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 | |
|---|---|
 | |
 Defence Forces | |
| Member of | National Security Committee |
| Reports to | Minister for Defence |
| Nominator | Government of Ireland on the recommendation of the Minister for Defence |
| Appointer | President of Ireland |
| Website | Official website |
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 | _(cropped).jpg) |
Major General Maureen O'Brien |
Army
|
| Irish Military Representative to the EUMC |  |
Brigadier General Philip Brennan |
Army
|
Brigade Commanders
editThe 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 | .svg){kind=small} 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | General Eoin O'Duffy (1890–1944) | February 1922 | July 1922 | 5 months | Army | |
| 2 | General Richard Mulcahy (1886–1971) | July 1922 | August 1922 | 1 month | Army | |
| 3 | General Seán Mac Mahon (1893–1955) | August 1922 | March 1924 | 1 year, 7 months | Army | |
| 4 | General Peadar MacMahon | March 1924 | March 1927 | 3 years | Army | |
| 5 | General Daniel Hogan (1895–?) | March 1927 | February 1929 | 1 year, 11 months | Army | |
| 6 | General Seán Mac Eoin (1893–1973) | February 1929 | October 1929 | 8 months | Army | |
| 7 | Lieutenant General Joseph Sweeney (1897–1980) | October 1929 | October 1931 | 2 years | Army | |
| 8 | Lieutenant General Michael Brennan (1896–1986) | October 1931 | January 1940 | 8 years, 3 months | Army | |
| 9 | Lieutenant General Daniel McKenna | January 1940 | January 1949 | 9 years | Army | |
| 10 | Lieutenant General Liam Archer | January 1949 | January 1952 | 3 years | Army | |
| 11 | Lieutenant General W. A. Egan | January 1952 | December 1954 | 2 years, 11 months | Army | |
| 12 | Lieutenant General Patrick Mulcahy | January 1955 | December 1959 | 4 years, 11 months | Army | |
| 13 | Lieutenant General John McKeown (1910–1998) | January 1960 | December 1960 | 11 months | Army | |
| 14 | Lieutenant General Sean Collins Powell (1905–1991) | January 1961 | March 1962 | 1 year, 2 months | Army | |
| (13) | Lieutenant General John McKeown (1910–1998) | April 1962 | March 1971 | 8 years, 11 months | Army | |
| 15 | Major General Patrick Delaney | April 1971 | July 1971 | 3 months | Army | |
| 15 | Lieutenant General Thomas O'Carroll | April 1971 | July 1976 | 5 years, 3 months | Army | |
| 16 | Lieutenant General Carl O'Sullivan | August 1976 | June 1981 | 4 years, 11 months | Army | |
| 17 | Lieutenant General Louis Hogan DSM (1921–2001) | June 1981 | April 1984 | 2 years, 10 months | Army | |
| 18 | Lieutenant General Gerald O'Sullivan | April 1984 | February 1986 | 1 year, 10 months | Army | |
| 19 | Lieutenant General Tadgh O'Neill | February 1986 | October 1989 | 3 years, 8 months | Army | |
| 20 | Lieutenant General James Parker (1929–2020) | October 1989 | April 1992 | 2 years, 6 months | Army | |
| 21 | Lieutenant General Noel Bergin | April 1992 | December 1994 | 2 years, 8 months | Army | |
| 22 | Lieutenant General Gerald McMahon | February 1995 | August 1998 | 3 years, 6 months | Army | |
| 23 | Lieutenant General David Stapleton DSM | August 1998 | 24 September 2000 | 2 years, 1 month | Army | |
| 24 | Lieutenant General Colm Mangan | 25 September 2000 | 20 February 2004 | 3 years, 4 months | Army | |
| 25 | Lieutenant General James Sreenan | 21 February 2004 | 28 June 2007 | 3 years, 4 months | Army | |
| 26 | Lieutenant General Dermot Earley DSM (1948–2010) | 28 June 2007 | 9 June 2010 | 2 years, 11 months | Army | |
| 27 | Lieutenant General Sean McCann | 9 June 2010 | 12 August 2013 | 3 years, 2 months | Army | |
| 28 | Lieutenant General Conor O'Boyle | 12 August 2013 | 29 September 2015 | 2 years, 1 month | Army | |
| 29 | Vice Admiral Mark Mellett DSM (born 1958) | 29 September 2015 | 29 September 2021 | 6 years | Naval Service | |
| 30 | Lieutenant General Seán Clancy | 29 September 2021 | Incumbent | 3 years, 1 month | Air Corps |
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See also
editReferences
edit- ^ a b "Official Defence Forces website - General Staff > Chief of Staff". Military.ie. 6 October 2011. Retrieved 11 September 2012.
- ^ "Annual Report 2013" (PDF). Department of Defence and Defence Forces. Archived from the original (PDF) on 13 October 2019. Retrieved 11 July 2015.
- ^ "Defence Forces Brigade Commanders". military.ie. Retrieved 11 July 2015.