CAVAN MONAGHAN GARDA DIVISIONAL CENTENARY HONOURS HISTORY OF POLICING IN IRELAND SINCE 1922

By Veronica Corr

Sunday morning may have been inclement for the Gardaí on parade celebrating 100 years of policing with the community, but that didn’t stop members past and present, of all ranks and units within the service from observing this landmark anniversary in Carrickmacross, which was selected to host the Cavan Monaghan Division’s Centenary Celebrations. People of all ages were there and children, some of whom may have been inspired to become Gardaí themselves on the day, got to experience having their fingerprints taken as part of the open day at the Civic Offices.

It was a fascinating event to attend and Liam Bradley, Curator of Monaghan County Museum was an excellent choice to carry out the role of Master of Ceremonies for the academic part of proceedings in the Council Chamber. There was a series of three lectures: 1) Professor Fergal McGarry, author of the biography entitled ‘Eoin O’Duffy: A Self-Made Hero’, spoke about the Laragh native who was the second Garda Commissioner ever. The author described the subject of his book as a man of “huge virtues and considerable flaws”; 2) One of the organisers of the Centenary Celebrations, Sergeant John Reynolds delivered a hugely informative presentation on the foundation of The Civic Guard by none other than Michael Collins and the early history of how An Garda Siochana came into being; 3) Rita Delaney, Chairperson…