ARCO regrets to inform its members of the death of Colonel Brendan McCann of Greystones County Wicklow and formerly of Kilkenny City. Brendan passed away at home with family by his side on Thursday 25th December. Predeceased by Christeen his beloved wife and best friend of 48 years and much-loved father of Patrick, Hughna, Claire and Scott. Sadly missed and remembered with love by his family, siblings Anne and Noel, his nine adored grandchildren, daughters-in-law Simone and Pamela, sons-in-law Martyn and Tim, his companion Bernadette, extended family, Defence Forces comrades and friends.
May he rest in peace
Brendan McCann was born on 23rd February 1945. His older brother, the late Lieutenant-Colonel Paschal McCann was a member of 36 Cadet Class and his younger brother, Commandant Noel McCann (Retd) is a member of 43 Cadet Class. Their father Patrick Joseph McCann was a member of 3 Battalion, Dublin Brigade Old IRA who fought in the War of Independence and was interned in Mountjoy and in the Curragh. He joined the National Army at its inception and served as a Sergeant-Major in the Army Medical Services until his retirement in 1945.
Brendan enlisted in the Defence Forces as a member of 38 Cadet Class on 7th October 1963. Commissioned into the Cavalry Corps on 27th September 1965, he was appointed Troop Commander, 4 Motor Squadron at Plunkett Barracks, Curragh Training Camp. He was posted to 2 Motor Squadron in August 1966 and was associated with this unit for much of his career. Brendan spent four years from 1972 as Staff Officer 11 Motor Squadron An Fórsa Cosanta Áitiúil. He was appointed Squadron Commander 2 Cavalry Squadron in October 1984 and served there until January 1989. Brendan held a wide variety of staff appointments at Defence Forces Headquarters and in the Eastern Command. On promotion to the rank of Colonel in July 1999, he was appointed as College Commandant, Combat Support College and was Director Combat Support Section until his retirement in 2005.
Brendan served twice with the United Nations Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus (UNFICYP) with the Armoured Car Group of both 7 Infantry Group in 1966/1967 and 11 Infantry Group in 1968/1969. He was Welfare Officer 50 Infantry Battalion in Lebanon in 1981/1982 and was an observer with the United Nations Observer Group in Central America (ONUCA) in 1989/1990. He returned to UNIFIL to command the Force Mobile Reserve from March 1998 to January 1999 and was then promoted to Colonel to take up the appointment of Assistant Chief of Staff Operations at Force Headquarters. Brendan’s last tour of overseas duty was with the European Union Monitoring Mission in Bosnia Herzegovina in 2003.
Brendan will rest at his home from 2pm until 5pm on Saturday 27th. Funeral arriving at the Holy Rosary Church Greystones on Monday 29th for Funeral Mass at 11.30am (https://gkpastoralarea.ie/the-holy-rosary-church-greystones-webcam/) after which Brendan will be laid to rest in Redford Cemetery.
Family flowers only please. Donations if desired to the Irish Cancer Society or the Wicklow Hospice.
Members may wish to leave personal messages in the ‘Condolences’ section of Brendan’s death notice on rip.ie at: https://rip.ie/death-notice/brendan-mccann-wicklow-greystones-615759
