Irish Defence Forces rank insignia

Rank insignia in the Irish Defence Forces are an indication of the wearer's military rank, and worn by officers and enlisted members of Ireland's Defence Forces as an element of their uniform, typically on a single chest tab or as a shoulder board. ^[1]

Irish Army

Officers

Rank group	General / flag officers										Senior officers						Junior officers
Combat [2]
Irish Army [3] [1] v t e
					Lieutenant-general		Major-general		Brigadier-general		Colonel		Lieutenant-colonel		Commandant		Captain		Lieutenant			Second-Lieutenant
					Lefteanant-ghinearál		Maor-ghinearál		Briogáidire-ghinearál		Cornal		Lefteanant-chornal		Ceannfort		Captaen		Lefteanant			Dara-lefteanant
Abbreviation					Lt Gen		Maj Gen		Brig Gen		Col		Lt Col		Comdt		Capt		Lt			2nd Lt

Other ranks

Rank group	Non-commissioned officer																										Enlisted
Combat [4]																																			No insignia
Irish Army [3] [1] v t e																																			No insignia
	Sergeant major						Regimental Quartermaster Sergeant		Company sergeant		Company quartermaster sergeant						Sergeant						Corporal				Private, 3 star		Private, 2 star						Recruit
	Maor-Sáirsint Cathláin/Reisimint [a]						Ceathrúsháirsint Cathláin/Reisimint [a]		Sáirsint Complachta [b]		Ceathrúsháirsint Complachta [b]						Sáirsint						Ceannaire				Saighdiúr Singil, 3 Réalta		Saighdiúr Singil, 2 Réalta						Earcach
Abbreviation	BSM/RSM						BQMS/RQMS		CS/BS/SS		CQ/BQ/SQ						Sgt						Cpl				Pte/Gnr/Tpr 3*		Pte 2*						Rec

Historic ranks

Commissioned officer ranks

The rank insignia of commissioned officers.

Rank group	General / flag officers										Senior officers						Junior officers
1922 [5]
			General				Major-general		Commandant general (GHQ)	Commandant general (DIV)	Colonel commandant	Brigadier	Commandant		Lieutenant commandant		Captain		First lieutenant			Second lieutenant
1923 [6]
			General		Lieutenant-general		Major-general				Colonel		Commandant				Captain		First lieutenant			Second lieutenant
1924–1942 [6] [7]
			General		Lieutenant-general		Major-general				Colonel		Major		Commandant		Captain		Lieutenant			Second lieutenant
1942–1944 [8]
					Lieutenant-general		Major-general				Colonel		Major		Commandant		Captain		Lieutenant			Second lieutenant
1944–1971 [9]
					Lieutenant-general		Major-general				Colonel		Major		Commandant		Captain		Lieutenant			Second lieutenant

Other ranks

The rank insignia of non-commissioned officers and enlisted personnel.

Rank group	Non-commissioned officer																										Enlisted
1922 [5]																																			No insignia
	Sergeant-Major																Sergeant						Corporal												Volunteer
1923 [6]																																			No insignia
																	Sergeant						Corporal												Private
1924–1949 [6] [10]																																			No insignia
	Sergeant-major						Battalion quartermaster sergeant		Company sergeant		Company quartermaster sergeant						Sergeant						Corporal												Private
1949–1963 [11] [12]
Abbreviation	BSM/RSM						BQMS/RQMS		BS/CS/SS		BQ/CQ/SQ						Sgt						Cpl, 2 Star		Cpl, 1 Star		Pte, 3 Star		Pte, 2 Star						Pte, 1 Star
1963 [12]																																			No insignia
Abbreviation	BSM/RSM						BQMS/RQMS		BS/CS/SS		BQ/CQ/SQ						Sgt						Cpl, 2 Star		Cpl, 1 Star		Pte, 3 Star		Pte, 2 Star						Pte

Irish Air Corps

Irish Air Corps rank insignia are an indication of the wearer's military rank, and worn by officers and enlisted members of the Irish Air Corps as an element of their uniform. ^[13]

Officers

Rank group	General / flag officers										Senior officers						Junior officers
Irish Air Corps [14] v t e
					Lieutenant-general		Major-general		Brigadier-general		Colonel		Lieutenant-colonel		Commandant		Captain		Lieutenant			Second-lieutenant
					Lefteanant-ghinearál		Maor-ghinearál		Briogáidire-ghinearál		Cornal		Lefteanant-chornal		Ceannfort		Captaen		Lefteanant			Dara-lefteanant
Abbreviation					Lt Gen		Maj Gen		Brig Gen		Col		Lt Col		Comdt		Capt		Lt			2nd Lt

Other ranks

Rank group	Non-commissioned officer																										Enlisted
Irish Air Corps [14] v t e																																				No insignia
	Regimental sergeant major Maor-sáirsint reisiminte						Regimental quartermaster sergeant Ceathrúsháirsint reisiminte		Flight sergeant Sáirsint eitleoige		Flight quartermaster sergeant Ceathrúsháirsint eitleoige						Sergeant Sáirsint						Corporal Ceannaire				Airman 3 star Eitleoir, 3 réalta		Airman 2 Star Eitleoir, 2 réalta						Apprentice Printíseach	Recruit Earcach
Abbreviation	RSM						RQMS		FS		FQMS						Sgt						Cpl				Amn 3*		Amn 2*						App	Rec/G1

