SÍOCHÁIN The Official Magazine of the Garda Síochána Retired Members’ Association CALCULATING THE FULL COST OF PENSION RESTORATION GARDA MEMORIAL DAY REMEMEBERS 88 HEROES ONE-STOP-SHOP FOR SENIOR CITIZENS TOUR LEINSTER FOR DOWN SYNDROME Summer 2017 WINTERISSN 1649-5896 2015 ISSN 1649-5896 www.gardaretired.comwww.gardaretired.com EDITORIAL COMMENT LONG WAY TO GO BEFORE PENSIONS ARE RESTORED The election process to put in place a new Taoiseach is not helping our cause in seeking the full restoration of our pensions. Many in Government are clearly more focused on this process, and the positions they will or will not hold in the next cabinet is their primary objective, writes GSRMA General Secretary Paschal Feeney. or many of us, as parents COMMISSION WORK For grandparents we are CONCLUDED all too familiar with that The work of this long road trip, where your Commission, called passengers of a certain age, the Public Service Pay are continuously asking “are Commission (PSPC), has we there yet.” Our road trip concluded, so the real as retired members of An work of negotiating a new Garda Síochána and retired national pay and pension public servants, has now regime for the next three been ongoing for almost years has commenced. a decade, and we too are However, no pension group, asking “are we there yet”. association or society can Where is our destination? directly speak or make We have set the satnav to representations to this ‘Full Restoration of Our forum. Pensions’, as our final stop. When they have The system is telling us, concluded this important there are many roadblocks work, they will call us still in place, and many alternative routes are being back in, and depending on what the workers in the suggested. The major road block still in place is Financial public sector agree, then they will try and build a revised Emergency Provisions legislation (FEMPI). restoration path for all public sector retirees. In the We are told this roadblock is in the public interest. So, meantime, as all of this will take a number of months if something is in the Public Interest then as reasonable to finalise, we will renew before both Houses of the people we tend to accept these things, and are reasonable Oireachtas this draconian legislation to keep the many in our stance and we tend to be patient, as after all the financial emergency provisions in place. public interest supersedes all other matters. After all we realise despite all of this praise, these However, we have been told by Government, this platitudes are mere lip service. Our final restoration emergency is now over, we are doing exceptionally well destination leading into these national agreements as a nation, and we are to be complemented for our talks, was January 2022. The early indications, by way forbearance, and more importantly for our contributions of crumbs off the table is that this time span will be to the State coffers, while this financial emergency, was in abridged. In terms of what that means, we are unsure. place. The election process to put in place a new Taoiseach Then the Alert button is flashing which is telling us the is not helping our cause. Many in Government are clearly roadblocks must remain in place, as the path ahead is not more focused on this, and the positions they will or will actually clear. To establish why the road ahead is not clear, not hold in the next cabinet is their primary objective. despite all the advice that the emergency has passed, we So, to reiterate “are we there yet”, then the answer is establish a Commission to establish the facts! clearly NO. Síocháin 1 SÍOCHÁIN The Official Magazine of the Garda Síochána Retired Members’ Association CALCULATING THE FULL COST OF PENSION RESTORATION GARDA MEMORIAL DAY CONTENTS REMEMEBERS 88 HEROES ONE-STOP-SHOP The Official Magazine of the Garda Síochána Retired Members’ Association FOR SENIOR CITIZENS TOUR LEINSTER FOR DOWN SYNDROME Summer 2017 WINTERISSN 1649-5896 2015 ISSN 1649-5896 Summer 2017 www.gardaretired.com Volume 46 • Issue 2 • ISSN 1649-5896 4 ASSOCIATION NEWS 37 GPO VISITOR CENTRE 63 LOOK BACK GSRMA Members can avail of a In 1923 an article was published in 20% discount with their cards at ‘Iris An Garda’ in their April edition. 