Gen Louis Hogan, former Army Chief-of-Staff who died on June 21st aged 80, was a strong believer in the need for a loyal and well-trained Army and police force in a State with no military alliances.
He will be remembered by former colleagues as a tough, but very fair officer who was devoted to Army life.
He was an enthusiastic sportsman and had a passion for his home county of Clare. He once said he prided himself on not missing a single one of Clare's championship matches in all his years away from the county.
His 44 years in the Army were characterised by regular promotions which culminated in his appointment as Chief-of-Staff in June, 1981.
He retired in 1984 on age grounds.
Lieut Gen Hogan was born on April 4th, 1921, in Cahertigue, Newmarket-on-Fergus, Co Clare. He was the eldest of three children, born to farmer Tom Hogan and Margaret Brennan. The family farm was later assimilated into Shannon Airport.
He retained strong links with Clare and an aerial photograph of the family farm still hangs in his home in Dublin's Mount Merrion.
His mother's cousin, Micheal Brennan was Officer Commanding, East Clare Brigade and served as a Chief-of-Staff for two terms in the 1930s.
His uncle's career, and his father's enthusiastic nationalism meant that Louis Hogan was always interested in Army life.
After national school in Newmarket-on-Fergus, he studied at Mount St Joseph's in Roscrea and then entered the Army as a cadet in November, 1940.
He was commissioned into the Infantry Corps on October 25th, 1941 and served with the domestic 8th, 3rd and 5th Infantry Battalions during that decade.
He married Kitty Hession from Craughwell, Co Galway on October 25th, 1949 and the couple had one son, Neil.
Thereafter, he spent most of his time in the Eastern Command and served on the Border near Dundalk at the beginning of the Troubles.
He had extensive experience overseas and was one of the first Army officers to travel to the Lebanon on an observer mission in 1958.
He served in the Congo from 1960 to 1961, in Cyprus in 1965 and worked with the UN Truce Supervision Organisation in Syria from 1969 to 1971. He likened the effect of serving abroad on a soldier as "like a flower opening in the sun".
He was promoted to Director of Intelligence in 1978, a post he held for two years. He went on to become General Officer Commanding, Western Command and then Quartermaster General in December 1980.
His years as Chief-of-Staff (1981-1984) were characterised by a tense period in Border regions.
On retiring, he was presented with the Distinguished Service Medal (1st Class) for his "outstanding qualities of leadership, resource, devotion to duty and humanity in guiding the Defence Forces successfully through a most critical time".
At his stand-down parade, he spoke of his concern over increasing "subversive influence" in Northern Ireland. He was succeeded as Chief-of-Staff by Lieut Gen Gerald O'Sullivan.
Lieut Gen Hogan was also conferred with the insignia of commander of the Royal Swedish Order of the Polar Star in January, 1985. The order is awarded to non-Swedes who have made an outstanding contribution to good relations with Sweden.
Family and friends remember Louis Hogan as an excellent storyteller and very good companion, with a dry sense of humour.
He was an enthusiastic sportsman, enjoying hurling, rugby, hunting and later golf. He is remembered as a very good rugby player, having played with Bective Rangers and the Army XV.
He was a strong believer in public and private standards. Interviewed on his retirement, he said: "A thing that saddens me is not so much the drop in standards but the acceptance of that drop. I am very much a traditionalist and am hardly likely to change now."
He believed the Army should not drill the individuality out of soldiers but should produce independent-minded and disciplined people.
He is survived by his wife, Kitty; son, Neil and brother, Jack.
Lieut Gen Louis Hogan: born 1921; died, June 2001