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GOC 1 Bde

BG-Cleary-copy

Brigadier General Brian Cleary is General Officer Commanding 1 Brigade based in Collins Barracks, Cork City. 

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

Military Experience   

Brigadier General Cleary 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.   

Overseas Experience  

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

Education  

Brigadier General Cleary 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.