22 IN-HOUSE REPORT the interactive GPO Witness History At that time, Gardaí ruled the roost The long wait for the next National Visitor Centre, located in Dublin’s on the hurling playing fields of Wage Agreement has begun, with General Post Office (GPO). Ireland under the guidance of the the participation of all the public Garda Commissioner General Eoin sector trade unions within ICTU, O’Duffy, culminating with victory in and likewise the direct input from the Senior All Ireland Hurling Final all the Garda Staff Associations in 1927. Noel Hynes, Naas Branch, for the first time, writes Paschal gives an edited edition of that Feeney, GSRMA General Secretary. article. 29 LETTERS TO THE EDITOR 65 GARDA ANGLERS’ ASSOCIATION The health benefits of angling are DOWN SYNDROME 31 SHORT STORY often overlooked, yet everyone IRELAND 40 COMPETITION knows that it’s a fun pastime and The fourth year of the Tour de Entries are now open until Friday will certainly keep you on the Leinster 600km cycle challenge 29 September for this year’s move, writes Philip J. Donoghue, will again help raise vital funds for competition. Here’s the short story club secretary of the Garda Trout Down Syndrome Ireland. AGSI’s from last year’s third place winner and Salmon Anglers’ Association. Alan Dowley, who has again – Brian J. Kealy from Limerick City signed up for 2017, urges other Branch. cycling enthusiasts to support this 69 PHYLLIS MURPHY very worthy cause on 14 to 17 Trevor Laffan, Cork City Branch, September. 46 INSPECTOR JOHN MILLS was one of 98 new Garda recruits DMP Inspector John Mills became tasked with searching for Phyllis the first police fatality since the Murphy, who went missing from Easter Rising. Jim Herlihy, Cork City Kildare in late December 1979. Branch, outlines the hostilities in Here he reflects on the chilling the city centre and events in the case, which was resolved nearly aftermath of his death on 10 June 23 years later thanks to Operation 1917. Trace, and her killer was given a mandatory life sentence. 32 CELEBRITY CRUISES 55 ALLOWANCES & An estimated 14,000 people are ENTITLEMENTS 72 THE FENIAN RISING due to start their cruise holiday Home Instead Senior Care’s ‘Senior In the second part of his series on from Dublin on board a Celebrity Citizen: The Essential Guidebook’ the Fenian Rising of 1867, defeated Cruises ship in 2018. Next April the continues to be the trusted one- solely by the Irish Constabulary major cruise line will be the first stop-shop for ageing information without the assistance of the British in the world to homeport from in Ireland, since the first guidebook Army, Donal J. O’Sullivan, Tralee the capital and will offer cruises in was published eight years ago. Branch, outlines the events that Northern Europe until June 2018. followed the rebellion. 2 Síocháin CONTENTS 79 WEST CORK HERO 91 IRELAND MEDAL AWARD Michael O’Sullivan, GSRMA The Lifesaving Foundation’s 2016 Chairman for Cork West Branch Ireland Medal was presented to the GSRMA EDITORIAL for many years, recently received Irish Naval Service at the Naval Base BOARD the overall West Cork Hero Award at Haulbowline, Co. Cork. Report by Paschal Feeney 2016. Report by Tim Bowe, Cork Tim Bowe, Cork City Branch. (Editor & General Secretary) City Branch and viewpoint by Pat O’Leary, Cork West Branch. 93 HEALTH & WELLBEING 95 MEMORABILIA PAGE 97 MEMBERSHIP FORM 101 OBITUARIES Billy Saunderson 87 1967 CLASS REUNION A half century since entering the Garda Training Centre in 111 POETRY CORNER Templemore, 15 of the original 25 class recruits from April 1967 joined forces for the 50th Anniversary 116 ARCHIVE SNAPSHOTS Reunion in Portlaoise in early May. Report by John Dwyer, Portlaoise Branch. 119 IN THE FRAME 88 GSRMA SOCIAL OUTINGS 122 CROSSWORD Joe Ward Time to book your place on the Autumn Getaway to Wexford on 18 September, while the seven-day 124 BULLETIN BOARD overseas trip to Sorrento Coast, Pompeii and Capri departs on 2 NOTICEBOARD October. 128 Garda Síochána Retired Members’ Association, SÍOCHÁIN is published by Ocean Publishing, 14 Upper Fitzwilliam Street, Dublin 2. Tel: 01-6785165; Email: [email protected] Website: www.oceanpublishing.ie GSRMA House, Managing Director: Patrick Aylward 5 Harrington Street, In-House Editor: Grace Heneghan Dublin 8. In-House Designer: Catherine Doyle Tel: 01-4781525 PRESS CONCIL OF IRELAND SIOCHAIN is a full participating member of the Press Council of Ireland and supports the office of the Press Fax: 01-4785127 Ombandsman. 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