Long-serving North Cork superintendent retires

Just days ahead of his retirement, hundreds of people gathered at the Hibernian Hotel in Mallow, Co Cork, to honour Supt Pat McCarthy .

Born in Caheragh, near Skibbereen, he joined the gardaí in October 1975, and spent 36 out of his 40 years policing the North Cork area. The married, father of five, was also known for his rugby prowess playing for Charleville, Garryowen, and the garda national team.

He was involved in a number of high-profile operations including the discovery of a IRA arms dump in Newmarket in the early 1990s and in the security operation for the Eurovision Contest in Millstreet in 1993.

Supt McCarthy said he would miss the camaraderie of the force. “I’ve made some great friends over the years and met some exceptional people… The job has changed immensely in the past 40 years. The rank of superintendent is now very demanding and there are not enough days in the week to do your work.”