The Minister for Defence, Mr Tony Killeen TD, yesterday (Thursday 29th  July 2010) paid his first official visit to Stephens Barracks in  Kilkenny.

The Minister for Defence, Mr. Tony Killeen, T.D., accompanied by the Defence Forces, Chief of Staff, Lieutenant General Sean McCann, was at Dublin Port on Monday to observe the arrival of the ship carrying the Defence Forces assets and equipment involved in the MINURCAT mission in Chad.

An Taoiseach, Mr Brian Cowen TD, and the Minister for Defence, Mr Tony Killeen TD, accompanied by the Defence Forces Chief of Staff, Lieutenant General Sean McCann, along with many veterans and their families, attended Casement Aerodrome Baldonnel for the commemoration the 50th Anniversary of the Defence Forces deployment of troops to the Congo on July 23 2010.

Minister for Defence Mr Tony Killeen, T.D., attended the Annual Corofin Show in North Clare on Saturday, 24 July 2010.

Please find pics of the visit below: Minister Killeen meets members of the Red Cross, Minister Killeen meets two riding officers from the Army Equitation School, and 2nd Lt David Power of the Army Equitation School participates in the showjumping event.

A full media release relating to the event is available here

The Minister for Defence, Mr. Tony Killeen, TD, with his cabinet colleague the Minister for Finance, Mr. Brian Lenihan, TD, were yesterday, at the Naval Service Base in Haulbowline, Cork to welcome home the Naval Service vessel the L.E. Niamh from her ten week mission to Latin America.    

This deployment was in support of the strong cultural and heritage links between Ireland and South America, to mark the celebration of the bicentenaries of independence by Mexico, Argentina, and Chile, and to promote Ireland and Irish trade links in these countries.   

The Captain of the LE Niamh is Lieutenant Commander Kenneth Minehane, a native of Bantry, Co. Cork, and there were 46 crew on the mission.