Lieutenant-General Dermot Earley DSM (24 February 1948 – 23 June 2010) was a high-ranking military official in Ireland and with the United Nations.

where his father Peadar was a principal teacher and later he attended St. Nathy's College in Ballaghaderreen, County Roscommon.

His first posting was as a platoon commander in the Recruit Training Depot at the Curragh and in 1969 he was appointed an instructor at the Army School of Physical Culture (ASPC).

Two years later, in 1971, Earley obtained a specialist diploma in physical education at St. Mary's College, Twickenham.

While serving with the UN up to 1991 he was a member of negotiating teams dealing with the Iraqis and Kuwaitis, and was a key adviser during the setting up of the UN's mission in Kuwait – Unikom.

Lt Gen Earley was awarded a Distinguished Service Medal with Honour from the Taoiseach Brian Cowen.

[2] His resignation was accepted on 9 June 2010 and one of his previous deputies, Major General Sean McCann, was appointed Chief of Staff.

[4] His Newbridge funeral on 24 June 2010 was attended by the Taoiseach Brian Cowen, Irish government ministers and leading GAA figures, while former Taoiseach Liam Cosgrave issued a statement calling him "one of the great figures of this country".

Five-in-a-row hopefuls Mayo were beaten by Roscommon, giving Earley a Connacht Minor Football Championship title.

In 1966 Roscommon again faced Mayo in a provincial minor decider, this time Earley's side being beaten.

[6]: 155  That year Earley was also a member of Roscommon's under-21 team, and he also met Mayo in this grade in the Connacht final.

In 1977, a new-look Roscommon team saw Earley's side finally triumph over Galway, and he won a second Connacht winners' medal.

Mikey Sheehy popped up to score the decisive goal for 'the Kingdom', as Kerry went on to claim a 1–9 to 1–6 victory in a game that contained sixty-four frees.

[8] Earley is his county's top scorer in National Football League history, finishing his career with 17–316 (367) in that competition.

[9] In May 2020, the Irish Independent named Earley as one of the "dozens of brilliant players" who narrowly missed selection for its "Top 20 footballers in Ireland over the past 50 years".

His younger brother, Paul and his son, Dermot Earley Jnr were both Gaelic footballers.