Garda’s death ‘ripped heart out of village’

THE heart was ripped out of an entire village by the death of a young garda who was killed after a car ploughed into his patrol vehicle, his state funeral heard yesterday.

About 200 gardaí from across the country stood shoulder to shoulder with the heartbroken family of Garda Gary McLoughlin during an emotional service in his native Fenagh, Co Leitrim.

The 24-year-old died on Monday morning after a car smashed into him while on duty near Burt, Co Donegal, on the main Letterkenny to Derry road.