Commander-in-Chief, Ireland

The title Marshal of Ireland was awarded to William Marshal, 1st Earl of Pembroke after the Norman conquest of Ireland and was inherited by his nephew John Marshal and descendants. This hereditary ceremonial title is latterly called Earl Marshal of Ireland to distinguish it from the later non-hereditary military appointment of Marshal of Ireland or Marshal of the Army. Holders of the latter appointment by letters patent included:[1]

• William Brereton (1540)[2]
• Sir Francis Bryan (November 1548)[3]
• Sir Nicholas Bagenal (March 1547–1553; October 1565–October 1590) In 1553 deprived by Mary I. In 1566 failed to sell the office to Thomas Stukley[4][5]
• Walter Devereux, 1st Earl of Essex (1569 "high marshal"; 1576 "earl marshal" for life)[6]
• Henry Bagenal (from 24 October 1590) son of Nicholas, secured the succession in 1583[4][7]
• Sir Richard Bingham (1598)[8]
• Edward Conway, 2nd Viscount Conway (31 January 1640; patent 2 April 1640)[9]
• Sir Henry Tichborne (1660)[10]

In the 18th and 19th centuries the British forces in Ireland were commanded by the Commander-in-Chief, Ireland. In January 1876 a ‘Mobilization Scheme for the forces in Great Britain and Ireland’ was published, with the ‘Active Army’ divided into eight army corps based on the District Commands. 4th Corps was to be formed within Irish Command, based in Dublin. This scheme disappeared in 1881, when the districts were retitled ‘District Commands.[11]

The 1901 Army Estimates introduced by St John Brodrick allowed for six army corps based on six regional commands. As outlined in a paper published in 1903, III Corps was to be formed in a reconstituted Irish Command, with HQ at Dublin.[12] Field Marshal The Duke of Connaught was appointed acting General Officer Commanding-in-Chief (GOCinC) of III Corps in October 1901.[13] The title was withdrawn in 1904.[14]

Army Order No 324, issued on 21 August 1914, authorised the formation of a 'New Army' of six Divisions, manned by volunteers who had responded to Earl Kitchener's appeal (hence the First New Army was known as 'K1'). Each division was to be under the administration of one of the Home Commands, and Irish Command formed what became the 10th (Irish) Division.[15] It was followed by 16th (Irish) Division of K2 in September 1914.[16]

In the Republic of Ireland, the "supreme command of the Defence Forces" is formally vested in the President of Ireland under the Constitution.[17] The Chief of Staff is the senior officer. In Northern Ireland from 1922 to 2009, the senior British military appointment was General Officer Commanding Northern Ireland.[18]