High-ranking sisters are forces to be reckoned with
Cork-born sisters and mums of two, Caroline Mooney Murphy and Joanne Mooney, hold comparable ranks — one in the Army and one in the Naval Service.
Caroline is a Lieutenant Commander based with the Naval Service at Haulbowline and Joanne is a Commandant commanding the Military Police of the 1st Southern Brigade at Collins Barracks, Cork.
Caroline — who has served several tours at sea, worked in the Naval Service’s press office and in its planning and policy unit — said her children, Mark, seven, and Brendan, five, have grown up with her in the navy, and are used to it.
“But it’s about striking the right balance. That balance is crucial. And we’ve always had good child minders,” she said.
“Because I’m in the naval service, I’m very organised and the house is very organised... It’s not a strict regime but it does help us get out of the house on time in the mornings.”
Caroline also spoke of how she beat breast cancer following her diagnosis in Jan 2010. She praised the support of her husband Mark whom she described as her strength, her family, and her work colleagues.
“When people apply to join the defence forces we look for traits like resilience. That helped me through the treatment,” she said.
“It hit me afterwards what I had been through, and there were a few weeks of shock. But there are positive stories out there.”
Joanne, meanwhile, joined the army in 1993 and served in war- torn Lebanon, Kosovo and Liberia before taking over as head of military police for the 1st Southern Brigade last year.
A mother-of-two — to Adam (4) and Emily (2) — she said: “I suppose we are in an unusual line of work but it’s no more difficult for us than for other working parents... It’s just a matter of finding the right balance between work and life.
“My work life is my work life. This is my job and I love it... It’s not always an easy life or job but you get out what you put into it.”
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