1 R IRISH UNFICYP tour Cyprus 1972.

Major General D Prem Chand (Indian Army), Commander UNFICYP, inspects a Guard of Honour on his first visit to the 1st Battalion The Royal Irish Rangers, accompanied by the Commanding Officer, Lt Col M N S McCord MC.

The UNFICYP (United Nations Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus) was set up by UN Security Council Resolution 186 on 4 March 1964, to prevent fighting between the Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot communities.

The 1st Battalion The Royal Irish Rangers, commanded by Lt Col M N S McCord MC, deployed from Barrosa Barracks, Deilinghofen, Federal Republic of Germany (British Army of the Rhine (BAOR)) to Cyprus as the United Kingdom's UNFICYP battalion and relieved the 1st Battalion The Gordon Highlanders.

Battalion Headquarters was established at Polemedhia Camp in Limassol with A and B Companies. C and Support Companies deployed to Paphos. Half way through the tour, A Coy was ordered to move to Kophinou to take over the responsibilities of the Irish Army's Battalion which was redeployed to the Sinai. At almost the same point, B and C Companies swapped areas of responsibility.

It was a largely uneventful tour but the Battalion made its mark in the many UNFICYP sporting competitions. 1 R IRISH was relieved by the 3rd Battalion The Parachute Regiment and, following post tour leave, returned to BAOR duties on 6 June 1972.