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Chief of Staff of the Defence Forces (Ireland)

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From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Chief of Staff of
Defence Forces Ireland
Incumbent
Lieutenant General Rossa Mulcahy
(Irish Army)
since 1 June 2025
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 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]

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]

As of June 2025, the Chief of Staff of the Defence Forces was Lieutenant General Rossa Mulcahy.[3]

Current General Staff of the Defence Forces

[edit]
PositionAbbreviationPhotographIncumbentBranch
Chief of StaffCOS Lieutenant General Rossa Mulcahy[3] Army
Deputy Chief of Staff OperationsD COS Ops Major General John Whittaker[4] Army
Deputy Chief of Staff SupportD COS Sp Major General Colm O'Luasa[5] Army
Assistant Chief of StaffACOS Brigadier General Neil Nolan[6] 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;[7]

PositionBranchAbbreviationPhotographIncumbent
General Officer Commanding 1st Brigade (Army)GOC 1 Brigade Brigadier General Caimin Keogh[8]
General Officer Commanding 2nd Brigade (Army)GOC 2 Brigade Brigadier General Stephen Ryan[9]
General Officer Commanding Defence Forces Training Centre (Army)GOC DFTC Brigadier General Louis Flynn[10]
General Officer Commanding Air CorpsGOC Air Corps Brigadier General Rory O'Connor[11]
Flag Officer Commanding Naval ServiceFOCNS Commodore Darragh Kirwan[12]

List of Irish Chiefs of Staff

[edit]
No.Portrait Chief of StaffTook officeLeft officeTime in officeDefence branch
1
Eoin O'Duffy
O'Duffy, EoinGeneral
Eoin O'Duffy
(1890–1944)		February 1922July 19225 months Army
2
Richard Mulcahy
Mulcahy, RichardGeneral
Richard Mulcahy
(1886–1971)		July 1922August 19221 month Army
3
Seán Mac Mahon
Mac Mahon, SeánGeneral
Seán Mac Mahon
(1893–1955)		August 1922March 19241 year, 7 months Army
4
Peadar MacMahon
MacMahon, PeadarGeneral
Peadar MacMahon		March 1924March 19273 years Army
5
Daniel Hogan
Hogan, DanielGeneral
Daniel Hogan
(1895–?)		March 1927February 19291 year, 11 months Army
6
Seán Mac Eoin
Mac Eoin, SeánGeneral
Seán Mac Eoin
(1893–1973)		February 1929October 19298 months Army
7
Joseph Sweeney
Sweeney, JosephLieutenant General
Joseph Sweeney
(1897–1980)		October 1929October 19312 years Army
8
Michael Brennan
Brennan, MichaelLieutenant General
Michael Brennan
(1896–1986)		October 1931January 19408 years, 3 months Army
9
Daniel McKenna
McKenna, DanielLieutenant General
Daniel McKenna		January 1940January 19499 years Army
10
Liam Archer
Archer, LiamLieutenant General
Liam Archer		January 1949January 19523 years Army
11
William A. Egan
Egan, WilliamLieutenant General
William A. Egan		January 1952December 19542 years, 11 months Army
12
Patrick Mulcahy
Mulcahy, PatrickLieutenant General
Patrick Mulcahy		January 1955December 19594 years, 11 months Army
13
John McKeown DSM
McKeown, JohnLieutenant General
John McKeown DSM
(1910–1998)		January 1960December 196011 months Army
14
Sean Collins Powell
Powell, SeanLieutenant General
Sean Collins Powell
(1905–1991)		January 1961March 19621 year, 2 months Army
(13)
John McKeown DSM
McKeown, JohnLieutenant General
John McKeown DSM
(1910–1998)		April 1962March 19718 years, 11 months Army
15
Patrick Delaney
Delaney, PatrickMajor General
Patrick Delaney		April 1971July 19713 months Army
15
Thomas O'Carroll
O'Carroll, ThomasLieutenant General
Thomas O'Carroll		April 1971July 19765 years, 3 months Army
16
Carl O'Sullivan DSM
O'Sullivan, CarlLieutenant General
Carl O'Sullivan DSM		August 1976June 19814 years, 11 months Army
17
Louis Hogan DSM
Hogan, LouisLieutenant General
Louis Hogan DSM
(1921–2001)		June 1981April 19842 years, 10 months Army
18
Gerald O'Sullivan
O'Sullivan, GeraldLieutenant General
Gerald O'Sullivan		April 1984February 19861 year, 10 months Army
19
Tadgh O'Neill
O'Neill, TadghLieutenant General
Tadgh O'Neill		February 1986October 19893 years, 8 months Army
20
James Parker DSM
Parker, JamesLieutenant General
James Parker DSM
(1929–2020)		October 1989April 19922 years, 6 months Army
21
James Noel Bergin DSM
Bergin, James NoelLieutenant General
James Noel Bergin DSM		April 1992December 19942 years, 8 months Army
22
Gerald McMahon DSM
McMahon, GeraldLieutenant General
Gerald McMahon DSM		February 1995August 19983 years, 6 months Army
23
David Stapleton DSM
Stapleton, DavidLieutenant General
David Stapleton DSM		August 199824 September 20002 years, 1 month Army
24
Colm Mangan DSM
Mangan, ColmLieutenant General
Colm Mangan DSM		25 September 200020 February 20043 years, 4 months Army
25
James Sreenan DSM
Sreenan, JamesLieutenant General
James Sreenan DSM		21 February 200428 June 20073 years, 4 months Army
26
Dermot Earley DSM
Earley, DermotLieutenant General
Dermot Earley DSM
(1948–2010)		28 June 20079 June 20102 years, 11 months Army
27
Sean McCann DSM
McCann, SeanLieutenant General
Sean McCann DSM		9 June 201012 August 20133 years, 2 months Army
28
Conor O'Boyle DSM
O'Boyle, ConorLieutenant General
Conor O'Boyle DSM		12 August 201329 September 20152 years, 1 month Army
29
Mark Mellett DSM
Mellett, MarkVice Admiral
Mark Mellett DSM
(born 1958)		29 September 201529 September 20216 years Naval Service
30
Seán Clancy
Clancy, SeánLieutenant General
Seán Clancy		29 September 20211 June 20253 years, 8 months Air Corps
31
Rossa Mulcahy
Mulcahy, RossaLieutenant General
Rossa Mulcahy		1 June 2025Incumbent1 year, 2 months Army

