Nestled among the hills of south Lebanon is a little known corner of Ireland where peacekeepers have been faithfully operating for decades.

It is a juxtaposition of scenic olive trees and sunshine, alongside destroyed towns and villages and the almost constant presence of watchful drones.

The Irish Defence Forces are fulfilling the mission of the the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (Unifil) which involves peace support operations in this, one of the most volatile regions of the world while the new Lebanese government gets on its feet amid a fragile ceasefire with Israel.

There is no mistaking the risk with the level two assessment requiring the wearing of body armour and helmets while being transported to Camp Shamrock by Mowag.

It is a frankly uncomfortable journey of around three hours from Beirut, and once inside the camp, which is just 8km from the Blue Line, you can be subjected to a “groundhog” call and required to shelter in cramped bunkers for periods of time as long or short as necessary.

Just last week, there was an exchange of fire, believed to be between the militia Hezbollah and Israel, described as the worst violence since the ceasefire came into effect in November.

The Irish there do not just represent themselves, but also the UN, and have taken the brunt of the frustration of those whose homes in south Lebanon were recently destroyed as they return to rebuild.

They are helping clear the unexploded ordnance and IEDs, and assisting the Lebanese Armed Forces and Red Cross as they recover bodies from the destruction, and have faced anger from those who believe they should have prevented it.

Lieutenant Colonel Shane Rockett said it has been very hard to win hearts and minds, but added that they would emphasise that the Irish and Unifil did not leave, and if they had, the destruction “would have been a lot worse”, and have been using gentle diplomacy and conversations with local community leaders to provide reassurance.

That view is echoed throughout Camp Shamrock, with another soldier describing what they do as “peace keeping, not peace enforcing”.