The Lancia armoured cars were built by the Great Southern and Western Railway workshops, Dublin, in 1921 for the Royal Irish Constabulary.

In January 1933 the army examined options for a new armoured fighting vehicle capable of countering a tank attack, during the assumed scenario of a resumed war with Britain.

To this end the army wanted components and assembly instructions for two further vehicles alongside the first delivered example to develop practical experience of manufacturing tanks ahead of full-scale production.

[7] The Department of Finance believed the army's cost estimates had no sound basis and was of the opinion that there was "no future for any Irish firm in the manufacture or even in the assembly of tanks" in Ireland.

However, Minister for Defence Frank Aiken persisted in trying to persuade MacEntee throughout February and March 1934 of the viability of the plan assuring him that it would be affordable and "pave the way for the possible development of a mechanical industry in this line".

This purchase was delayed when the second tank was destroyed in an accidental fire during tests in Sweden and a number of years passed before the free replacement arrived in Ireland.

[10] In 1940 a Defence Forces committee decided to build 8 improvised armoured cars on lorry chassis for the protection of aerodromes.

The Army purchased eight second-hand Morris Commercial lorries and one was delivered to Great Southern Railways (GSR) workshops for them to build and fit an armoured body.

The GSR Morris Mk IV armoured car had no turret instead the machine gun crew had to fire through loopholes.

[16][17] Three more Ford Mk VIs were sent out later that year to the Congo, two of which had their turrets removed and a pintle-mounted Bren light machine gun fitted in its place.

All 200 of the Bren Carriers Mk IIs were used by the infantry battalions mainly for transporting its 3-inch and Brandt 81 mm mortars, ammo and crew.

In the 1950s the army converted several Beaverettes into open scout cars – with one such conversion preserved at the Curragh Camp in County Kildare.

The Comet appealed to the Irish Army as it was cheap to buy and run, had low ground pressure, and good anti-tank capability.

[24] With stocks of 77 mm ammunition, particularly High Explosive (which were found to be faulty and were withdrawn entirely), dwindling in 1969, the army began an experiment to prolong the life of the vehicle.

This was then given an open mounting consisting of a length of steel girder welded to the turret ring with a 90 mm Bofors Pv-1110 recoilless rifle.

[25] As well as traversing on the existing turret ring, the recoilless rifle could also be aimed using the original gun mounting allowing finer adjustment.

The positive results from these tests led to further development of the prototype being greenlit, including ammo racks and a sloped steel shield protecting the exposed crew.

[26] In 1975, an Irish Army officer writing in An Cosantóir suggested that, similar to the Israeli Super Sherman, the Comet tanks (then in storage) could have a new engine installed and be upgunned with the British 105 mm gun.

[28] Following the withdrawal of Indian Army soldiers due to the Sino-Indian War, Irish from the armoured car group took over responsibility for their position in Jadotville assuming control of six M113s and several Swedish APCs.

[29] A small number of Swedish Tgb m/42 KP APCs were loaned from UN stocks during operations in the Congo and returned in early 1963.

The Ferrets were transferred to the replacement 3rd Armoured Car Squadron who in June faced a revolt of the Congo Civilian Police, and in September was placed on red alert during a general strike.

In the late 1970s the mortars fitted to all 16 AML 60-7 CS armoured cars could not be fired due to a fault, and as a result its twin 7.62mm machine guns became its main armament.

In 1986 a single vehicle had installed a Creusot-Loire T25 turret armed with a M242 Bushmaster 25 mm (25×137mm) autocannon and was tested in the Glen of Imaal.

In 1999 the 16 AML 60-7 CS armoured cars turrets were rearmed with a G12 20 mm cannon and a co-axial FN MAG 7.62mm machine gun.

AML 90s were also deployed in an internal security role following the kidnapping of supermarket executive Don Tidey by the Provisional IRA in 1983.

The Irish Army purchased 15 of the vehicles at a bargain price in 1971 which were originally intended for the police force in the Belgian Congo.

The Cavalry Workshops modified the Unimog scout cars by fitting a shield that could mount a FN MAG 7.62mm machine gun to it on the roof opening.

The type had excellent off-road capability but poor on-road handling due to a high centre of gravity and several accidents occurred as a result.

It has a maximum speed of 100 kilometres per hour, and is fitted with a one-man turret armed with one .50 (12.7mm) Browning HMG, one 7.62mm FN MAG machine gun and eight 66mm smoke grenade launchers.

[43] The eighteen Mowag CRVs are fitted with a Kongsberg Remote Weapon Station (RWS) and can be armed with either a 12.7mm/.5 Browning HMG or a Heckler & Koch 40mm automatic grenade launcher.