Seán Clancy

General Seán Clancy (born 3 June 1966) is an Irish Air Corps general and current Chairman of the European Union Military Committee (CEUMC) since 1 June 2025 with the rank of general. Previously he served as the Chief of Staff of the Irish Defence Forces since 29 September 2021.

Clancy spent 16 years of his military career as a search and rescue (SAR) 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). Clancy has also spent a number of years on overseas deployments with the EU and UN.

Military career

Clancy joined the Defence Forces as an Air Corps cadet in 1984, and began flight training in 1986. He was trained on and has flown both fixed and rotary wing aircraft, clocking up 5,000 flight hours. He is a qualified type and instrument-rating examiner, qualified flight simulator instructor and has held type, instrument and NVG ratings on the AgustaWestland AW139 helicopter.

Clancy served as military advisor to the Force Commander of the European Union Force Bosnia and Herzegovina (EUFOR/"Operation Althea"), and spent two years as air advisor to SHIRBRIG, the UN standby brigade.

Clancy became the first Air Corps officer to be appointed as Chief of Staff by the government, and the second from outside the Irish Army (his predecessor Vice Admiral Mark Mellett was from the Naval Service).

Clancy co-authored the Defence Forces Leadership Doctrine published in 2016.