‘Proud’ Longford garda honoured for ‘exceptional bravery’ reflects on 41 years service

A Longford man has been honoured after saving his partner from gunpoint at an incident in Monaghan more than fifty years ago. 

Former Garda Superintendent Joe O'Sullivan was awarded the Silver Scott Medal in a ceremony which took place at the An Garda Síochána National Bureau Headquarters, Walter Scott House on October 24. 

The Silver Scott medal is the highest honour which can be bestowed by the Garda Commissioner and is awarded for exceptional bravery and heroism involving the risk of life in the execution of duty. 

Speaking after receiving the prestigious award, Joe said, "It was a great honour for me, I'm very proud and very honoured to get it."

The incident in question happened on August 8, 1973, the Clonahard native alongside his partner Garda Kevin Carty were on border patrol visiting a number of border crossing points across County Monaghan. 

During their visit to the townland of Drumnart, they parked their patrol car and started to walk across some fields to high ground which was overlooking the border crossing point which led into Northern Ireland. 

Garda O'Sullivan and Garda Carty discovered two males who were conducting surveillance with one of the men equipped with binoculars and the other armed with a rifle. 

The gunman tried to discharge the firearm at the Gardaí only for it to jam as the men then attempted to flee, with the Gardaí immediately in pursuit. Garda O' Sullivan quickly and effectively apprehended one of the men whilst Garda Carty pursued the armed man. 

Garda O'Sullivan, who was moving with the prisoner followed Garda Carty in order to provide assistance to his partner. Garda O'Sullivan observed the armed man gripping Garda Carty's throat using the gun. 

READ MORE: Longford Carer of Year Grace represents the compassion we see every day among family carers

Garda O'Sullivan secured the rifle which had fallen to the ground and rushed to the aid of Garda Carty and the male was subsequently subdued and arrested. 

Reflecting on the event more than 52 years later, Joe explained, "We didn't know these lads were there at all, we just walked in on them accidentally and our reaction was spontaneous. When you're looking down the barrel of a gun, the message doesn't be long getting through to you."

When asked if the incident changed his approach and outlook on the job, Joe said, "Not at all, no, if you're a professional guard, then you just go about your job everyday doing it to the best of your ability and you just try to be fair and do it in an impartial manner, that's the way it was, the way it is and the way it always will be."

Caption: Former Garda Superintendent and Longford native Joe O'Sullivan with his Silver Scott Medal (right) pictured with Garda Commissioner Justin Kelly and Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration Jim O’Callaghan TD at the awards ceremony 

Detailing how the award transpired, the Longford native stated, "The former Garda commissioner reviewed a lot of these incidents around the country and he decided I should get a Silver Scott medal as a result of it and I'm very pleased to get it."

The award came as the culmination of a distinguished career where Joe served in Longford, Monaghan and Cavan reaching the status of Garda Superintendent.

Looking back to where it all started for him, Joe remarked, "I was born and raised in Clonahard in Longford, I grew up in the late 50s and early 60s, times weren't as good as they are now, I was a farmer's son, a typical product of hard times, I'm sure everybody else was the same, I was no different to anybody else."

READ NEXT: Man pleads guilty to manslaughter in first degree of Longford town native Sarah McNally

Joe gave an insight into his upbringing and childhood in Longford. "I had three brothers and three sisters, I was the eldest. I went to primary school in St Michael's (the old school) and I went to secondary school in St Mel's college. Money wasn't plentiful during that time like it is now and people had nothing but they were happy times." 

He says it was simply a different time when it came to career prospects, "When you go back to the 1960s, when you left school, you either joined the civil service or you emigrated, times have changed since, it's a different world now than it was back then."

Joe decided to join the Guards after finishing school. "I did my leaving cert in June of 1966 and I joined the guards in March of '67, I always wanted to join the guards, there was no reason in particular, I admired the guards and role they played in society, I didn't know anyone that was a guard at that time but I was very happy to join them."

That career path would take him to Monaghan but Joe embraced the move, "I left home when I was 18 in 1967 and I'm living in Monaghan ever since, it was a long time ago, 58 years ago.

"It may have been a daunting change for many but Joe assures, "it wasn't a big deal when you're young, only 18, 19 years of age, I settled in well up there and got married to a Monaghan woman in 1971 and the rest is history." 

They had five children and Joe illustrates the influence the garda profession had on the family stating, "We had three girls and two boys, the three girls are in the guards, one's a sergeant in Drogheda, another is in the National Bureau of Crime Investigations (NBCI), she works around the country in major investigations and my other daughter is in the national unit of people trafficking in the NBCI as well."

After seeing his daughters join and excel in the force, Joe declared, "I was very proud of them, it carries on the tradition, there was guards in the house all the time, they obviously looked up to their father and were attracted to the job he was doing."

After more than three decades away, Joe returned to work in his native Longford in 2001 but he insists that there wasn't any place to be sentimental about the homecoming. "The Commissioner promoted me to be a Superintendent and he sent me to Longford so I did what I was told. It didn't make a difference to me where I went because you have a job to do and you just have to get on with it; you don't look outside of the jobs for things, you just do what you have to do."

He does concede, however, that "it was unique because I was away for 35 years at the time but I didn't really know many people aside from a few lads I went to school with."

READ MORE: PICTURES | Huge turnout in Longford for much anticipated sale of top class Pedigree livestock

When asked about the differences between working in the two counties, Joe explained, "Monaghan was a border station and Longford was not, there was slight differences but nothing major, policing is kind of a similar job no matter what part of the country you're in, you just have to deal with whatever issues come up each day."

Joe admitted that the new role of Garda Superintendent, which he held for the rest of his career, was both 'challenging and rewarding'.

He recounted the rest of his time in the service, "I only stayed a year in Longford, after which I did three years in Cavan and then was the Superintendent in Monaghan for the rest of my time before I retired in December of 2007. I did 41 years on the force in total." 

The former Garda Superintendent was very appreciative of his time with the force, "The one thing that sticks out, being in the guards was always good to me and it gave me a good livelihood and standard of living, that's what sticks out to me more than anything else." 

Pictures | See inside Longford's most expensive house

He continued, "I look back on my career now and I was very proud to be a guard, I did my job as best I could and I tried to serve the people of Monaghan, Cavan and Longford as best I could."

Joe concluded by praising his home county, "The people of Longford were always very supportive of the guards, they are supportive people, the guards can only operate when they have the support of the people and they have that in Longford in abundance, I was always very appreciative of it."