Garda Tony Golden RIP
Taoiseach Enda Kenny has condemned the desecration of a book of condolence for the late Garda Tony Golden.
The book was defaced by a member of the public at Drogheda Garda Station on Tuesday with details of the incident emerging over the weekend.
It had to be removed and it is reported that the person responsible could face criminal charges.
Speaking at a Fine Gael event in Dublin on Saturday, Enda Kenny said he was “dismayed” at the news.
4,000 Gardaí line the streets of Blackrock as part of the funeral cortege. Picture: Niall Carroll
Garda Tony Golden was described as “one of life’s gentlemen” at his State funeral in Oliver Plunkett Church today.
Thousands gathered in the seaside village, including an estimate 4,000 Garda colleagues, to pay their respects to the father of three, who was the 88th member of the force to be killed in the line of duty when he was shot dead in Omeath in Sunday.
The church was reserved for family members and official dignatories, including Taoiseach Enda Kenny, President Michael D Higgins and his wife Sabina, Garda Commissioner Noirin O’Sullivan, Justice Minister Frances Fitzgerald and the chief constable of the PSNI George Hamilton.
Chief celebrant Fr Padraig Keenan, parish priest of Blackrock and Haggardstown, told mourners it was difficult to imagine the grief caused by Garda Golden’s death.
“One cannot imagine the pain and hurt that is experienced by the loss of those who loved Garda Tony,” Fr Keenan said.
“Tony quietly let his light shine in so many ways through his life in a very humble way. Amidst our sadness may we be thankful for the charisma of his beautiful but too short life.”
A Ballina Stephanites GAA club jersey and hurley and family photographs were brought to the altar in memory of Garda Golden. A garda colleague, Kevin Cleary, presented some of Garda Golden’s favourite hobbies and snacks – a remote control, a can of Coke, crisps, ‘Drifter’ bar of chocolate and Hunky Dorys.
Father Keenan said news of Garda Golden’s death had shattered Co Louth and beyond on Sunday evening.
“In the stillness of a beautiful Sunday evening, last Sunday, we shared as a nation in the joy of a momentous sporting moment on the playing field of the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff,” he said.
“That stillness was shattered in the picturesque village of Omeath as it became the centre of national and international coverage in light of the tragic events that unfolded.
“The magnitude of what took place brings to mind all those who have been affected in so many ways.
“Tragically it resulted in the cold blooded murder of Garda Tony Golden in the line of duty. Murder is evil, murder has no place in our society. Murder must stop. All forms of violence must stop.
“We remember in our thoughts and prayers the young woman Siobhan who is seriously injured.
“Garda Tony is the 88th member of An Garda Síochána who has died protecting our country, our society and our community.
“It is 88 members too many.
“He like all the others is mourned by the entire nation.
“His murder brings to mind once again all the families and communities that have been affected on our island.”
Mourners heard how North Louth has been affected by the Troubles in years gone by and how Garda Golden’s death was a harsh reminder of the death of Detective Garda Adrian Donohoe at Lordship Credit Union in Bellurgan in January 2013.
“Too many hearts have been broken, and lives shattered,” Fr Keenan told the church.
“I say on this day, from the depths of my heart – and I am sure I speak for all people of goodwill – when I say that there is no place for violence in our society, violence is wrong, always wrong.
“As a husband, father, son, brother family member and friend, each and every one of his family circle expressed such love and pride for Tony.
“Tony was one of life’s gentlemen. As Patrick his brother said to me, “A big gentle giant”, a lovely man.
“He had a charisma that was calm, gentle and polite, as reflected in our second reading.
“Tony showed us a way to love that is better than anything else in life. Tony with Nicola believed in life, a life that gave them hope in the spirit of love.
“Tony made his time on this earth beautiful in so many ways, and in one’s brokenness, they will be the memories to be always treasured and cherished forever.”
He assured the congregation that Tony’s spirit would be with his three children as they grow up.
Gardaí had earlier escored Tony’s remains from his house in Sandygrove to the church, with thousands of his colleagues lining the way to the church.
Large screens were erected in Blackrock so mourners could watch the funeral proceedings, with RTÉ providing a live audio broadcast on their website.
Tony is survived by his wife Nicola (nee O’Sullivan), children Lucy, Alex and Andrew, parents Breege and David, brothers David, Kenneth, Patrick and Sean, sister Mary, parents-in-law Tony and Iris, sisters-in-law Majella, Laura, Aisling and Tara, brother-in-law Jonathan, aunts, uncles, cousins, nephews, nieces, relatives, friends and colleagues in An Garda Síochána.
