Mrs Mary MT Gilmartin, one of the first ban gardaí in the country

The death occurred on Sunday last of Mrs Mary MT Gilmartin (ex ban garda 1W), Drumcondra Road Lower, Dublin 9 and formerly of Ballyconnell, and Castlerea, County Roscommon, at her son's residence in Greaghrahan, Ballyconnell. She was one of the first group of ban gardaí to join the newly-formed force in 1959 and attended the 50th anniversary celebrations of the graduation of the first female members of An Garda Síochána in 2009, and was at the centre of it all. Mary Browne, as she was then known, attended a special celebration at Garda HQ in Phoenix Park in 2009. In July 1959, 12 ladies became the first ever female members of An Garda Síochána, and 50 years to the day, the anniversary was commemorated with Mass and a celebratory lunch. Castlerea native, Mary, daughter of the late John and Katie Browne, was the first of the 12 to graduate. Reflecting on her milestone achievement, Mary said that for a woman to join the gardaí in 1959 was perceived as an amazing development, as it had been a "male bastion". She served at Pearse Street and Store Street garda stations before having to retire after just four years. She explained at the time: "In those days when a woman got married it was compulsory for her to retire from her work." Mary's husband, Noel, who was also a member of An Garda Síochána, died in 1990. For many years the couple lived in Mullaghduff, Ballyconnell, where Noel was stationed. Mary moved to Dublin following the death of her husband. Mary said she pursued her career in the gardaí because of a passionate interest in criminal law and a fondness for fictional criminal lawyer, Perry Mason. "Now things have kind of come full circle," she said during the 2009 celebrations. She is survived by her son, Michael; brothers; PJ, Boyle, Sean, Castlerea, and Damien and Gerard, Dublin. The funeral was from St Mary's Church, Staghall on Tuesday to St Joseph's cemetery, Castlerea.