SÍOCHÁIN The Official Magazine of the Garda Síochána Retired Members’ Association TOM PETERS IS LAID TO REST FUNERAL FOR GOLD SCOTT MEDAL HOLDER WINTER 2015 ISSNWinter 1649-5896 2018 ISSN 1649-5896 www.gardaretired.com SCAN QR CODE FOR www.gardaretired.com MEMBERS’ AREA EDITORIAL COMMENT EAR-MARKING 2020 TO ADDRESS PENSION NEST EGG At this time of year, for the past decade, the Garda Síochána Retired Members’ Association, like all fellow colleagues in public service retirement, reflect on when, if ever, we can expect an increase in our hard-earned pensions, writes Paschal Feeney, GSRMA General Secretary. s your General Secretary €140 and the least you can AI have been telling you receive is €1, but only if you at various AGMs over the continue to pay that dreaded years that 2020 is the year PSPR levy. ear-marked by Government However, if you retired to address this issue, and after 29 February 2012 and hopefully we can expect to prior to 31 October 2017, receive a sizeable increase then you do not come within then, given the huge sacrifices this catchment area. In fact, we have made in the public up to this you have received interests since our economy no redress whatsoever. This collapsed. is where the Pay & Pensions Likewise we have never Act 2017 comes into play for deflected in our vision that those members. the parity rule shall remain These members receive a in place, despite enabling 1% increase in pension due legislation in 2012, (Public since 1 January 2018, with Service Pensions (Single a further 1% increase due Scheme and Other Provisions ( since 1 October 2018. These Act 2012) to attempt to treat increases were paid to those us differently. Thankfully the members on 1 November. relevant sections within that What should have been a Act have no Commencement seamless exercise has, in fact, Order attached to them, as been otherwise. yet. The Department of Justice have had to be pulled The Pay & Pensions Act 2017 was in effect the first and dragged on paying these members what has been National Wage Agreement since ‘Towards 2016’ back rightfully theirs under legislation. The excuses offered, in 2006; but it’s a National Wage Agreement like no such as “the calculations were complex and intricate”, other. The reason being that those in the working public have been simply appalling. service are being paid different levels, depending on Other public departments have not experienced this circumstances. problem. Public service retirees in those departments Likewise those in retirement are paid differently. FEMPI have received these increases since early 2018. Perhaps legislation introduced to address the question of pension the Department of Justice should look to recruit some of restoration is coming to an end. If you are still paying the mathematical geniuses before they are snapped up PSPR (Public Service Pension Reduction) and lots of us elsewhere. continue to do so, then on 1 January 2019 (next Pay Day) The Department is at pains to state these increases you will receive a reduction of up to €140 per month on would have happened regardless of the barrage of that levy. correspondence to An Taoiseach and other Ministers. Be mindful if you no longer pay PSPR then you will History in Garda Síochána, be it serving or retired, would not receive this. Likewise the maximum you are receive is teach us otherwise. Síocháin 1 SÍOCHÁIN CONTENTS The Official Magazine of the Garda Síochána Retired Members’ Association The Official Magazine of the Garda Síochána Retired Members’ Association TOM PETERS IS LAID TO REST FUNERAL FOR GOLD SCOTT MEDAL HOLDER WINTER 2015 ISSNWinter 1649-5896 2018 ISSN 1649-5896 www.gardaretired.com SCAN QR CODE FOR Winter 2018 www.gardaretired.com MEMBERS’ AREA Volume 47 • Issue 4 • ISSN 1649-5896 Cover photo by Luke Wynne. 4 CHRISTMAS GREETINGS 72 SHORT STORY 95 POLICE 5 NATIONS • President of Ireland Michael D. COMPETITION The GSRMA wishes to congratulate Higgins The winners of the GSRMA Short the Garda Síochána fly-fishing team • GSRMA President Matt Givens Story Competition 2018, who on netting the first-ever ‘Back- • Garda Commissioner Drew were presented with their prizes to-Back Championship victory at Harris at Dublin’s Skylon Hotel in mid- the Police 5 Nations Fly-fishing • Minister for Justice & Equality November, were applauded by the Championship 2018 on Lough Charles Flanagan TD adjudicators for submitting such Corrib in early September. • Garda Chaplain Fr Joe Kennedy unique and individual short stories. • Garda Chaplain Rev. David Pierpoint 17 ALLIANCE REPORT Retired public servants (including Gardaí) will have to play a more