Warm tributes were paid at the weekend to Garda Chief Supt Tom Monaghan of the Galway division, who is one of two senior officers to have retired in the western region over the past month.
Chief Supt John Carey has also completed his term as head of the Mayo division, and was among a large number of gardaí to attend a function in Galway on Friday night for his colleague, Chief Supt Monaghan.
Mayor of Galway, Cllr Catherine Connolly (Lab), Garda Commissioner Noel Conroy, former Garda commissioner Pat Byrne and the Bishop of Galway, Dr James McLoughlin, were among the guests present.
Chief Supt Monaghan, originally from Mayo, has over 41 years of service in the Garda, much of it in the Border area during the height of the Troubles.
He began his career in the Cavan/Monaghan division. He was promoted to chief superintendent in June 1993 and assigned to the Galway West division. He has been chairman of the Association of Garda Chief Superintendents for a number of years.
Chief Supt Carey, also from Mayo, joined the Garda in 1965 and his first posting was in Tuam, Co Galway. A keen Gaelic footballer, he was on the Connacht team which won the Railway Cup in 1969.
