Ireland is taking its troops out of the UN Disengagement Observer Force (UNDOF), which keeps an eye on Israel's border with Syria.

It comes after ten years of participating in local peacekeeping.

After a six-month deployment, 133 Irish soldiers from the 68th Infantry Group are coming home.

For this expedition, soldiers were selected from throughout the defence forces, but the bulk came from Custume Barracks in Athlone, where they belonged to the 6th Infantry Battalion.

The troops landed at Dublin Airport Friday afternoon on a chartered aeroplane directly from Camp Faouar, where their relatives and friends will greet them.

Lieutenant Colonel Oliver Clear has been the commanding officer of the 68th Infantry Group.

34 of the mission's participants were serving their first foreign tour of duty.

Armoured personnel carriers and other equipment used by the Defence Forces are being shipped from Beirut harbour to Ireland on cargo ships.

In March of last year, Tánaiste and Minister of Defence Micheál Martin notified the Government of his intention to stop the Defence Forces' commitment to UNDOF.

The choice was made after an evaluation of the Defence Forces' abroad obligations' sustainability was completed.

The decision to remove the Infantry Group was made in light of this evaluation and military advice.

Former Army Ranger and Golan Heights veteran Cathal Berry, an independent TD, claimed that although operations come and go, Irish forces have never been forced to abandon a mission for lack of personnel.

He told RTÉ's Morning Ireland: “It's a bittersweet day, we are obviously delighted to get our troops home, there will be big celebrations at Dublin Airport around 2pm this afternoon in Terminal 1, it's also good that we can reflect on a job well done over the last 12 years, but definitely tinged with sadness.”

Pulling out of the mission has caused “significant” harm to the organisation's reputation, according to Mr. Berry.

According to him, Austria withdrew its forces from the operation 12 years ago because it deemed it too risky at the time, just as the Syrian civil war was getting underway. He added that for a period of twelve years, Irish forces maintained the line.

“We must immediately withdraw due to the harm to our reputation. For example, the Irish Defence Forces had 10,000 personnel when the operation began, but after 12 years, just 7,500 remain.”