Organisation of National Ex-Servicemen
Irish military veterans' charity
The Organisation of National Ex-Servicemen and Women (Irish: Óglaigh Náisiúnta Na hÉireann) is a support organisation for ex-service personnel of the Irish Defence Services.
The organisation commenced operations in approximately 1950 and was formed as an amalgam of a number of ex-servicemen's organisations which had sprung up after soldiers, sailors and airmen had been 'demobbed' following service during the Emergency. The emergency spanned the period 1939 to 1946 which was approximately the same period as the Second World War and over 140,000 soldiers, sailors, airmen, police and red cross personnel served in the Irish Defence Forces at this time. The National Federation of Irish Ex-Servicemen and the Association of Regular Ex-Servicemen (Defence Forces) being just two of the organisations that came together. This was the first time that a unified veterans organisation had formed in Ireland.
Formation and name
The initial name for the organisation was the "Irish Ex-Servicemen's Organisation". This was soon converted to the Irish "Óglaigh Náisiúnta na hÉireann". The new organisation adopted an emblem resembling the cap badge of the Defence Forces and incorporated the number 1 into its design signifying the amalgamation of the different groups. Since this time the Organisation has been known as the O.N.E. and ONE forms part of the Organisation's emblem to this date. The first President of the Organisation was Lieutenant General Michael Joe Costello, and the vice-Presidents were Senator Victor Carton PC, Lieutenant Colonel Fred O'Connor, Mr.
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