Chief of Staff of the Irish Republican Army

Not to be confused with Chief of Staff of the Defence Forces (Ireland).

Several people are reported to have served as Chief of Staff of the Irish Republican Army (Irish: Ceann Foirne Óglaigh na hÉireann) in the organisations bearing that name. Due to the clandestine nature of these organisations, this list is not definitive.

Chiefs of Staff of the Irish Republican Army (1917–1922)

Further information: Irish Republican Army (1919–1922)

Image	Name	Assumed position	Left position	Source
	Cathal Brugha[a]	27 October 1917	23 March 1918	[1]
	Richard Mulcahy	23 March 1918	15 January 1922	[2]
	Eoin O'Duffy	15 January 1922	July 1922	[2]

From this point on, this lineage diverts to Chief of Staff of the Defence Forces

a. ^{^} Chairman of the Resident Executive

Chiefs of Staff of the (anti-Treaty) Irish Republican Army (1922–1969)

Further information: Irish Republican Army (1922–1969)

Image	Name	Assumed position	Left position	Source
	Liam Lynch (1st time)	26 March 1922	18 June 1922	[3]
	Joe McKelvey	18 June 1922	30 June 1922	[4][5]
	Liam Lynch (2nd time)	30 June 1922	10 April 1923
	Frank Aiken	20 April 1923	12 November 1925	[6]
	Andrew Cooney	12 November 1925	July 1926	[7]
	Maurice (Moss) Twomey	1926 (acting) 1927 (official)	June 1936	[8]
	Seán MacBride	June 1936	1937[9]	[10]
	Tom Barry	1937	1937	[3]
	Mick Fitzpatrick	1937	1938	[11]
	Seán Russell	1938	April 1939	[12][13]
	Stephen Hayes	April 1939	30 June 1941	[12][13][14]
	Pearse Kelly (aka Paul Kelso)	1941	27 November 1941	[15]
	Seán Harrington	Aft. November 1941	10 February 1942	[16]
	Seán McCool	10 February 1942 [16]	14 August 1942	[17]
	Eoin McNamee	c. March 1942	c. May 1942	[18][19]
	Hugh McAteer	19 July 1942	12 October 1942	[20]
	Charlie Kerins	October 1942	16 June 1944	[21]
	Position vacant for some months	16 June 1944	1944
	Harry White	1944	1945	[22]
	Patrick Fleming	1 March 1945	1947?	[23]
	Willie McGuinness	1947	1948?	[24]
	Tony Magan (1st time)	November 1948	6 July 1957	[25]
	Richard Burke	January 1957	May 1957	[26]
	Tony Magan (2nd time)	May 1957	6 July 1957	[27]
	Seán Cronin (1st time)	July 1957 (acting) 11 November 1957 (official)	October 1958	[28]
	John Joe McGirl	October 1958	24 October 1958	[29]
	Ruairí Ó Brádaigh (1st time)	24 October 1958	Late May 1959	[30]
	Seán Cronin (2nd time)	Late May 1959	June 1960	[31]
	Ruairí Ó Brádaigh (2nd time)	Summer 1960	7 September 1962	[32]
	Cathal Goulding	7 September 1962	December 1969	[33]

At an IRA General Army Convention held at Knockvicar House in Boyle, County Roscommon in December 1969, the IRA split into two factions, the majority Official IRA and the minority Provisional IRA.^[34][35]

Chiefs of Staff of the Provisional Irish Republican Army (1969–2005)

Further information: Provisional Irish Republican Army

Image	Name	Assumed position	Left position	Source
	Seán Mac Stíofáin	December 1969	19 November 1972	[36]
	Joe Cahill	November 1972	March 1973	[37]
	Seamus Twomey (1st time)	March 1973	June 1973	[37]
	Éamonn O'Doherty	June 1973	June/July 1974	[38]
	Seamus Twomey (2nd time)	June/July 1974	December 1977	[37]
	Gerry Adams[a]	3 December 1977	18 February 1978	[39][40][41][42][43]
	Martin McGuinness[b]	1978	Autumn 1982	[37]
	Ivor Bell	Autumn 1982	September 1983	[37]
	Kevin McKenna	September 1983	October 1997	[37]
	Thomas "Slab" Murphy	October 1997	1998	[37]
	Brian Keenan	1998	2002 or May 2008	[44][45]
	Sean “Spike” Murray	May 2008	Incumbent	[46]

a. ^{^} Some noted Irish and British historians, including Ed Moloney, author of A Secret History of the IRA, have claimed that Gerry Adams has been part of the IRA leadership. Adams has always denied IRA membership, let alone being chief of staff.^[47]

b. ^{^} Although he admitted in his lifetime to IRA membership, he denied ever being Chief of Staff

Chiefs of Staff of the Official Irish Republican Army (1969–present)

Further information: Official Irish Republican Army

Image	Name	Assumed Position	Left Position	Source
	Cathal Goulding	December 1969	Summer 1976	[48]
	Sean Garland[a]	Summer 1976		[49]

a. ^{^} Hanley and Millar (2010) wrote: Goulding was "replaced by Garland after an Army Council vote in summer 1976. Long dismissive of the IRA's titles and formal military structure, Garland was reluctant to adopt the title of Chief of Staff; but he was now undoubtedly in charge".

Chiefs of Staff of the Continuity Irish Republican Army (1986–present)

Further information: Continuity Irish Republican Army

Image	Name	Assumed Position	Left Position	Source
	Dáithí Ó Conaill	1986	1991	[50]

Chiefs of Staff of the Real Irish Republican Army (1997–present)

Further information: Real Irish Republican Army

Image	Name	Assumed Position	Left Position	Source
	Michael McKevitt	1998	2002	[51]
	Aidan O'Driscoll			[52]

See also

• Irish Republican Army
• IRA Quartermaster General
• IRA Director of Intelligence