Major General (Maj Gen) Maureen O’Brien retired from the Irish Defence Forces having served with distinction for 42 years. At home she held many different appointments in operations, training and strategic planning. She served as an Infantry Battalion Commander and as a Colonel held the appointment of Director of Communications and Information Services.

Maureen has extensive overseas service. Her first two UN deployments were to Lebanon (UNIFIL). She also served in Western Sahara (MINURSO) and East Timor (UNTAET). In 2005 she was seconded for eighteen months to the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) in Sarajevo (BiH). In 2009 she deployed as the Deputy Commanding Officer of the Irish Battalion in CHAD (MINURCAT). In 2012 she deployed to UNIFIL once more as Chief of Operations Planning in a multi-national Sector HQ in Lebanon. On promotion to Brigadier General in 2019, she deployed as Deputy Force Commander of the UN Disengagement Observer Forces (UNDOF) in the Golan, Syria. She spent 11 of her 18-month deployment as the Acting Force Commander. In July 2021, Maj. Gen. O’Brien deployed to United Nations Headquarters in New York to take up the appointment of Deputy Military Advisor for Peace Operations.

In recognition of her service and leadership, Maj Gen Gen O’Brien was awarded the Distinguished Service Medal, with Honour, and retired from the Irish Defence Forces in Oct ’23.

Maureen holds a BSc and HDip Ed from UCG, a Post Graduate Diploma in Information Technology (UCC) and holds a first-class Master’s Degree in Leadership, Management and Defence Studies (Maynooth University).