Major military appointment for Kildare resident

A Kildare resident has been appointed to a top Defence Forces post.

Brigadier General Brian Cleary has been appointed as General Officer Commanding 1 Brigade which is based in Collins Barracks, Cork City. 

This follows his recent appointment as Commander of the  Joint Task Force, which was established on March 19, 2020 in response to Ireland's COVID-19 threat.  

A native of Athlone, County Westmeath, Brigadier General Cleary joined the Permanent Defence Forces in 1981 as a member of the 58th Cadet Class and was commissioned as an Officer into the Artillery Corps in 1983.

 He currently lives in Kildare.

According to a statement from the Defence Forces, he has held a wide variety of roles and appointments in the Artillery Corps, DF Public Relations, DF Special Operations, DF Military College and DFHQ Operations Division.   

Brigadier General Cleary has extensive overseas service with the United Nations, EU and NATO deploying to Lebanon, Western Sahara, East Timor, Côte D’Ivoire, Chad, and Afghanistan.  

His education includes a masters from Maynooth University.

He holds a master’s degree in Organisational Behaviour (MSc OB) from Trinity College, Dublin and a master’s degree in Leadership, Management & Defence Studies from the National University of Ireland, Maynooth.  

Brigadier General Cleary is married to Martina and they have four children. His interests include reading, sports, outdoor pursuits, triathlon and choral singing.  

The 1st Brigade is an all arms Brigade consisting of combat, combat support and combat service support elements. 

Such elements include units of Infantry, Artillery, Cavalry, Engineers, Communications and Transport. These units are spread throughout the Brigades' designated area of territorial responsibility. 

The 1st Brigade is responsible for military operations in the south of the country, including the counties of Carlow, Laois, Offaly, Kilkenny, Wexford, Waterford, Cork, Kerry, Limerick Clare, Tipperary and Galway. 

The Brigade Headquarters is located in Collins Barracks, Cork. 

Within the Southern Brigades area of responsibility are situated various vital installations including Shannon Airport, Cork Airport, Cork Docks and Farranfore Airport.

When not involved in operations personnel are in constant training to maintain current skills, become proficient with new equipment and in particular to be able to adapt to a constantly changing environment. 

Brigade training takes place all year round and covers; Conventional Military Operations, Overseas Missions and Aid To Civil Power.

There are several training areas within the Brigade area,  Kilworth Camp, Bere island, Fort Davis and Carnagh Camp.