SÍOCHÁIN SPRING 2021 ‘CAPTURING OUR HISTORY’ for GARDA CENTENARY COMMEMORATION Autumn 2020 WINTER 2015 ISSN 1649-5896 ISSN 1649-5896 www.gardaretired.com SCAN QR CODE FOR MEMBERS’ AREA ���������������� St. Paul’s ����������������������������� ����� ������ ����� ������� ��������������������� �� ��� ��� ���� ��� � ��� ��� �� � ��� ���� ������ ���� ����������� ����������������������������������� �������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� �������� ����������������������������������������������������������������������������������� ����������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� ���������������������������������������������������������������������������������� EDITORIAL COMMENT ONE YEAR TO GO BEFORE CENTENARY CELEBRATIONS With just one more year to go before the celebrations begin to mark the centenary of An Garda Síochána, what better way to celebrate this unique occasion than to socially meet up for events, exhibitions and a party with your colleagues, serving members, family members, friends, neighbours and all those who support An Garda Síochána. he theme of this edition’s Editorial our shore by the time 2022 comes sacrifices that successive generations TComment is one year. We are around. of Gardaí and their families have now one year in since the scourge I use the term ‘Garda Family’ in endured in their service to the Irish of the Covid-19 pandemic struck our its widest context – your colleagues, people. Many proud members of shore and that of many others. serving members, family members, An Garda Síochána have also served We are also one year out from a friends, neighbours together with in UN and EU Peace Missions as very important occasion in the life all those who support An Garda well as secondment to international of GSRMA members, our families Síochána. organisations during and following and serving colleagues in An Garda Eighty-nine brave members of their careers in An Garda Síochána. Síochána – it is of course, our 100th An Garda Síochána have lost their The celebrations will be marked in Birthday. lives on duty. We owe it to them; we a fitting way, in an Ireland which has What better way to celebrate this owe it to the many other deceased changed utterly since those turbulent unique occasion than to socially meet members who had a pivotal role days surrounding 1922. up for events, exhibitions and a bit of during dark times in shaping An a party with your Garda family. The Garda Síochána into what it is today. Cuimhnímis go ceanúil agus go bródúil orthu siúd go léir a thug vaccinations have begun and many We also owe it to our families and not least, we owe it to ourselves seirbhís dhílis don Gharda Síochána. GSRMA members have received, to celebrate An Garda Síochána’s or are receiving the jab as you read foundation almost 100 years ago. Mick Lernihan this edition. Let’s hope that the We, in the GSRMA, are very much Editor coronavirus will be long gone from aware of the struggles, pain and Spring 2021 Kevin O’Higgins and Michael Collins pictured outside Dublin Castle after the British handover in 1922. (Image courtesy of National Gallery of Ireland). Síocháin 1 SÍOCHÁIN SPRING 2021 ‘CAPTURING OUR HISTORY’ for GARDA CENTENARY CONTENTS COMMEMORATION The Official Magazine of the Garda Síochána Retired Members’ Association Autumn 2020 WINTER 2015 ISSN 1649-5896 ISSN 1649-5896 www.gardaretired.com SCAN QR CODE FOR Spring 2021 MEMBERS’ AREA Volume 50 • Issue 1 • ISSN 1649-5896 DISCLAIMER: The opinions and viewpoints expressed by the authors and contributors in this publication do not necessarily reflect the opinions and viewpoints of ‘Síocháin’ nor the GSRMA. 4 ASSOCIATION NEWS 44 LIFE AFTER COVID Living through this pandemic has brought home to us all a new meaning 25 MICK’S MESSAGES and understanding of the things we take for granted, writes Tom Conway, Central Committee & Bray Branch. 27 LETTERS TO THE EDITOR 32 LEGAL REPORT A High Court case against the National Parks and Wildlife Service is outlined by Kevin Bowen, BL, Clonmel Branch. 58 STORMING THE CAPITOL John O’Brien, Dublin North Branch & The Central Committee, recounts the attack on the US Capitol Building on 6 January, when the world witnessed the mob behaviour and reckless actions of 34 PENSIONS UPDATE 51 GSRMA CENTENARY UPDATE Donald Trump’s supporters. ‘Building Momentum’ is an extension of Rita Delaney, Central Committee & previous pay agreements including the Dublin West Branch, provides an update Public Sector Stability Agreement (2018- on the GSRMA’s Centenary Project 63 ANOTHER KENNEDY 20). The pay terms have been voted on, ‘Capturing Our History’. TRAGEDY and accepted by an overwhelming majority Reflecting on the tragic aircraft incident of union representatives, writes Joe Dirwan, Central Committee & Monaghan which claimed the life of JFK Junior Branch. 