During the period 1992/93 a series of meetings of retired officers took place in different areas, mainly in reaction to a ruling by the Department of Defence, which limited the application of MSA (Military Service Allowance) to those serving on, or after, 1st of August 1990. This ruling excluded from eligibility a large number of retired officers who, in service, had endured the same hardships and conditions, for which the MSA was introduced, as their serving counterparts. It highlighted the need for an association to represent the views of retired officers. Most prominent among the organisers at that time were:

• Col Kevin Hanley
• Col Jim Fagan
• Lt Col Frank Neill
• Lt Col Jackie Deveraux

The initiative of these Founding Fathers of ARCO led to the inaugural meeting of ARCO which took place at the Aisling Hotel, in Dublin, on the 9th of November 1993. At this meeting the First Executive Committee was elected.

At subsequent meetings the Executive Committee finalised the Association Rules, which were adopted by an Extraordinary General Meeting held at Cathal Brugha Barracks on 9th of April 1994. On the 24th of June 1994 the Association was launched in the Constitution Room of the Shelbourne Hotel, Dublin followed by a reception at the Mansion House. ARCO is one of three groups officially recognised by the Military Authorities (DFHQ) and the Civil Authorities (DOD). The other two are Oglaigh Naisiunta Na hEireann Teoranta (ONET) and the Irish United Nations Veterans Association (IUNVA).