Laois man among Air Corps graduates

A Laois man was among the 77th Apprentice class of the Irish Air Corps who graduated this weekend.  

22-year-old Conor McCarthy from Portarlington is a former student of Coláiste Íosagáin. He joined the Air Corps as he was interested in the military and engineering. When not working he enjoys GAA and soccer.  

Conor joined the 77th Apprentice class of the Irish Defence Forces in September 2019 and conducted six months of Recruit and Three Star military training. On completion of their basic military training, Conor and the other apprentices began their maintenance training on April 20, 2020. 

The 77th Apprentice class completed their maintenance training and graduated at a ceremony in No. 3 Operations Wing, Casement Aerodrome, Baldonnel on Friday, June 2. All eight Airmen have been posted to their new units in the Irish Air Corps as qualified aircraft maintenance technicians.

The modules they had to study during the course of their training ranged from mathematics to aerodynamics and their final year project saw them utilise their knowledge and skills from the four years of training to build a FADEC (Full Authority Digital Engine Control) system. 

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The General Officer Commanding the Irish Air Corps, Brigadier General Rory O' Connor, presided over the graduation ceremony and welcomed these new members to the Irish Air Corps.