Mitchelstown man and current Defence Forces Chief of Staff, Lieutenant General Seán Clancy, will take up a new appointment as Chair of the European Union Military Committee on June 1.
This week, the Government accepted the recommendation of the Tánaiste and Minister for Defence, Simon Harris TD, to nominate Brigadier General Rossa Mulcahy for the appointment by the President as Chief of Staff designate of the Defence Forces.
Brigadier Mulcahy is currently serving as Assistant Chief of Staff and will succeed Lieutenant General Clancy, who was born and reared at the family home in New Square, Mitchelstown, when he leaves the post to take up the new appointment.
Sean Clancy grew up partaking in Scouting, progressing to become a patrol leader in the 30th Cork Scout Troop. He attended the Christian Brothers Secondary School in Mitchelstown for three years, before moving to St Flannan’s College in Ennis to complete his Leaving Certificate.
He spent 16 years of his military career as a search and rescue pilot for the Irish Air Corps, before moving up the chain of command as Chief of Air Staff (GOC Air Corps) and Defence Forces Headquarters appointments such as Director of Strategic Planning and Deputy Chief of Staff (Support). He also spent a number of years on overseas deployments with the EU and UN and is noted as being the first Chief of Staff from the Air Corps branch.
On 15 May 2024, it was announced that he would be the next chair of the European Union Military Committee (EUMC) with the rank of General. We wish him well in his new position.
