A Co Clare man has been promoted to the rank of Major General of the Irish Defence Forces well as being appointed Deputy Chief of Staff (Support).
Ennis native, Adrian Ó Murchú, who was promoted from the rank of Brigadier General, took up his new role on September 29th having been appointed by the government. As Deputy Chief of State, Mayor General Ó Murchú will be responsible for personnel, logistics, infrastructure, finance, legal, medical and other combat service support functions for DF activities at home and overseas.
Major General Murchú previously served 18 months as Assistant Chief of Staff.
General 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.
After commissioning, he saw early service in the 6th Infantry Battalion, the Army Ranger Wing, Military Intelligence and the Infantry School. Later appointments included Second in Command of the 5th Infantry Battalion, Chief Instructor of the Cadet School, School Commandant of the UN Training School Ireland and Commanding Officer of the DF’s Central Medical Unit.
In recent years he served as Director of Strategic Planning (D SPB), where he acted as Senior Staff Officer to the Chief of Staff. His most recent appointment has been as Assistant Chief of Staff (ACOS) and Defence Forces Risk Manager, in which capacity he was responsible for Force Protection and Business Continuity during the COVID-19 pandemic. Both as D SPB and ACOS, he has led the DF’s ‘Values in Action’ initiative, a programme designed to ensure that Óglaigh na hÉireann’s stated values are clear, communicated and conspicuous, and reflected in the everyday behaviours of all ranks across the organisation.
General Ó Murchú’s considerable overseas experience includes tours of duty with the UN 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 HQ EUFOR Tchad/RCA in Eastern Tchad and more recently for two years in Brussels as Military Assistant to the Chairman of the EU Military Committee. In this role he represented the Chairman at the Political and Security Committee, working with member state ambassadors and senior EU officials on the security and defence aspects of EU foreign policy.
He holds an honours degree in French and English literature from NUIG, 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 UCD.
He holds a NATO interpreter qualification in French and has a keen interest in Irish language and music. He also holds various instructor qualifications as a diver and parachutist (both military and sport), and is President of Defence Forces Parachuting.
General Ó Murchú is married to Deirdre Kennedy, a third level lecturer, and is blessed with a son Oisín and a daughter Síofra.
Adrian hails from Hermitage in Ennis and is a proud ‘Tage’ man while his father Christy, who served 11 years in the military during the Emergency in Ireland, was born in Parsons Quay in Ennis, now known as Woodquay. Adrian’s mother Bridie, also a ‘townie’ and was born in Enright’s Bow off Parnell Street.
Find out more about the Defence Forces here.
Congratulations to Brigadier-General Adrian Ó Murchú on being appointed Deputy Chief of Staff (Support). On promotion to Major-General in late September, he will take up the role, following 18 months as @DF_ACOS. Beir Bua. @_IDFOC @RACO_DF @NationsIrish @OneFuchsia pic.twitter.com/9W0sqUrFto
— ARCO Ireland (@ARCOIreland) September 10, 2021
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