Mitchelstown man appointed Chief of Staff of Defence Forces
Major General Seán Clancy has been nominated by the Minister for Defence, Mr Simon Coveney TD, to the position of Chief of Staff of the Defence Forces. The Mitchelstown native will succeed the current Chief of Staff, Mark Mellett, who will retire as the current holder of the position on 29th September.
Born in Mitchelstown, Seán was one of the first Cubs invested into the local unit back in 1974. He went on to become a scout in the 30th Cork Scout Troop in 1977 and progressed through the ranks to become one of the two Patrol leaders of the Melvin team (the All-Ireland of scout craft competition) in 1981 and the Patrol leader again in 1982.
Major General Seán Clancy is the second Mitchelstown man to hold the post. The late Lieutenant General James Parker served as Chief of Staff from October 1989 to April 1992.
Seán’s mother Helen (nee Sheahan) is a native of Kildorrery, while his late father Seán ‘Jack’ Clancy was from Kilrush in County Clare. Attending primary school in Ballygiblin where his father was the principal for many years, Major General Clancy was a secondary school student at CBS Mitchelstown for three years.
He then moved to St Flannan’s College in Ennis, Co. Clare to complete his Leaving Certificate, before joining the Irish Defence Forces in 1984.
Speaking previously to TheAvond
Major General Clancy expressed how the scouts played a large part in his formative years.
“You develop a great sense of belonging and it was also great for encouraging discipline that I would carry with me into my career,” he said.
Minister Coveney said of the appointment: “I would like to take this opportunity to congratulate Major General Clancy on his new appointment and I look forward to working closely with him in the future.”
Also welcoming the appointment, Cork East TD Seán Sherlock referred to it as ‘a most significant and wonderful appointment for the people of Kildorrery, Mitchelstown and the wider North Cork area’.
“I’m delighted for Seán and his family. Major General Clancy has served the State with distinction for the last 37 years. This appointment is an exciting new chapter in an already illustrious military career,” Deputy Sherlock said.
LEADERSHIP
Major General Seán Clancy joined the Irish Defence Forces in 1984 and commenced his flight training in 1986. He has flown both fixed and rotary wing aircraft, accumulating nearly 5,000 flight hours. He is a qualified type and instrument-rating examiner, a qualified flight simulator instructor and has most recently held type, instrument and NVG ratings on the AgustaWestland AW139 helicopter.
A driver of change and a champion for innovation within the Defence Forces, Major General Clancy has played a central role in the development of the Ireland’s first Emergency Aeromedical Service established in 2012. He has been a strong advocate for leadership and was the co-author of the Defence Forces Leadership Doctrine published in 2016. He subsequently led the team who developed the current vision and values-based strategy for the Defence Forces, post the publication of the White Paper on Defence.
DISTINGUISHED CAREER
Major General Clancy served in appointments including Squadron Commander, Wing Commander, Senior Staff Officer Operations, Senior Staff Officer Personnel, Chief of Air Staff Support in Air Corps Headquarters and Director of Strategic Planning Branch on the Chief of Defence’s Staff, Defence Headquarters. Prior to promotion, he served as General Officer Commanding, Irish Air Corps and Director of Military Aviation.
Mr Clancy has spent a considerable period of his career as a search and rescue pilot and was the commander of the crew that received the Marine Medal for Meritorious Service in 2002.
The Mitchelstown native has served for a year with the European Union Force in Bosnia as the military advisor to the Force Commander and spent two years as air advisor to the permanent element of SHIRBRIG, the UN standby brigade.
He holds a Bachelor of Science Degree from Trinity College, Dublin and a Masters in Military Leadership and Defence Studies from the National University of Ireland, Maynooth. He is a graduate of the Defence Forces Command and Staff College where he was the recipient of the Lt Gen Tadgh O’Neill Award. In 2017, he completed a Diploma in Advanced Management Performance with Smurfit Business School.
Seán is married to Caroline. They have three children and live in Dublin.