active role in the Alliance of Retired Public Servants (ARPS) in order to protect the true value of their pensions, according to Joe Dirwan, ARPS Vice Chairman GSRMA Central 81 LIFESAVING FOUNDATION Committee Member. The GSRMA is supporting a number of Lifesaving Foundation research 99 CAVAN MILITARY initiatives as part of the Garda MEMORIAL 19 ASSOCIATION NEWS Commissioner Eamonn Doherty Following the first-ever military and Police Research Project, which were historical event in Cavan Town in presented at the Foundation’s 2018 August, organised by the O’Neill 47 IN-HOUSE REPORT Drowning Prevention and Rescue Branch of ONE, with support from Research Conference. Cavan County Council, Cavan Chamber of Commerce and Peace LETTERS TO THE EDITOR 55 IV, plans are now in the pipeline to 87 BORDER PATROL run the event in 2019. 63 GSRMA SOCIAL OUTINGS Jim Masterson, who joined An Garda Síochána on 8 January 1959, was firstly posted to Arklow, Co. 71 ST PAUL’S GARDA CREDIT Wicklow, where he remained for UNION eight months before his transfer to In keeping with the principle of Swords, Co. Dublin and he was then Member Economic Participation, St put on the Sergeant’s promotion list Paul’s Garda Credit Union proposes in late 1971. Here he recalls certain to return a 10% Rebate of Interest incidents during border patrol on all loans again this year. duties in Dundalk in 1972. 2 Síocháin CONTENTS 101 GARDA MICHAEL CLERKIN at the Church of St Paul of the A special plaque to honour Garda Cross, Mount Argus in Dublin, for Michael Clerkin, who was killed deceased members of the RIC (1836 GSRMA EDITORIAL to 1922) and DMP (1836 to 1925). by an IRA bomb in 1976, was BOARD unveiled by Charles Flanagan TD, Paschal Feeney Minister for Justice at Cloneyhurk BOOK REVIEWS (Editor & General Secretary) Hall, Portarlington, Co. Offaly in 109 September. 113 MEMORABILIA PAGE 103 TOM PETERS’ FUNERAL The funeral of retired D/Garda Tom 115 MEMBERSHIP FORM Peters took place at St Peter and Paul’s Church, Portlaoise on Monday 22 October. Tom had suffered 117 OBITUARY NOTICES Billy Saunderson lifelong injuries, sustained from the IRA bomb explosion in 1976 at Garryhinch, which culminated in the 130 HEALTH & WELLBEING loss of Tom’s sight and hearing. 136 ARCHIVE SNAPSHOTS 138 CROSSWORD Joe Ward 141 IN THE FRAME 143 POETRY CORNER 105 COMMEMORATION SERVICE For the past three consecutive 146 BULLETIN BOARD years, Margaret Cameron has John O’Brien attended the RIC and DMP Interdenominational Service, 152 NOTICEBOARD SÍOCHÁIN is published by Ocean Publishing, 14 Upper Fitzwilliam Street, Dublin 2. Tel: 01-6785165; Email: [email protected] Website: www.oceanpublishing.ie Garda Síochána Retired Managing Director: Patrick Aylward Members’ Association, In-House Editor: Grace Heneghan GSRMA House, In-House Designer: Catherine Doyle 5 Harrington Street, PRESS CONCIL OF IRELAND Dublin 8. 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 Tel: 01-4781525 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. Fax: 01-4785127 Email: [email protected] 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 Website: www.gardaretired.com by the authors and services offered by advertisers are not specifically endorsed by the GSRMA. All rights reserved. No part of SIOCHAIN may be reproduced or used in any form or by any means without the written permission YOU CAN ALSO FOLLOW US ON from the Editorial Board and the Publisher. Copyright © 2018 Ocean Publishing Facebook www.facebook.com/GardaRetired Twitter www.twitter.com/GardaRetired Síocháin 3 Christmas Message MESSAGE FROM PRESIDENT MICHAEL D. HIGGINS I would like to send my best wishes to the members of the Garda Síochána Retired Members’ Association (GSRMA). would also like to thank you for the valuable, in fact crucial, contribution you made to our society throughout your working lives. The spirit of active participation and human solidarity that propped you into public service remains evident in the many different ways you continue to contribute to society and enrich the lives of your community. Christmas is a time of year that we associate with joy and expectation and wonder. It brings with it a warm glow that lights up the darkness of mid-winter and makes our thoughts turn to family and friendship and Christmases past. Christmas is also a time when we begin to say goodbye to one year, and to look forwards with hope to a new year to come. I am aware, however, that some amongst you will have suffered loss or difficulties during 2018. I can assure you that my thoughts are with you, and I wish you a renewed sense of serenity and optimism as we enter a new year.