A Tipperary woman has made history in the Naval Service by being appointed a Commander.
Roberta O’Brien from the Glen of Aherlow was one of the first two women to enter the navy when it became open to woman in 1995.
Defence minister Simon Coveney confirmed her appointment to the rank of commander, the third-highest rank in the navy.
Along with being a trailblazer for women in the Irish military, she’s also mother of three young children with her husband, Peadar Ó Catháin, who is a Lieutenant Colonel in the army and often away from home on peacekeeping missions overseas.
After 25 years in the navy, she says she’s hoping her success will encourage more recruits, both male and female:
“I really do hope that it isn’t kind of ‘Oh no, that’s not for me’, that it’s not just a specific area that you have to be into sailing – the navy trains the person to be a good leader, to build up the resilience to serve time away from families.
“The benefits are there, the rewards are there once the hard work is put in.”
