About Us
The Irish Society of Military Medicine was founded in 2011. Its administration is carried out by a steering committee of retired, serving and reserve Medical Officers of the Irish Army Medical Corps, as well as civilian medical practitioners with close links to the Irish Defence Forces Medical Corps.
The ISMM will continue to be run by a steering committee until the formal adoption of a constitution. It is envisaged that this will happen following the acceptance of Military Medicine as a specialty. The Founders of the society recognised the unique character of Military Medicine in Ireland and noted the lack of a distinct professional organisation to contribute towards the educational needs of those involved in Military Medicine in Ireland. The establishment of the society is intended to address this deficiency.
President
Dr Alan Woolhead MB, BCh, BAO, DCH, MRCPI, DTM, FCARCSI, FJFICM
Alan was commissioned into the Army Medical Corps in 1985. He spent a considerable amount of time deployed overseas:
- UNIFIL (Lebanon) – 58Bn, 62Bn, 69Bn & 81Bn.
- Ist Tpt Coy UNOSOM (Somalia) 1993/4.
- IHSG1. Engineering and medical support unit post Hurricane Mitch (Honduras 1999).
- OIC IHSG2 (Honduras 2000). The first Irish Defence Forces surgical unit deployed overseas since the combined Defence Forces/Irish Red Cross expeditionary unit to Saint-Lô, Normandy in 1945.
Now retired from the Defence Forces, Alan works as a Consultant Anaesthetist, Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital, Drogheda, Co. Louth. His heart however, remains in the Medical Corps.