In 1798, the French Republic landed 1,000 troops in Mayo to assist the United Irishmen rebels.
After some initial success, the French troops ultimately failed in their goal and the rebellion was eventually crushed. Nevertheless, the expedition went down in Irish revolutionary history as the Year of the French.
Now, 228 years later, Ireland is about to witness another year of the French, as the Government deepens military co-operation with Paris in the face of increasing global threats.
This time, the French are not sending soldiers to Killala. Instead, as part of a series of government-to-government deals, they will send hundreds of millions of euro worth of advanced military equipment…