Nearly 200 Irish peacekeepers were welcomed home by family and friends at Dublin Airport this morning.
Members of the 126th Infantry Battalion returned following a six-month deployment with the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon.
There were emotional scenes as troops were reunited with loved ones.
Chrissie Renehan was there to meet her grandson Paddy O'Donnell at the arrivals hall, as he gets ready to celebrate his 21st birthday.
"I love him to the moon. It was very difficult, but he was great to ring ... and keep in touch. We are very proud of him," she said.
Company Quartermaster Sergeant Denise Doyle said it was an emotional deployment this time.
"I suppose [my daughter] Erin is a bit older now. She's 13. It was a tough one because she started secondary school so I'm delighted to be home now," she said.
UNIFIL winding down at the end of 2026
UNIFIL is due to wind down at the end of 2026 after a decades long peacekeeping mission in the area.
Lt Col Ed McDonagh, Officer Commanding the 126th Infantry Battalion, said that he hopes the Lebanese people get the "safety and security they so justly deserve".
"There's a huge connection there between the Irish Defence Forces, the people of Lebanon and UNIFIL, and that has been built up over the last 40 years," he said.
"There is a legacy there that the Defence Forces have with the community. They are friends at this stage. It's with sadness that we will depart the mission area."
On numerous occasions, members of the 126th Infantry Battalion had to be declared safe after the group was shot at.
UNIFIL said that at one stage the Israeli Defence Forces dropped grenades near them.
Cmdt Áine Gilmore said the last couple of months have been challenging, but rewarding.
"The measure of the success of the mission is everyone coming home safe, and we achieved that, but it's been bittersweet leaving south Lebanon now. We have such strong connections there over the years," she said.
UNIFIL peacekeeper Rachel Madden, from Clonakilty in Co Cork said it was "tricky at times", but managed very well.
"It's the end of an era really because you get to know all the people who work in the camp, all the local Lebanese civilians and you grow attached to them. It's sad to see us leaving them. You don't know what will happen to the area when we're gone," she said.