See also

[edit]

References

[edit]
  1. 1 2 "Official Defence Forces website - General Staff > Chief of Staff". military.ie. 6 October 2011. Retrieved 11 September 2012.
  2. ↑ "Annual Report 2013" (PDF). military.ie. Department of Defence and Defence Forces. Archived from the original (PDF) on 13 October 2019. Retrieved 11 July 2015.
  3. 1 2 "The Chief of Staff". military.ie. Retrieved 12 July 2026.
  4. ↑ "13 Jan 26: Appointment of new Defence Forces Deputy Chief of Staff (Operations) [DCOS Ops], Major General John Whittaker". military.ie. Retrieved 12 July 2026.
  5. ↑ "DCOS Support". military.ie. Retrieved 12 July 2026.
  6. ↑ "Appointment of new Defence Forces Assistant Chief of Staff (ACOS)". military.ie. Retrieved 12 July 2026.
  7. ↑ "Defence Forces Brigade Commanders". military.ie. Retrieved 11 July 2015.
  8. ↑ "GOC 1 Brigade". military.ie. Retrieved 27 December 2025.
  9. ↑ "GOC 2 Brigade". military.ie. Retrieved 27 December 2025.
  10. ↑ "GOC DFTC". Defence Forces Ireland. Retrieved 12 July 2026.
  11. ↑ "GOC Air Corps". military.ie. Retrieved 27 December 2025.
  12. ↑ "FOC Naval Service". military.ie. Retrieved 15 February 2026.
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