Chief of Staff of the Defence Forces (Ireland)

The Chief of Staff of the Defence Forces (COS) (Irish: Ceann Foirne na bhFórsaí Cosanta) is charged with the executive management of the Irish Defence Forces, and is the most senior military officer of the Army, Naval Service and Air Corps branches. The Chief of Staff is appointed by the President of Ireland, who is the Supreme Commander of the Defence Forces, on the recommendation of the Minister for Defence subject to the approval of the Government of Ireland. The office of the Chief of Staff consists of his personal staff, a strategic planning office, a public relations section and the military judge.[1]

Chief of Staff of Defence Forces Ireland
Incumbent
Lieutenant General Seán Clancy (AC)
since 29 September 2021
Defence Forces
Member ofNational Security Committee
Reports toMinister for Defence
NominatorGovernment of Ireland on the recommendation of the Minister for Defence
AppointerPresident of Ireland
WebsiteOfficial website
The office of the General Staff are located at the DF/DoD HQ in Newbridge, County Kildare

The Defence Forces Chief of Staff sits on the government's National Security Committee (NSC).[2]

The Chief of Staff delegates remaining executive duties to two deputy chiefs of staff (who hold the rank of major general or equivalent) and one assistant chief of staff (brigadier general or equivalent);

  • The Deputy Chief of Staff Operations (D COS Ops) is tasked with operational matters.
  • The Deputy Chief of Staff Support (D COS Sp) is tasked with military support matters.
  • The Assistant Chief of Staff Support (ACOS Sp) is also tasked with military support matters.[1]

The current Chief of Staff of the Defence Forces is Lieutenant General Seán Clancy. Clancy assumed the role on 29 September 2021.

Current General Staff of the Defence Forces edit

Position Abbreviation Photograph Incumbent Branch
Chief of Staff COS     Lieutenant General Seán Clancy   Air Corps
Deputy Chief of Staff Operations D COS Ops   Major General Anthony McKenna   Army
Deputy Chief of Staff Support D COS Sp   Major General Adrian Ó Murchú   Army
Assistant Chief of Staff ACOS   Brigadier General Rossa Mulcahy   Army

Overseas edit

Deputy Military Advisor to UN Office of Military Affairs     Major General Maureen O'Brien   Army
Irish Military Representative to the EUMC     Brigadier General Philip Brennan   Army


Brigade Commanders edit

The country is divided into two areas for administrative and operational reasons, and in each area there is an Irish Army infantry brigade. The two brigade group structure envisages distinct operational areas of responsibility for each of the brigades and is supported in their responsibilities by the Naval Service and Air Corps. Each of the Brigade formations and the Air Corps are commanded by a Brigadier General, while the Naval Service is commanded by a Commodore;[3]

Position Branch Abbreviation Photograph Incumbent
General Officer Commanding   1st Brigade (Army) GOC 1 Brigade   Brigadier General Brian Cleary
General Officer Commanding   2nd Brigade (Army) GOC 2 Brigade   Brigadier General Tony Cudmore
General Officer Commanding   Defence Forces Training Centre (Army) GOC DFTC   Brigadier General Brendan McGuinness
General Officer Commanding   Air Corps GOC Air Corps   Brigadier General Rory O'Connor
Flag Officer Commanding   Naval Service FOCNS     Commodore Michael Malone

List of Irish Chiefs of Staff edit

No. Portrait Chief of Staff Took office Left office Time in office Defence branch
1O'Duffy, EoinGeneral
Eoin O'Duffy
(1890–1944)
February 1922July 19225 months  Army
2Mulcahy, RichardGeneral
Richard Mulcahy
(1886–1971)
July 1922August 19221 month  Army
3Mac Mahon, SeánGeneral
Seán Mac Mahon
(1893–1955)
August 1922March 19241 year, 7 months  Army
4MacMahon, PeadarGeneral
Peadar MacMahon
March 1924March 19273 years  Army
5Hogan, DanielGeneral
Daniel Hogan
(1895–?)
March 1927February 19291 year, 11 months  Army
6Mac Eoin, SeánGeneral
Seán Mac Eoin
(1893–1973)
February 1929October 19298 months  Army
7Sweeney, JosephLieutenant General
Joseph Sweeney
(1897–1980)
October 1929October 19312 years  Army
8Brennan, MichaelLieutenant General
Michael Brennan
(1896–1986)
October 1931January 19408 years, 3 months  Army
9McKenna, DanielLieutenant General
Daniel McKenna
January 1940January 19499 years  Army
10Archer, LiamLieutenant General
Liam Archer
January 1949January 19523 years  Army
11Egan, W.Lieutenant General
W. A. Egan
January 1952December 19542 years, 11 months  Army
12Mulcahy, PatrickLieutenant General
Patrick Mulcahy
January 1955December 19594 years, 11 months  Army
13McKeown, JohnLieutenant General
John McKeown
(1910–1998)
January 1960December 196011 months  Army
14Powell, SeanLieutenant General
Sean Collins Powell
(1905–1991)
January 1961March 19621 year, 2 months  Army
(13)McKeown, JohnLieutenant General
John McKeown
(1910–1998)
April 1962March 19718 years, 11 months  Army
15Delaney, PatrickMajor General
Patrick Delaney
April 1971July 19713 months  Army
15O'Carroll, ThomasLieutenant General
Thomas O'Carroll
April 1971July 19765 years, 3 months  Army
16O'Sullivan, CarlLieutenant General
Carl O'Sullivan
August 1976June 19814 years, 11 months  Army
17Hogan, LouisLieutenant General
Louis Hogan DSM
(1921–2001)
June 1981April 19842 years, 10 months  Army
18O'Sullivan, GeraldLieutenant General
Gerald O'Sullivan
April 1984February 19861 year, 10 months  Army
19O'Neill, TadghLieutenant General
Tadgh O'Neill
February 1986October 19893 years, 8 months  Army
20Parker, JamesLieutenant General
James Parker
(1929–2020)
October 1989April 19922 years, 6 months  Army
21Bergin, NoelLieutenant General
Noel Bergin
April 1992December 19942 years, 8 months  Army
22McMahon, GeraldLieutenant General
Gerald McMahon
February 1995August 19983 years, 6 months  Army
23Stapleton, DavidLieutenant General
David Stapleton DSM
August 199824 September 20002 years, 1 month  Army
24Mangan, ColmLieutenant General
Colm Mangan
25 September 200020 February 20043 years, 4 months  Army
25Sreenan, JamesLieutenant General
James Sreenan
21 February 200428 June 20073 years, 4 months  Army
26Earley, DermotLieutenant General
Dermot Earley DSM
(1948–2010)
28 June 20079 June 20102 years, 11 months  Army
27McCann, SeanLieutenant General
Sean McCann
9 June 201012 August 20133 years, 2 months  Army
28O'Boyle, ConorLieutenant General
Conor O'Boyle
12 August 201329 September 20152 years, 1 month  Army
29Mellett, MarkVice Admiral
Mark Mellett DSM
(born 1958)
29 September 201529 September 20216 years  Naval Service
30Clancy, SeánLieutenant General
Seán Clancy
29 September 2021Incumbent2 years, 5 months  Air Corps

See also edit

References edit

  1. ^ a b "Official Defence Forces website - General Staff > Chief of Staff". Military.ie. 6 October 2011. Retrieved 11 September 2012.
  2. ^ "Annual Report 2013" (PDF). Department of Defence and Defence Forces. Archived from the original (PDF) on 13 October 2019. Retrieved 11 July 2015.
  3. ^ "Defence Forces Brigade Commanders". military.ie. Retrieved 11 July 2015.