He told the tribunal he witnessed a senior officer — known as 2LTB and who cannot be named for legal reasons — assaulting him and other recruits, including kicking a fellow recruit in the ribs as he did press-ups.

He also said he saw the officer order another recruit to eat cigarettes from “the dregs of an ashtray”.

One of Mr Kennedy’s closest friends, Oliver Mullaney, died by suicide on June 22, 1991, two days after allegedly being repeatedly humiliated by 2LTB.

Previous witnesses to the tribunal have said 2LTB ordered Mr Mullaney to not only dance on a chair but also kiss another recruit.

Mr Kennedy said the abuse was widely known about, telling tribunal senior counsel Michael Cush that more senior officers above 2LTB would have been aware.

“They would have been well aware,” he said. 

“They were watching, they were well aware.” 

Asked about the most senior rank to have known, he said it was the “commanding officer” — meaning at least a lieutenant colonel.

The tribunal later heard that the unnamed commanding officer has denied being aware of the abuse suffered by Mr Mullaney.

Mr Kennedy said the only time he raised a complaint about his treatment was in relation to food.

He recalled when he found “brown cod worms” in fish battered with cornflakes that were being fed to recruits.

He said he complained to 2LTB, telling the tribunal he was laughed at by kitchen staff after the officer spoke to them about his complaint.

Mr Kennedy said: ”Something inside me broke that day. We were malnourished with the standard of food.

“We were starving and it was just the last straw for me.” 

He recalled being asked by 2LTB to give him the names of fellow recruits who had been late back to the camp.

When he refused, Mr Kennedy said the officer ordered him to go and fetch a ball he then threw to the other side of Devoy Barracks main square.

After returning with the ball, the officer again asked him to name names. When he refused, he again threw the ball back and ordered him to fetch it.

Asked if he felt he was being “treated like a dog”, he said it was worse, as “you’d probably give a dog a drink of water, but there was none of that”.

Mr Kennedy eventually had to give up as he was later diagnosed as suffering from heart stroke and dehydration.

Mr Kennedy told the tribunal that after Mr Mullaney died, a senior officer held a meeting with recruits and his death was referred to as an “accident”.

Recruits were told “not to mention it was suicide” because his family “wouldn’t be invited to any army insurance”.

Lawyer Tom Hogan, on behalf of 2LTB, addressed Mr Kennedy and reminded him that his client denies all allegations of abuse being made by recruits.

“Nothing has been or will be proven in the tribunal,” he said.

The tribunal continues.