Hero Longford garda honoured for bravery saving stricken colleague held at gunpoint

Retired Garda Superintendent and Longfordian Joseph O'Sullivan received a Silver Scott Medal last Friday, the highest award that can be bestowed by An Garda Síochána, for bravely saving his colleague.

Garda Commissioner Justin Kelly honoured retired, serving and deceased members of the force for their courage, dedication and professionalism during the special ceremony on Friday.

The Clonahard native, who joined An Garda Síochána in March 1967, spent many years working in the Cavan and Monaghan area and he was praised for his “exceptional courage and bravery involving personal risk to life in execution of his duty”.

Minister for Justice, Jim O’Callaghan attended the ceremony where nine Scott medals were awarded including two gold medals (posthumously), four silver medals and three bronze medals.

Then Garda O’Sullivan and Garda Kevin Carty were on border patrol on August 8, 1973, when they visited several county Monaghan border crossing points.

The two officers parked their patrol car and walked across a number of fields on high ground in the townland of Drumnart, which overlooked the Northern Ireland border crossing area.

Garda O’Sullivan and Garda Carty discovered two men, one armed with a rifle and another using a pair of binoculars, who appeared to be conducting surveillance in the area.

The pair attempted to quickly flee when they realised they had been seen and the gardaí pursued them.

Garda O’Sullivan quickly caught and detained the unarmed individual, while Garda Carty followed and secured the second armed individual.

Despite the significant danger involved, Garda O'Sullivan, who was moving with his prisoner, followed Garda Carty and he assisted his colleague who was at this point being held by the throat by the armed man.

A short time later Garda O'Sullivan took possession of and secured the rifle after it had fallen to the ground and he helped Garda Carty and the second man was subsequently subdued and arrested.

Garda O'Sullivan was praised for his bravery and courage during the incident during Friday's ceremony.

He was also in Killeshandra, county Monaghan in May 1974 when when he heard Loyalist bombs in the distance being detonated in nearby Monaghan Town.

The atrocity was one of the bloodiest days of the Troubles killing several people. In this audio, Joe speaks about some of the victims, who he knew personally.

The Monaghan and Dublin bombings killed 34 innocent people and injured nearly 300 during one of the bloodiest days of the Troubles.

Garda O'Sullivan rushed to the area to offer his assistance in Monaghan town and he knew four of the victims personally, George Williamson, Peggy White, John Travers and Archibald Harper.

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