Tom Clonan | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Clonan in 2022 | |
| Senator | |
| Assumed office 5 April 2022 | |
| Constituency | Dublin University |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 1965/1966 (age 58–59) Dublin, Ireland |
| Political party | Independent |
| Education | St Kevin's College, Dublin |
| Alma mater | |
| Profession | |
| Website | tomclonan |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance |  Ireland |
| Branch/service |  Army |
| Years of service | 1989–2000 |
| Rank |  Captain |
| Battles/wars | UNIFIL |
Thomas Martin Clonan (born 1965/1966)[1] is anIrish senator, security analyst, author and retiredIrish ArmyCaptain. He was elected toSeanad Éireann at the2022 Dublin University by-election.[2][3] He was re-elected at the2025 Seanad election.
Clonan grew up inFinglas, Dublin and attendedSt Kevin's College, Dublin school inBallygall. He completed a Bachelor in Education degree atTrinity College Dublin, graduating in 1987,[4] before joining the Irish Army as acadet in 1989.
In 1995, Clonan deployed to SouthLebanon as an officer commanding Irish troops under theUnited Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) mission in that country. Clonan's deployment to Lebanon coincided with the IsraeliOperation Grapes of Wrath againstHezbollah which culminated in the massacre of refugees at the village of Qana in April 1996. Clonan has spoken about his experiences of conflict and trauma in theRTÉ documentaryPeacekeepers (2016) and in his first bookBlood, Sweat and Tears.[5] He was also anOSCE election monitor inBosnia during theDayton Agreement in 1996. In this role, Clonan was based in the Serb-held town ofPrijedor. Back at home, he completed a master's degree in communications at theDublin City University (DCU) and joined the Defence Forces Press Office (DFPO) as a press officer.[6]
Between 1996 and 2000 Clonan was given formal written sanction by the Chief of Staff and the Director of Training at Defence Forces Headquarters to undertake a PhD at DCU as the first equality audit of the Irish military, titled "The Status and Roles Assigned Female Personnel in the Permanent Defence Forces".[7] The findings revealed a catalogue of discrimination, bullying, sexual harassment and assault within theIrish Defence Forces against female soldiers and led to an independent government inquiry which resulted in an overhaul in the workplace policies of the Defence Forces and the implementation of recommendations arising from the inquiry to protect equality within the Irish armed forces.[8][9] Clonan was the subject of 'Whistleblower Reprisal' (as cited by Transparency International, Ireland) from senior officers for whistleblowing.[10]
He retired from the Defence Forces in 2000.
Clonan lectures at theTechnological University Dublin (TUD) School of Media in the fields of Ethics, Journalism, Political Communication, Public Affairs and Research Methodology.[9]
He was a security analyst forThe Irish Times from theSeptember 11 attacks in 2001 to 2016, reporting and commenting on various world events involving defence, intelligence, terrorism and international relations for various news organisations.[11] He is currently a security analyst and columnist for Irish online news platform,TheJournal.ie (2016 to date).[12]
He is a Fellow of the US-basedArmed Forces & Society publication.[8]
Clonan's young son suffers from a rare neuromuscular disease, and as a result Clonan has campaigned on behalf of children and young people in Ireland with disabilities and brought attention to the effects austerity has had on funding for essential services to assist people with disabilities.[9]
He is the author of two best-selling books,Blood, Sweat and Tears (2012) andWhistleblower, Soldier, Spy (2013).[13]
In November 2019, Clonan was recognised by the Irish military authorities for his PhD research which helped transform the culture of the Irish Armed Forces with regard to Equality, Diversity and Dignity in the Workplace. Clonan was formally acknowledged and thanked for his service and contribution to the Defence Forces by the Chief of Staff, Vice AdmiralMark Mellett at the Military College, Curragh Camp in November 2019.[14][15]
Clonan ran for election to the25th Seanad in 2016 for theDublin University constituency, but was unsuccessful. Clonan ran againin 2020, increasing his vote but the incumbent senators retained their seats. He stood again at the2022 Dublin University by-election,[16] beatingMaureen Gaffney on the sixteenth count.[17][3] He was re-elected in February 2025.[18]
In 2025 Clonan argued that Irish neutrality should remain a core principle, but it is often misunderstood. He emphasised that Ireland has always followed a policy of military non-alignment, meaning it is not part of any formal military alliance like NATO, but has historically cooperated with Western powers when necessary. While advocating for the preservation of neutrality, Clonan stressed the importance of enhancing Ireland's defence capabilities, and argued that the country’s Defence Forces are severely underfunded and under-resourced. He believes that in the face of changing global security dynamics, Ireland must adapt by investing in its military to maintain its neutrality while ensuring its own security.[19][20]
Clonan is opposed to the dropping of the "triple lock", a constitutional rule which mandates that the Irish Defence Forces can only be activated outside of Ireland with the consent of the United Nations, the Irish government andDáil Éireann.[20]