Chief of Staff of the Defence Forces (Ireland) | |
---|---|
Nominated by | Government of Ireland on the recommendation of the Minister for Defence |
Appointed by | President of Ireland |
Incumbent | Lieutenant General Conor O'Boyle |
The Chief of Staff of the Defence Forces (COS) (Irish language: 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 and a public relations section.[1]
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);
- 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 Conor O'Boyle of the Irish Army. Lt Gen O'Boyle was appointed on 12 August 2013.[3]
Current General Staff of the Defence Forces[]
Position | Photograph | Incumbent | Branch |
---|---|---|---|
Chief of Staff (COS) | File:IE-Army-OF8.png Lieutenant General Conor O'Boyle | Irish Army | |
Deputy Chief of Staff Operations (D COS Ops) | File:IE-Army-OF7.png Major General Kieran Brennan | Irish Army | |
Deputy Chief of Staff Support (D COS Sp) | Rear Admiral Mark Mellett DSM | Irish Naval Service | |
Assistant Chief of Staff Support (ACOS Sp) | File:IE-Army-OF6.png Brigadier General Colm Campbell | Irish Army |
Brigade Commanders[]
The country is divided into three areas for administrative and operational reasons, and in each area there is an Irish Army infantry brigade. The three 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;[4]
- General Officer Commanding (GOC) 1st Brigade
- General Officer Commanding (GOC) 2nd Brigade
- General Officer Commanding the Defence Forces Training Centre (GOC DFTC)
- General Officer Commanding (GOC) the Air Corps
- Flag Officer Commanding the Naval Service (FOCNS)
List of Irish Chiefs of Staff[]
No. | Image | Rank | Name | Branch | Date appointed | Relinquished appointment | Time in appointment |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1. | Lieutenant General | Eoin O'Duffy | Irish Army | February 1922 | July 1922 | 5 months | |
2. | File:Dickmulc.jpg | Lieutenant General | Richard Mulcahy | Irish Army | July 1922 | August 1922 | 1 month |
3. | Lieutenant General | Sean MacMahon | Irish Army | August 1922 | March 1924 | 1 year, 7 months | |
4. | Lieutenant General | Peadar MacMahon | Irish Army | March 1924 | March 1927 | 3 years | |
5. | Lieutenant General | Daniel Hogan | Irish Army | March 1927 | February 1929 | 1 year, 11 months | |
6. | Lieutenant General | Seán Mac Eoin | Irish Army | February 1929 | October 1929 | 8 months | |
7. | Lieutenant General | Joseph Sweeney | Irish Army | October 1929 | October 1931 | 2 years | |
8. | Lieutenant General | Michael Brennan | Irish Army | October 1931 | January 1940 | 8 years, 3 months | |
9. | Lieutenant General | Daniel McKenna | Irish Army | January 1940 | January 1949 | 9 years | |
10. | Lieutenant General | Liam Archer | Irish Army | January 1949 | January 1952 | 3 years | |
11. | Lieutenant General | W. A. Egan | Irish Army | January 1952 | December 1954 | 2 years, 11 months | |
12. | Lieutenant General | Patrick Mulcahy | Irish Army | January 1955 | December 1959 | 4 years, 11 months | |
13. | Lieutenant General | John McKeown | Irish Army | January 1960 | December 1960 | 11 months | |
14. | Lieutenant General | Sean Collins Powell | Irish Army | January 1961 | March 1962 | 1 year, 2 months | |
15. | Lieutenant General | John McKeown (2nd term) | Irish Army | April 1962 | March 1971 | 8 years, 11 months | |
16. | Lieutenant General | Thomas O'Carroll | Irish Army | April 1971 | July 1976 | 5 years, 3 months | |
17. | Lieutenant General | Carl O'Sullivan | Irish Army | August 1976 | June 1981 | 4 years, 11 months | |
17. | Lieutenant General | Louis Hogan DSM | Irish Army | June 1981 | April 1984 | 2 years, 10 months | |
18. | Lieutenant General | Gerald O'Sullivan | Irish Army | April 1984 | February 1986 | 1 year, 10 months | |
19. | Lieutenant General | Tadgh O'Neill | Irish Army | February 1986 | October 1989 | 3 years, 8 months | |
20. | Lieutenant General | James Parker | Irish Army | October 1989 | April 1992 | 2 years, 6 months | |
21. | Lieutenant General | Noel Bergin | Irish Army | April 1992 | December 1994 | 2 years, 8 months | |
22. | Lieutenant General | Gerald McMahon | Irish Army | February 1995 | August 1998 | 3 years, 6 months | |
23. | Lieutenant General | David Stapleton | Irish Army | August 1998 | 24 September 2000 | 2 years, 1 month | |
24. | Lieutenant General | Colm Mangan | Irish Army | 25 September 2000 | 20 February 2004 | 3 years, 4 months | |
25. | Lieutenant General | James Sreenan | Irish Army | 21 February 2004 | 28 June 2007 | 3 years, 4 months | |
26. | Lieutenant General | Dermot Earley DSM | Irish Army | 28 June 2007 | 9 June 2010 | 2 years | |
27. | Lieutenant General | Sean McCann | Irish Army | 9 June 2010 | 12 August 2013 | 3 years, 2 months | |
28. | Lieutenant General | Conor O'Boyle | Irish Army | 12 August 2013 | Currently in appointment Retiring September 2015 |
2 years |
See also[]
- Director of Military Intelligence (Ireland)
- Commissioner of An Garda Síochána
References[]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 "Official Defence Forces website - General Staff > Chief of Staff". Military.ie. 2011-10-06. http://www.military.ie/info-centre/general-staff/chief-of-staff. Retrieved 2012-09-11.
- ↑ "Annual Report 2013". Department of Defence and Defence Forces. http://www.military.ie/fileadmin/user_upload/images/Info_Centre/documents/Annual_Reports/2013_Annual_Report_English_Version.pdf. Retrieved 11 July 2015.
- ↑ "New Chief of Staff of the Defence Forces appointed". The Irish Times. 3 July 2013. http://www.irishtimes.com/news/new-chief-of-staff-of-the-defence-forces-appointed-1.1451519. Retrieved 11 July 2015.
- ↑ "Defence Forces Brigade Commanders". military.ie. http://www.military.ie/en/info-centre/general-staff/brigade-commanders/. Retrieved 11 July 2015.
The original article can be found at Chief of Staff of the Defence Forces (Ireland) and the edit history here.