Irish Examiner view: Military appointment a milestone for gender equality

Major General Maureen O'Brien is the first female officer in the history of the State to reach the rank of Major General

Major General Maureen O'Brien has served with peacekeeping missions in various positions from a platoon commander up to de facto commander of the entire UN force in the Golan Heights.

The appointment of Major General Maureen O’Brien as the first woman to the second-highest rank in the Defence Forces marks a milestone for gender equality and will, hopefully, inspire other women to consider a career in the Irish military. 

Her promotion to a rank second only to the Chief of Staff, ahead of her appointment as a United Nations military adviser in New York, marks a great day for mná na hÉireann.