Fresh appeal over det gda donohoe murder two years on

Two years to the day from the murder of Kilnaleck-born Detective Garda Adrian Donohoe at Lordship Credit Union in Louth, gardaí are still to make an arrest of any of the gang of five that are suspected of carrying out the brutal killing and have issued a new appeal for information.
Det Gda Donohoe was fatally wounded by a shotgun blast when he and his colleague Det Gda Joe Ryan were escorting a cash transfer at the union. 
The raiders got away with just €4,000.
While two men, a father and son, were arrested, questioned and released during he investigation that was on suspicion of operating a car-theft ring - they were never suspects of the murder on the night of Friday, January 25, 2013, in Bellurgan, Jenkinstown, Co Louth.

Appeal

A Garda spokesperson told the Celt: “An Garda Síochána is determined to bring those behind the callous murder of our colleague Detective Garda Adrian Donohoe to justice.
“There has been an extensive investigation that has seen detailed and lengthy detective work undertaken by the Garda team in this jurisdiction, as well as liaison with law enforcement agencies in other countries.
“We would like to take this opportunity to appeal to anyone with information in relation to Adrian’s murder – and there are people out there with information on this heinous crime - to please come forward. 
“Our thoughts at this time are with Caroline and the children and all of Adrian’s loved ones.”
Last year, it was reported that arrests were expected but none materialised with those closest to the investigation saying there was little in concrete evidence.
This morning an anniversary mass was held in Dundalk, where Det Gda Donohoe’s State funeral was held. That mass was attended by Adrian’s family and by Garda Commissioner Noirin O’Sullivan. On Friday, a candlelight vigil went from the Lordship crime scene to his club, St Patrick’s GAA, whose ground now bears his name, and a mass was held in St Mary’s Church, Crosserlough.

Silence

The car believed to be used in the murder of the father-of-two was later burned to a crisp at Keady in south Armagh and it is believed no forensic evidence could be taken from the VW Passat. That the car was burned so effectively it led investigators to believe that it was the work of IRA-trained experts.
It’s believed that the gang of five - three of whom are still in the US, two are in the North - are protected by a wall of silence coming in the form of alibis and non-cooperation. They are all understood to be from the south Armagh-north Louth area, in their early 20s and have links to several prominent Republican figures and gangs.
Gardaí are preparing another appeal for information but have been frustrated by the fearful omerta in south Armagh protecting the killers.
“The investigation is ongoing and we will issue another appeal in the case later in the week,” said a Garda spokesperson.
Only two specialised detectives now head up the case supported by Dundalk Garda Station, where both Det Gda Donohoe and his wife, Caroline, served.
After the January 2013 murder, the then Garda Commissioner Martin Callinan said that no resource would be spared in catching the killers.
“Resources will not be an issue. We have many people working on this investigation with the national units assisting the local gardaí. We have the special detective unit [SDU] the National Bureau for Criminal Investigation [NBCI] and all of the specialist units,” he said.
Initially, there were 1,000 gardaí assigned to the case, hundreds of statements were taken and over 400,000 hours of CCTV were examined.
A month after the murder, gardaí released information saying that two items, a specialised hammer and a baby-seat, were in the car when stolen but not when it was found in Keady and believed them to be key in bringing witnesses forward but that process has stalled.
Chief celebrant at Det Gda Donohoe’s funeral mass Fr Michael Cusack described Adrian as a perfect role model and he paid tribute to the Gardaí for “laying down their lives” for the people of Ireland.
He said now was the time for reflection on the need for more policing in Ireland and made an impassioned appeal for information about the murder.
“I have absolutely no doubt that there are people who today know who has caused this dreadful sorrow,” he said.
“If there’s anyone who knows anything about it, if you have any semblance of goodness in you, for God’s sake, turn these people in.”
All five gang-members, however, have alibis for their movements on the night and gardaí are hopeful that mobile phone traffic might now hold the key to any breakthrough.
Anyone convicted of the murder of a Garda faces a minimum mandatory sentence of 40 years.
Dundalk Garda Station is on (042) 9388 400 and the Garda Confidential Line is on 1800-666-111.