Earlier, former Justice Minister and local TD Dermot Ahern described Blackrock as “shattered” by the tragedy.
“I’m a member of this community, born and bred, and we’re absolutely shattered,” he said.
“Tony’s wife is a local here; I know her and I know her parents very well. I knew Tony. And the whole place is just completely shattered with what’s happened.”
Burial will follow the funeral in Heynestown Cemetery.
Peter Fitzpatrick TD is expected to be selected to run alongside Fergus O’Dowd
The Fine Gael selection convention for the Louth/East Meath constituency will take place tomorrow night in the Crowne Plaza Hotel.
The party are expected to select two candidates to run in the forthcoming General Election.
Sitting TDs Fergus O’Dowd and Peter Fitzpatrick are expected to be given the nod. Deputy Fitzpatrick had initially withdrawn his name from the running ahead of last month’s original date for the convention but returned to the fold after reportedly receiving assurances from Taoiseach Enda Kenny that only two candidates would be put forward in Louth/East Meath.
It had originally been speculated that a third candidate might be put forward in mid-Louth, with Cllr Dolores Minogue linked to the role.
Cllr Dolores Minogue
Fine Gael councillor Dolores Minogue has hit out at local TD Peter Fitzpatrick, claiming he has “shafted” Mid-Louth.
Last week Deputy Fitzpatrick did a U-turn on his decision not to seek the Fine Gael nomination at next month’s selection convention on July 9th after reportedly receiving an assurance from Taoiseach Enda Kenny that the party would run just two candidates in the Louth/East Meath constituency.
Cllr Minogue, from Ardee, was heavily linked as a possible third Fine Gael candidate on the ticket, along with the likes of Cllr Colm Markey from Togher.
However, that no longer looks to be the case, with Cllr Minogue telling Michael Reade of LMFM this morning that she felt the party would now run just two candidates, Deputy Fitzpatrick in Dundalk and fellow sitting TD Fergus O’Dowd in Drogheda.
She told the station: “Of course I have ambition for Mid-Louth. I had a small chance on the 11th of June to get to convention but now I haven’t. The goalposts have moved since Peter done a u-turn. Reading the papers and listening to people he has got a cast-iron (promise) that it’s only going to be two candidates in Dundalk and Drogheda.”
She said it was disappointing that Deputy Fitzpatrick hadn’t come onto the likes of LMFM to explain himself and called on him to do so.
“ It’s disappointing that Peter is not coming to speak to the people he represents locally to explain his situation. He knows the party’s strategy now more than anybody and I would call for him to come on and explain it to the people he represents,” she said.
Peter Fitzpatrick TD
Louth TD Peter Fitzpatrick is set to do a u-turn and run for Fine Gael in the next General Election after all.
Last week the Belfry Gardens man announced that he would not be putting his name forward for next month’s selection convention with the party. He subsequently said that he may consider running as either an independent or for another political party.
However, Fitzpatrick has had a change of mind following a meeting with Taoiseach Enda Kenny.
In a statement this morning, the father of three said he had been “astonished” by the reaction to his initial decision.
“I have been astonished by the reaction that I have received from Fine Gael members and the large number of messages I have received from supporters and constituents outside the party,” he said.
“Therefore I have now decided to put my name forward for the selection convention on 9th July. If I am selected I am absolutely clear in my priority of helping to retain the two seats for Fine Gael in the Louth constituency and to return this Government to office to continue our work to secure the economic recovery.
“I look forward to the convention, to continue working on behalf of my constituents and, if successful, to being part of Fine Gael’s election team in Louth.”
The former Louth GAA boss has reportedly secured a commitment from the Fine Gael hierarchy that the party ticket in the constituency will comprise only two candidates.
Mr Fitzpatrick and fellow sitting TD Fergus O’Dowd will both now be hoping to hold their seats for Fine Gael, but will have to come through a selection convention on July 9th.
It had been speculated Fine Gael could have opted for a three candidate ticket in Louth, with the possibility of the third candidate being a woman.
Mr Kenny met Mr Fitzpatrick, who was elected to the Dáil in 2011, following the weekly meeting of the Fine Gael parliamentary party on Wednesday evening.
Pearse O’Hanrahan
A local descendant of one of those involved in the 1916 Easter Rising has hit out at the “diluted” role of relatives in the annual Arbour Hill Commemoration Ceremony.
President Michael D Higgins and Taoiseach Enda Kenny both attended the ceremony yesterday to honour the men and women of the Rising 99 years on.
However, Pearse O’Hanrahan, a grand-nephew of Micheal O’Hanrahan who was second-in-command at Boland’s Mill, said the role of relatives had been “diluted” at this year’s ceremony, with more prominence given to politicians.
