UCC-Defence Forces Lecture Series 'Irish Defence Forces International Deployments' by Brig. Gen. David Dignam, General Officer Commanding, The Defence Forces Training Centre.

12 May 2021

The next lecture in the UCC-Defence Forces Lecture Series 'Irish Defence Forces International Deployments' by Brig. Gen. David Dignam, General Officer Commanding, The Defence Forces Training Centre.

The lecture will take place on-line on Thursday the 27th of May 2021, 6.30-8.00 (Irish/UK time) and can be viewed on-line via this link (- no registration or log-in is required, but we kindly request that you go to the link shortly before the start time of 6.30pm).

Ireland has been continuously involved in international peacekeeping since 1958. This lecture will provide an overview of the Irish Defence Forces engagement in peacekeeping, including its historical evolution, Irish defence policy and the preconditions for international deployment, current peacekeeping deployments and their challenges and the training systems needed for peacekeeping.

Gen. David Dignam is a serving officer in the Irish Defence Forces with over 40 years’ experience. An infantry officer by training, he has held a wide range of appointments throughout the Defence Forces and overseas. At home, he has served as a Platoon Commander, Company Commander, Battalion second in command and Battalion Commander of the 28 Infantry Battalion, Finner, Co Donegal. He has also served in Defence Forces HQ in Strategic Planning Branch and both the Operations and Intelligence Branches. He has served as an instructor in both the Infantry and the Command and Staff Schools. Latterly he has served as School Commandant the Infantry School and Commandant the Military College. His last appointment in the rank of Col was Director of Operations and Plans (DJ3&5), DFHQ. His overseas service with the UN, EU and NATO includes appointments as a Platoon Commander and Assistant Operations Officer with the Irish Battalion in Lebanon and he has also served in Afghanistan, Kosovo, Croatia and Chad. His last overseas appointment was as Officer Commanding 107 Infantry Battalion in Lebanon in 2012 – 2013. His current appointment is General Officer Commanding, The Defence Forces Training Centre in the Curragh, Co Kildare, holding the rank of Brigadier General. He is a graduate of the Irish Command and Staff School, the Joint Services Command and Staff College in the UK and he holds two Masters Degrees; in Leadership, Management and Defence Studies from Maynooth University and in Defence Studies from Kings College London. He is also a graduate of the Defence Forces’ Strategic Leadership programme. He is happily married to Orla and lives with their two daughters in Co Kildare.

The UCC-Defence Forces Lecture Series aims to contribute to informed public debate on contemporary global security challenges, how such problems may impact on Ireland and how Ireland can contribute to addressing regional and global security threats. The lecture series is jointly organised by the Defence Forces and UCC’s Colleges of Arts, Celtic Studies and Social Sciences and Business and Law. Previous lectures in the series can be viewed at: https://www.ucc.ie/en/government-and-politics/research/departmentofgovernmentandpoliticsguestlecturesandseminars/ucc-defenceforceslectureseries/

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For more on this story contact:

Prof. Andrew Cottey

EU Jean Monnet Chair in European Political Integration

Department of Government and Politics

University College Cork