Lieutenant General David "Dave" Stapleton
DSM (26 September 1937 - 13 June 2016), was an
Irish army
The Irish Army, known simply as the Army ( ga, an tArm), is the land component of the Defence Forces (Ireland), Defence Forces of Republic of Ireland, Ireland.The Defence Forces are made up of the Permanent Defence Forces – the standing bran ...
general officer who served as
Chief of Staff of the Irish Defence Forces and previously as Force Commander of
UNDOF in the
Golan Heights
The Golan Heights ( ar, هَضْبَةُ الْجَوْلَانِ, Haḍbatu l-Jawlān or ; he, רמת הגולן, ), or simply the Golan, is a region in the Levant spanning about . The region defined as the Golan Heights differs between d ...
.
Early life
Stapleton was born in
Clonmel
Clonmel () is the county town and largest settlement of County Tipperary, Ireland. The town is noted in Irish history for its resistance to the Cromwellian army which sacked the towns of Drogheda and Wexford. With the exception of the townland ...
, County Tipperary, Ireland on 26 September 1937, where he attended
the local Christian Brothers school.
Military career
He joined the
Irish Defence Forces
The Defence Forces ( ga, Fórsaí Cosanta, officially styled ) derives its origins from the Irish Volunteers. Whilst the Irish for ''Defence Forces'' is , as Ó Cearúil (1999) points out, the Defence Forces are officially styled . is used in ...
Cadet School in 1955 and was commissioned into the
Supply and Transport Corps
The Indian Army Service Corps (IASC) is a corps and an arm of the Indian Army which handles its logistic support function. It is the oldest and the largest administrative service in the Indian Army. While the history of supply and transport se ...
. During a forty five year long career he held the senior positions of Commander 6th Infantry Brigade, Director of the Transport Corps,
Quartermaster General, Force Commander UNDOF and Chief of Staff.
Personal life
He was married to Maureen and had four children. Stapleton died at his home in Newbridge on 13 June 2016.
References
{{Authority control
1937 births
2016 deaths
Irish Army generals
Military personnel from County Tipperary
People from Clonmel
People educated at CBS High School Clonmel