Cavan gardaí killed in action honoured in memorial garden

Three Cavan-based gardaí were among the 83 who were commemorated in a memorial garden for members of An Garda Siochána killed in the service of the State, which was unveiled at Dublin Castle recently. Taoiseach Brian Cowen officially opened the garden alongside Garda Commissioner Fachtna Murphy and Minister for Justice Dermot Ahern. The names of the 83 gardaí who were killed were inscribed in stone on a roll of honour. Medals were presented to a representative from the families of each of the gardaí on the roll of honour. The three Cavan-based gardaí - Detective Garda Michael Walsh, Garda Thomas O'Driscoll and Inspector Sam Donegan, were attached to Cavan Garda Station at the time of their deaths. Retired Garda Mick McCarthy, who was also stationed in Cavan town, attended the ceremony in Dublin. He was with Gda O'Driscoll on the day he was fatally injured in a traffic accident. An Taoiseach Brian Cowen laid a wreath at the memorial. The Garda Band, as well and the Garda Male and Female Choir, sung liturgical music. Gda McCarthy estimated that there were 1,600 at the ceremony. Det Garda Walsh, was a native of Barnfield, Ballina, and on October 1 1942, he was one of a party of gardaí who went to a house at Lismancanigan, Mountnugent, Kilnaleck, attempting to arrest a known criminal suspect. As the gardaí approached, the suspect discharged a firearm at them, wounding Detective Garda Walsh. He subsequently died from his injuries later that day at Cavan Surgical Hospital. Garda O'Driscoll, hailed from Limerick, and on the morning of Wednesday, January 22, 1958, he was the driver of the official garda car from Cavan Garda Station with another garda as his observer. The garda car was travelling northwards on the main road to the border crossing at Leggykelly, Co. Cavan. The members were engaged on border patrol duty manning random checkpoints to counteract IRA hostilities. At 10.30am the patrol car was approaching the townland of Carrarod, at a location known as Gannon's Cross, Redhills when a cattle lorry collided with the official car. Garda O'Driscoll died at the scene from the injuries he sustained. Inspector Donegan, was a native of Ballintampen, Ballymacormack, Co. Longford. On June 8, 1972, he was one of a party of Garda and Army personnel conducting searches on the Cavan/Fermanagh border when he was killed by a booby-trap bomb on a country lane at Drumboghanagh, Newtownbutler, Co. Fermanagh. John Donegan received the medal on behalf of his father, while Fionan O'Driscoll, a nephew of Inspector O'Driscoll accepted the medal on his behalf and Michael Walsh received the medal on behalf of his father. Belturbet native Sergeant Patrick J. Morrissey, is also commemorated. He was stationed in Collon, Louth, and on June 27, 1985, along with gardaí Peter Long and Brendan Flynn were on mobile patrol at Ardee, Co. Louth. As they approached the town's Labour Exchange they came upon a robbery in progress. Two armed men had ambushed the manager and stolen £25,000 in cash. When the raiders saw the patrol car they fled the scene in the manager's car, discharging their firearms at the two gardaí. Following in pursuit, the patrol car picked up Sgt. Morrissey along the way. The chase ended abruptly at Rathbrist Cross, when the raiders, now on a motor-cycle, crashed into an approaching car, injuring the occupants of the car. Gardaí Flynn and Long stayed with the injured persons while Sergeant Morrissey, alone and on foot, pursued the raiders. As he caught up with them a shot was fired and he fell to the ground grievously wounded. One of the gunmen stood over him and at point blank range shot the sergeant dead. Four other gardaí from The Anglo-Celt catchment area are also remembered in the memorial garden. Garda Michael Clerkin a native of Monaghan, was killed in a booby-trap bomb explosion at Garryhinch, Portarlington in 1976; while garda Nathy Cawley, who was stationed in Monaghan, died when the patrol car he was in collided with an army truck in 1982. Recruit Garda Gary Sheehan from Carrickmacross was shot dead outside Ballinamore during the kidnap of Don Tidy in the early '80s, and Garda Gary McLoughlin from Fenagh, Leitrim, died from injuries he sustained when a suspect vehicle crashed into his patrol car in Donegal last December. Garda McCarthy said it is hoped to have an annual commemoration and added: "It is nice that they have remembered all those who have given their lives for the State." The new Memorial Garden, which is located to the rear of the Chester Beattie Library, will be open to members of the public.