THE local Garda team in the armed stand off at the Co Cavan farmhouse includes officers with considerable experience in armed situations.
The proximity of the Isenborger house to the Border means that the district officer in charge of the stand off, Supt RJ. Browne, who transferred to the area from Dublin last year, has access to a ready supply of plain clothes officers experienced in armed situations.
The officer in overall command is Chief Supt Colm Rooney, the divisional officer for Cavan Monaghan. He has been stationed in Monaghan for two years and is one of the youngest at that rank.
Like many of the officers involved in the stand off, Chief Supt Rooney is from the region. He was a sergeant in Ballyconnell in 1980 when he detected an attempt by the Ulster Defence Association to kill Mr Francis McGirl, the local IRA man acquitted of murdering Lord Mountbatten. The three UDA men were caught.
Chief Supt Rooney went on to serve with the armed wings of the gardai, including the Emergency Response Unit, before promotion.
Det Supt Bill Somers, who is in direct charge of the negotiations with Mr Isenborger, is an authority on negotiation in armed situations. He lectures officers in negotiation technique.
He was transferred to Monaghan on promotion last year. He narrowly missed being shot dead during the operation to free the kidnapped Quinnsworth executive, Mr Don Tidey. Supt Somers was one of the leading party of gardai which confronted the IRA gang holding Mr Tidey. A bullet passed through his clothing during the shoot out.
Supt P.J. Browne, the district officer in Ballyconnell, was one of the most prominent figures in the "Kerry Babies" affair. He was later a member of the Garda's Anti racketeering Squad, which was dismantled because of internal problems.
Insp Tighe Foley, who is working with Supt Somers in the negotiations, is also experienced in potentially life threatening situations. He has served for most of his career in plain clothes duties on the Border, aside from a period with the old Murder Squad.