Memorial for murdered garda
11/06/2006 - 17:57:09
A garda murdered in a booby trap bomb in 1976 is to be remembered at a special ceremony where several of his retired colleagues who survived the atrocity will be honoured.
Garda Michael Clerkin was killed instantly and four other officers were seriously injured when a no-warning blast went off as they launched a raid on an isolated cottage in Garryhinch near the Laois/Offaly border .
Detectives in Portlaoise had been given a tip-off that an armed IRA gang were holed up in the house preparing for a daring raid on a nearby town.
But as the five strong garda team began searching for the gang, a 100lb bomb ripped the house apart with 24-year-old garda Clerkin and his colleague Det Garda Tom Peters taking its full force.
Garda Peters was blinded and has not worked since.
The Garda Siochana Retired Members’ Association have commissioned special Liddy Medals to honour him and former officers, Det Gda Ben Thornton, Sgt Jim Cannon and Gda Gerard Bohan.
A glass sculpture of a dove in flight has also been commissioned to give to Gda Clerkin’s family.
The presentation will be made at the GSRMA annual delegate conference in Dublin on Tuesday.
Gerard Lovett, general secretary of the GSRMA, said: “At the launch of this medal we felt it appropriate nearly 30 years after the incident that we remember the sacrifice made.
“The medals remember officers seriously injured in the line of duty and we also thought it was appropriate to honour the family.”
The Liddy Medals are named after Sean Liddy who fought in the War of Independence, sat in the Dail and rose to the rank of Chief Superintendent in An Garda Siochana. He died in 1965.
It is the first year the medals have been awarded.
Twelve republican suspects were arrested in Laois and Dublin in the days following the horrific atrocity but no-one has ever been charged with the crime and it remains unsolved.
