some of the stories he told me.
All tall stories I'm sure 😁, thanks for the comments, the centurion one is brilliant!!
I enjoyed this video very much. I spent 3 happy years in the FCA and became quite a marksman with the .303 Lee-Enfield. As my Commanding Officer used to say, a bullet from a Lee-Enfield can kill just the same as an AK47 or an M16. Especially as soldiers trained with a bolt-action rifle are often trained well in marksmanship - as the FCA were :) I would recommend service in the FCA to any young man or woman. You'll never regret it :)
Back in the day in the FCA! Thanks for the feedback, great days indeed.
Very good, I joined the FCA in 1982, then enlisted in the Irish Defence Forces in 1985, I retired in 2007. I still have very good friends from my sandbag sorry FCA days that I meet up with evan today. And as a member of IUNVA I stay connected with old friends, Thanks for the video it was very good.
A great experience for young men and great memories for old ones! Glad you enjoyed it.
5:33 only 2 ships are now operational due to crew shortages
Thank you for this video. Very enjoyable.
Thanks for the compliment
@@primalireland-histcult You might find the YT videos by an Irish man called Kevin Owens of interest. Worth a look.
I've just watched this video for the second time. I loved my time in the FCA, I loved everything about it. The drilling, the days at the range, the PT and running, the weekend training sessions and the annual camps. We used to do long marches when on camp, the soles of your feet became like supple leather (once the blisters had been sorted out and the boots had been 'broken in'). Nothing like a plate of stew and boiled spuds after a very, very long cross-country march :). We used to get through hundreds of rounds at the range, we seemed to have an endless supply of ammo until I found out we were using up out-of-date bullets! I became an excellent shot with the .303 Lee-Enfield - an extremely effective rifle as each shot was AIMED, rather than the 'spray-and-pray' approach that seems popular in some armies when using automatic rifles. Great times indeed. Long Live the Engineers!
Yes indeed, my love for strong builders tea came from the huge flasks of tea we were served out on the ranges etc. Thanks for the input 👍
I spent 7 great years in the FCA before starting a career in the Permanent Defence Forece that lasted 35 years. The FCA was a critical formative influence on so many people, it's a pity that the penny pinchers in the Department of Defence see fit to denigrate it.
Yes, for all the slagging it got, it was part of Irish culture!
The Irish can be proud of their part in history.Because the Irish do not lay down for anyone or anything.
Smart enough to know when it's time to regroup and take another Avenue. Brave enough to never give up. There are not many
peoples who can claim this.
07:18 as of Feb 23, the Report of the Commision on the Defence Forces is already out of date, it's out over a year, no high level actions taken, no sign of an implementation plan, and no movement since Ukraine was invaded. The government is more concerned about where to put "refugees" from Albania, Algeria, and Georgia than defence of the country. The Reserve Defence Forces are dying a slow death by 1000 cuts. In all honestly, it should be disbanded due to such low numbers, but ironically & perhaps cynically, it won't be by the bloated department of defence looking to keep their job for life existence going.
It always was and will be about politics!
Interesting a right of passage for young men, Army life, even for a few years on a part time basis. A lot of young men could do with this experience I feel nowadays. In todays "woke" culture where they are not sure what being a man is.
Your right the power of firearms is not at all like Hollywood would have you believe, even WW2 weapons like Lee Enfields or bren guns are defining and there power immense especially when your on the receiving end of them in the butts With bullets striking the backstop yards away from you.
And don't forget the ricochets!
Thanks for posting this video. It's very informative. It's crazy, our depth of defence can't field sufficient troops but the depth of justice still want to disarm the civilian population. It makes no sense at all.
Thanks for the comments!
You're obviously not Irish, we don't arm civilians in Ireland and promote domestic terrorism.
@@spazzymacgee5648 your obviously a moron. There are 300,000 licenced firearms in Ireland and who said anything about domestic terrorism.
Only one Irish army and they fighting nearly a hundred and twenty years
😉
I, too, did my time in the butts 😊 back in '90-91. Left because of budget cuts. One of the only regrets I have in my 50 years on this earth was leaving.
Good memories though!
@@primalireland-histcult Absolutely! Feels like yesterday.