52 GARDA CENTENARY in 1999, Tony Ruane, Dublin North COMMEMORATIONS Branch, remembers the time he spent An Garda Síochána and the GSRMA on security detail in 1967 to mind are planning a series of events to Jacqueline Kennedy, her young son appropriately commemorate our Force, and daughter, during their visit to born at a time when Ireland had just Waterford. achieved her independence and was about to embark on a Civil War, writes John Duffy, Dublin West Branch. 68 A PERFECT STORM If Ireland hadn’t been so engulfed in 41 HEALTH & WELLBEING political turmoil during the revolutionary Cara Craoibh is a self-help initiative period, then lessons learned from that continues to provide training, the Spanish Flu of 1918-19 would an invaluable support structure and have given this generation a greater advice on mental health and wellbeing comprehension of how to deal with this on recommended coping mechanisms current Covid-19 pandemic, writes Bart during lockdown. Faulkner, Dublin South Branch. 2 Síocháin CONTENTS 72 ANCIENT GAME OF HURLING 90 MEETING THE POPE With prehistoric origins the game of Recalling the first papal visit of Pope John hurling has been played in Ireland for Paul II to Knock in September 1979, John GSRMA EDITORIAL at least 3,000 years and has never been Hynes, Roscommon Branch, says that BOARD little did he realise the role he would as popular as it is today, writes Noel Mick Lernihan Hynes, Naas Branch. Here he takes us later play as President of the Knock Shrine Society in preparation for the visit (Editor & General Secretary) on a journey from the Battle of Moytura in August 2018 of Pope Francis, whom near Cong, Co. Mayo in 1272 BC, to he had the opportunity to meet in the Hayes’s Hotel in Thurles in 1884 Vatican the following year. and beyond. 94 SHORT STORIES 79 GARDA CONTROL ROOM Appointed Garda Technician as Clerk of Works to oversee the installation of 105 GSRMA SOCIAL OUTINGS Billy Saunderson the new Control Room in Dublin Castle in 1973, Noel Geary, Naas Branch, 106 MEMORABILIA PAGE looks back at the new system of radio communications and technology, before MEMBERSHIP FORM it was transferred to Harcourt Square in 107 the mid-1980s. 108 OBITUARY NOTICES John O’Brien 114 BOOK REVIEWS 118 ARCHIVE SNAPSHOTS 128 SPRING CROSSWORD 130 IN THE FRAME Michael Coleman 84 CLONBANIN AMBUSH Christopher Warner relates the heroic 132 POETRY CORNER story of Kerry’s Maurice Slattery, who was taken hostage during the ambush 136 BULLETIN BOARD against a British military convoy and later joined the new Garda force before his NOTICEBOARD retirement over 40 years later in 1965. 144 SÍOCHÁIN is published by Ocean Publishing, 14 Upper Fitzwilliam Street, Dublin 2. Tel: 01-6785165; Garda Síochána Retired Members’ Email: [email protected] Website: www.oceanpublishing.ie Association, Managing Director: Patrick Aylward GSRMA House, In-House Editor: Grace Heneghan In-House Designer: John Sheridan 5 Harrington Street, Dublin 8. 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 Ombandsman. In addition to defending the freedom of the press, the scheme offers readers a quick, fair and free Email: [email protected] method of dealing with complaints that they may have in relation to articles that appear on our pages. To contact the office of the Press Ombudsman visit www.pressombudsman.ie or www.presscouncil.ie or LoCall 1890 208 080. Website: www.gardaretired.com The views expressed in SIOCHAIN, unless expressly stated, do not necessarily reflect the views of the Editor, the Editorial Board, the GSRMA, Ocean Publishing, the Garda Commissioner or An Garda Síochána. Opinions expressed YOU CAN ALSO by the authors and services offered by advertisers are not specifically endorsed by the GSRMA. All rights reserved. No FOLLOW US ON part of SIOCHAIN may be reproduced or used in any form or by any means without the written permission from the Editorial Board and the Publisher. Copyright © 2021 Siocháin. Facebook www.facebook.com/GardaRetired Síocháin 3 ASSOCIATION NEWS BALLINA NEWS Votes of sympathy: At a recent branch zoom meeting, chaired by chairman Jim Friel, votes of sympathy were passed to the following who suffered family bereavements recently: • The family of the late retired Sgt Cyril Collins who passed away on 5 December. Cyril was a native of Newcastle West, Co. Limerick and spent his entire service in Mayo Division, serving in Castlebar, Mulranny, Tourmakeady, Ballycastle and Ballina. He was awarded Scott Medals on two occasions for his acts of bravery, which he modestly described