This year 16 people were selected by lottery to represent the families who led the procession out of the church; then the politicians, the President, the Taoiseach and the Cabinet and then the rest of the families.
“Before last year, all the families went out first. It was a family Mass and a family occasion and then the politicians came after.
“But it’s been politicised now by diluting the role of the families,” Pearse told The Herald.
The former Dundalk Town Councillor has been attending the commemoration each year for the past 50 years and it has now become a family occasion.
Damien O’Callaghan, a great grand-nephew of Micheal O’Hanrahan, attended yesterday’s ceremony with his daughters Hazel (2) and Lily (6), who laid a flower in memory of her ancestor.
“We come here every year,” explained Damien, from Blackrock. “Lily is coming since she was two.”
The Dundalk No Household Tax group have come up with a humourous video to highlight what they believe has been bullying by the Government and Irish Water into forcing people into signing up for water charges around the country.
The five-minute YouTube video was directed and edited by Marcus Howard and is named the ‘FG (Funny Games) Party Unofficial Election video 2016’.
It features characters dressed up as the likes of Enda Kenny and Michael Noonan and ends with a selection of footage from various protests against water charges organised by the Right2Water campaign around the country.
Check it out above.
Enda Kenny will be in Dundalk today
Taoiseach Enda Kenny will be in Dundalk today to officially open a 1916 exhibition.
The ‘Birth of a Nation – the Evolution of Irish Nationhood 1641-1916′, exhibition will be staged in the County Museum, Dundalk and is the first in Ireland to take place as part of the 1916 centenary celebrations, which will evolve continually over 2015 and 2016.
Work on this major exhibition has been ongoing for almost two years with the public being called on to look through their homes and see if they had items for contribution.
An artist’s impression of the Narrow Water Bridge
Local TD Gerry Adams yesterday raised the future of the Narrow Water Bridge with An Taoiseach Enda Kenny.
They were speaking during Taoiseach’s Questions which focussed on the north but which also covered the Narrow Water Bridge because Sinn Féin had raised the matter during the Stormont House talks.
In response to the Sinn Féin leader, Enda Kenny said that: “The Government also remains committed to the Narrow Water bridge project.”
Speaking in the Dáil, Deputy Adams said: “I very much welcome the Taoiseach’s stated commitment to the Narrow Water bridge, which was restated today. Will he give some detail on the next phase of this very important and necessary piece of infrastructure? It is crucial. It has been spoken about, planned and lobbied for over the past 40 years.
“The region is less than an hour from Belfast and Dublin airports. One can go from the Boyne Valley and Neolithic history right up the east coast from Cromwellian times with the walled city of Drogheda, to the Vikings in Annagassan, nodding at Queen Medb and Cúchulainn, looking across the Cooleys and up into Slieve Gullion and the Mournes. This is an area of very important scenic and tourist potential.”
In his response the Taoiseach said: “Deputy Adams asked a question about the Narrow Water bridge… The Narrow Water project has obviously featured for a long time. The Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport, Deputy Paschal Donohoe, met representatives of Louth County Council recently. The project, as outlined to him, would cost €50 million. He asked Louth County Council to develop a viable proposition that would meet the suitability criteria for such a project. This would require work on both sides, as the Deputy knows. Assistance would have to be received from both jurisdictions.
“It is the promoters of the project that must take the initiative here. The Minister has, therefore, asked Louth County Council to examine how one could develop a proposal that would meet the criteria and yet deal with the objective, which is to have a physical link either side of the lough. Obviously, we are supportive of that. I am quite sure the Executive and the community will be also.”
Speaking afterward Deputy Adams said: “It isn’t enough for the government to pass the buck on this project. It has to step up to the plate financially in support of the Bridge and it must also provide advice and support for the efforts to secure additional funding from the EU.”
An Taoiseach, Enda Kenny TD, will officially open ‘Birth of a Nation – the Evolution of Irish Nationhood 1641-1916’, a new exhibition at the County Museum, Dundalk on Thursday.
The exhibition is the first in Ireland to take place as part of the 1916 centenary celebrations and will evolve continually over 2015 and 2016.
Work on this major exhibition has been ongoing for almost two years with the public being called on to look through their homes and see if they had items for contribution.
Museum Curator Brian Walsh is looking forward to seeing the reaction of those who have been involved in the creation of the exhibition.
“I am delighted that An Taoiseach will be present to join with those who have loaned prized possessions to this major exhibition. In Mr Kenny’s official opening of the exhibition, descendants of those who shaped Ireland will have their links with the birth of Irish nationhood given renewed respect and dignity.”
Talk of the Town 