Dundalk priest tells of ‘incredible pain’ over Golden murder

A Dundalk priest, who presided over the funeral of murdered Det Garda Adrian Donohoe two years ago, says there is "incredible pain" in the community following the killing of Garda Tony Golden last weekend.

Fr Michael Cusack said there was a “palpable anger” from the Garda force and community at the “brutal murder” of Garda Golden.

He said his heart went out to everyone who felt pain, loss and fear following the killing of the 36-year-old father of three young children.

“The whole area of justice or the lack of it in the country, the whole court system, it’s all that people are talking about,” Fr Cusack said.

“What Tony Golden did was absolutely heroic, it’s the best of humanity coming forward as a human being to protect a vulnerable woman.”

Garda Golden was shot dead after he responded to a domestic dispute in Co Louth during the weekend.

“There’s a complete cowardice on anyone who will beat their spouse or their partner, and utter cowardice in the act that ended Tony Golden’s life,” Fr Cusack said.

He told the Today with Seán O'Rourke programme crime levels continued to rise around the Border areas.

He said people could not leave their homes to go to a church event, such as a funeral or wedding, without having a family member guard their house.

“There’s something very wrong in this country when people cannot feel safe in their homes.

“It’s a terrible state of affairs, that sense of violation of one’s own space.”

Fr Cusack said his thoughts were with the spouses, partners and parents of serving members of An Garda Síochana during the State funeral of Garda Golden on Thursday.

“This is a terribly burdensome time for each and every one of them as they feel the pain of their loss and that sense of fear that this could also be visited on their families at some stage.”

Fr Cusack has spoken out this week about the need for more policing resources for the area.