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Ennis man is new Defence Forces Assistant Chief of Staff

Updated: 20/02/20 – Radio interview with Brigadier General Adrian Ó Murchú on Clare FM

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A Co Clare man has taken up his appointment as Assistant Chief of Staff (ACOS) of the Defence Forces following the retirement of previous ACOS, Brigadier General Peter O’Halloran. 

Ennis native, Brigadier General Adrian Ó Murchú, joined the Permanent Defence Forces in 1982 as a member of the 59th Cadet Class. Prior to that, he spent several years in the Army Reserve (22nd Infantry Battalion FCA) in his home town of Ennis.

He was commissioned as an officer into the infantry corps in 1984 and served in the 6th Infantry Battalion, the Army Ranger Wing (Ireland’s Special Operations unit), Military Intelligence and the Military College’s Infantry School.

Later appointments included Company Commander and Second in Command of the 5th Infantry Battalion, Chief Instructor of the Cadet School, Head of European Security Section in Operations and Plans Branch Defence Forces Headquarters (DFHQ), School Commandant of the UN Training School Ireland and Commanding Officer of the Defence Force’s Central Medical Unit.

His most recent appointment has been as Director of Strategic Planning Branch, in which appointment he also acted as Senior Staff Officer to the Chief of Staff.

Brigadier General Ó Murchú’s overseas experience includes tours of duty with the United Nations in UNIFIL (South Lebanon), UNOSOM II (Somalia), MINURSO (Western Sahara), UNTSO (Israel and Syria) and ONUCI (Ivory Coast).

He has deployed twice with the EU – as Chief Intelligence Analyst with the Headquarters of EUFOR Tchad/RCA in Eastern Chad and more recently for two years in Brussels as Military Assistant to the Chairman of the EU Military Committee.

Irish Defence Forces Assistant Chief of Staff, Brigadier General Adrian O’ Murchú

He holds an honours degree in French and English literature from the National University of Ireland Galway, is a graduate (with Merit) of the École de Guerre in Paris and has a Masters (with Distinction) in International Liaison and Communication from the University of Westminster.

In 2018 he completed an Executive Diploma in Strategy Development and Innovation (with Distinction) at the Smurfit Business School in University College Dublin. He holds a NATO interpreter qualification in French.

Congratulating Brig Gen Ó Murchú on his promotion Chief of Staff of the Defence Forces Vice Admiral Mark Mellett DSM said: “Adrian will bring a wealth of operational and strategic experience to the role, both from his time as Director of Strategic Planning Branch and previously in his experiences serving with the EU in Brussels. I look forward to continuing to work closely with him in the future”.

General Ó Murchú is married to Deirdre Kennedy, a third level lecturer, and is blessed with a son Oisín and a daughter Síofra.

Find out more about the Defence Forces here.

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