Irish Naval Service

Officers

Rank group	General / flag officers										Senior officers						Junior officers
Irish Naval Service [15] v t e
					Vice admiral Leas-Aimiréal		Rear admiral Seach-Aimiréal		Commodore Ceannasóir		Captain Captaen		Commander Ceannasaí		Lieutenant commander Lefteanant-Cheannasaí		Lieutenant Lefteanant		Sub-lieutenant Fo-Lefteanant			Ensign Meirgire

Enlisted

Rank group	Non-commissioned officer																										Enlisted
Irish Naval Service [15] v t e																																			No insignia
	Warrant officer Oifigeach barántais						Senior chief petty officer Ard-mhion-oifigeach sinsearach		Chief petty officer Ard-mhion-oifigeach		Senior petty officer Mion-oifigeach sinsearach						Petty officer Mion-oifigeach						Leading seaman Mairnéalach ceannais				Able seaman Mairnéalach inniúil		Ordinary seaman Mairnéalach						Seaman recruit Earcach

• Warrant officer variants
• 
  Executive
• 
  Administrative
• 
  Engineering
• 
  Communications

Historic ranks

Commissioned ranks

Rank group	General / flag officers										Senior officers						Junior officers
1939 [16]
									Commodore Ceannasóir		Captain Captaen		Commander Ceannasaí		Lieutenant commander Lefteanant-Cheannasaí		Lieutenant Lefteanant		Sub-lieutenant Fo-Lefteanant			Ensign Meirgire

Other ranks

Rank group	Senior NCOs																						Junior NCOs						Enlisted
1939 [16]
	Warrant officer Oifigeach barántais								Chief petty officer Ard-mhion-oifigeach								Petty officer Mion-oifigeach						Leading seaman Mairnéalach ceannais						Ordinary seaman Mairnéalach

Naval reserve

Prior to 2002 ranks for NCOs in the Naval Reserve were in blue instead of gold. ^[1]

Rank group	Non-commissioned officer																										Enlisted
Irish Naval Service Reserve (Pre-2002) v t e																																			No insignia
							Senior chief petty officer Ard-mhion-oifigeach sinsearach		Chief petty officer Ard-mhion-oifigeach		Senior petty officer Mion-oifigeach sinsearach						Petty officer Mion-oifigeach						Leading seaman Mairnéalach ceannais				Able seaman Mairnéalach inniúil		Ordinary seaman Mairnéalach						Seaman recruit Earcach

Student officers

Rank group	Student officer
Irish Army [3] [2]
	Senior officer cadet Dalta oifigeach sinsearch	Junior officer cadet Dalta oifigeach sóisearach
	Sr Cdt	Jr Cdt
Irish Air Corps [14]
	Officer cadet Dalta oifigeach
	O-Cdt
Irish Naval Service [15]
	Officer cadet Dalta Oifigeach

Notes

1. Battalion (Cathlán), Regiment (Reisimint)
2. Battery (Ceallraí) in the Artillery. Squadron (Scuadrún) in the Cavalry.

References

1. "Irish Military Insignia". irishmilitaryinsignia.com. Archived from the original on 14 August 2007.
2. Perkins 2007, Rank Markings (Slider) - Officers.
3. "Army Rank Markings". military.ie. Defence Forces (Ireland). Archived from the original on 25 April 2016. Retrieved 26 May 2021.
4. Perkins 2007, Rank Markings (Slider) - Enlisted Personnel.
5. MacCarron 2004, p. 5.
6. MacCarron 2004, p. 8.
7. Perkins 2007, Rank Markings - Officers, 1924 to 1942.
8. Perkins 2007, Rank Markings - Officers, 1942 to 1944.
9. Perkins 2007, Rank Markings - Officers, 1944 to 1971.
10. Perkins 2007, Rank Markings - Enlisted Personnel, 1924.
11. Perkins 2007, Rank Markings - Enlisted Personnel, 1949.
12. Perkins 2007, Rank Markings - Enlisted Personnel, Miscellaneous.
13. "Air Corps rank markings". irishmilitaryinsignia.com. Archived from the original on 11 October 2017.
14. "Air Corps Rank Markings". military.ie. Defence Forces (Ireland). Archived from the original on 25 April 2016. Retrieved 26 May 2021.
15. "Naval Service Rank Markings". military.ie. Defence Forces (Ireland). Archived from the original on 25 April 2016. Retrieved 26 May 2021.
16. MacCarron 2004, p. 19.

Bibliography

• Perkins, James G. (29 September 2007). "Insignia Collection". Irish Military Insignia. Archived from the original on 13 September 2007. Retrieved 12 April 2019.
• MacCarron, Donal (2004). The Irish Defence Forces since 1922. Men-at-Arms. Osprey Publishing. ISBN   9781841767420.

External links

• "Defence Forces Rank Markings". Official Website. Archived from the original on 16 April 2016.