Tag Archives: Clare Gardaí

A total of 105 people were arrested for drink driving in Clare so far this year – an increase of 21. This has prompted an East Clare county councillor to ask if the enforcement level in this area is a “bit over the top”. At Monday’s meeting of the county’s Joint Policing Committee, Whitegate councillor Pat Burke suggested the idea of breathalysing people at all times of the day was a bit much. “I don’t know of too many women who are going to schools, collecting their kids, who are drink driving,” he said, adding, “Yet they are being breathalysed.” He also said he has a friend in his own area who likes to have three or four pints on a Sunday and will walk to and from the pub to do that. He said now, however, that he will no longer go to the pub because he is afraid to drive into work in the morning. Having received an …

THREE Clare-based gardaí, two of whom are now retired, have received bravery commendations for successfully rescuing a man and three children from their blazing home in a Shannon housing estate more than a decade ago. Detective Stephen Ryan, Sergeant David Condren and Detective Gerard Flaherty were presented with first-class commendation certificates for rescuing the family, who were trapped in an upstairs bedroom. The awards were presented by Garda Commissioner Noreen O’Sullivan and Tánaiste Frances Fitzgerald at the Garda College in Templemore. For Sergeant Condren, who retired as sergeant-in-charge from Killaloe Garda Station in 2012, this is his second time attending a bravery awards ceremony as he is also a recipient of the Scott Medal, an honour given for “an act of personal bravery, performed intelligently in the execution of duty at imminent risk to the life of the doer”. He received this medal arising from the 1988 raid of Caher Post Office, which resulted in the fatal shooting of Hugh …

Clare Gardaí are investigating the death of a woman in her fifties after a single vehicle accident in West Clare. The incident happened at around 11pm on Friday near Miltown Malbay. The woman was the only occupant of the vehicle when her car left the road and entered a field. She was pronounced dead at the scene. Her body was removed to University Hospital Limerick (UHL) where it is expected a post mortem will be conducted. The road was closed off for an examination by forensic collision investigators. This is the 13th fatality since last Sunday.

CLARE gardaí, the Criminal Assets Bureau and Revenue are to be involved in a multi-agency response to deal with local families and individuals who have unaccountable wealth and are “obviously involved in criminality”. Chief Superintendent John Kerin, head of the Clare Garda Division, said a lack of garda investment over a five or six-year period during the recession prevented a long-term strategic approach to investigating these families and individuals. However, he is confident that the resources are now in place to carry out numerous investigations in the county and ascertain if the wealth and assets that some have acquired were legitimately obtained. “I had a meeting last week with my officers and I want to target a number of families and individuals myself in this county, who are obviously involved in criminality, whether it is drug-dealing, money-lending or whatever, but who are showing the signs of wealth and who don’t have a visible means of income,” he said. “I certainly …

A man has been held in custody at Shannon Garda Station following the alleged discharge of a shotgun in the Sixmilebridge area during what has been described as a “terrifying ordeal” for three local people. It is alleged the 50 year-old man, who works  as a farm labourer in the Croom area, held a 67-year-old visiting gardener at gunpoint for almost two and a half  hours after getting a taxi to the house, a few miles from Sixmilebridge on Thursday night. The  man can be held in custody for up to 24 hours before a decision is made to seek another extension or other action following direction from the Director of Public Prosecutions. He is being held in custody under Section 30 of the Offences Against the State Act in relation to the alleged possession and discharge of a firearm in the Sixmilebridge area at about 7.50 pm on Thursday night. While the a son-in-law of the gardener, who  came on …