Deceased Clare gardaí honoured at opening of memorial garden

TWO deceased gardaí from Lisdoonvarna and one from Gort were honoured this week at the opening of the Garda Síochána Memorial Garden in Dublin.

Garda Commissioner Fachtna Murphy attended the ceremony where medals were presented to representatives of the men’s families and the other 80 gardaí who died carrying out their duties over the past 88 years.
The garden is designed to be an “enduring memorial” to gardaí who died serving the State and as “an occasional space for reflection and healing for the friends, families and colleagues”.
Garda Patrick Foley from Lisdoonvarna was acknowledged at the ceremony.
The father of four was stationed at Ardnacrusha when, on the night of November 11, 1953, he and a colleague were on foot patrol on the Killaloe to Limerick Road. A lorry collided with Garda Foley and he died two days later from his injuries.
Lisdoonvarna man Garda Sergeant James Woods, represented at the ceremony by his nephew Michael O’Halloran from Corofin, was killed on duty in Kerry in December 1923. Sergeant Woods and another member of the force were on duty in Scartaglen Garda Station, five miles from Castleisland. The station was attacked by a group of men armed with rifles and shotguns, who wanted garda uniforms. The raiders ordered Sergeant Woods to hand over all of his property, including his uniform. When he resisted he was shot by one of the raiders and died instantly.
Sergeant Woods was previously honoured in 1995 when a memorial to him was unveiled.
Kerry-born Garda Michael Joseph Kennelly was killed in January 1934 when he and his colleague Sergeant Forde, were returning to Maam Garda Station after escorting a female patient to Ballinasloe Mental Hospital.
On driving through Galway the hackney car in which they were travelling left the road and entered the River Corrib at Woodquay. Garda Kennelly was drowned along with the others in the car.
At the ceremony this week, collecting the medal on behalf of Garda Kennelly was his son, retired Garda Michael Kennelly, who was stationed in Miltown Malbay. Michael Kennelly attended the ceremony with his nephew Michael Kennelly from Ballyconneely, his grandson Michael Kennelly from Roscam and his son, also Michael Kennelly, a captain in the Naval Service, based in Cork.
Patrick O’Halloran from George’s Street in Gort was stationed at Baltinglass in 1924 when he was passing the National Bank in Baltinglass. He heard sounds of a struggle and rushed to the door of the bank to give assistance but found the door bolted against him. He sounded his whistle to call his colleagues. The raiders heard this and left the building but were pursued by Garda O’Halloran. As he was gaining ground on the raiders one of them turned and fired point blank at Garda O’Halloran, killing him instantly.
The previous year Garda O’Halloran was one of four gardaí who defied a group of 50 men who attacked Baltinglass Garda Station armed with crowbars and sledgehammers.
Cork-born Detective Garda Timothy O’Sullivan died in June 1929 from injuries he sustained following an explosion in Tullycrine in West Clare.
Commissioner Murphy commended the service of each of the gardaí that died while serving the State and acknowledged the role of police families.
“Each day men and women wave goodbye to their families and report for duty to police and protect our community. Thankfully, almost every day, they return safely to their homes at the end of their shift. At 83 different moments in the last 88 years, time has stood still for the entire garda family as reports have come in that there has been an incident – maybe a shooting, a collision, a drowning – and a colleague has been lost. We seek out details of who, where and how and for a long time after we ask why,” he said.
“It is important that we take this moment to recognise the particular pain which those moments visit upon the loved ones of those who pay that ultimate sacrifice. It is a price they pay not only in the immediate aftermath but for years afterwards. It is appropriate that we not only support them at the time but recognise their particular contribution on an ongoing basis,” he added.
The garden was opened by An Taoiseach Brian Cowen and is located on the grounds of Dublin Castle.