GAA tribute for hero garda

GAA legend Mick O’Dwyer has led the tributes to Garda Ciaran Jones who lost his life while alerting motorists to dangerous floods.

GAA chiefs in Wicklow are to hold a minute’s silence and fly the Tricolour at half mast at the upcoming county club finals as a mark of respect to the footballer roundly described as a “gentleman”.

Justice Minister Alan Shatter and Garda Commissioner Martin Callinan praised the garda and expressed their sympathies to his family.

The 25-year-old was swept away by floods on Ballysmuttan Bridge, near Manor Kilbride, Co Wicklow, at about 7pm on Monday, as he went to warn motorists of the danger.

He was off duty at the time and was travelling in a car with his brother Alan, 14, and a friend.

He was one of two people who died as a result of the worst rainstorm to hit the east coast in living memory, which destroyed hundreds of homes and caused millions of euro worth of damage to property.

A second victim, Filipino care assistant Celia De Jesus, drowned after being trapped in her basement flat in Harold’s Cross, south Dublin, which was flooded by 3 metres of water from the Grand Canal.

The body of Garda Jones, from Manor Kilbride, was recovered yesterday morning. A postmortem will be conducted today.

His parents, John and Brenda, who were on holiday, flew back yesterday and joined Alan and daughter Michelle.

Mick O’Dwyer, who managed the senior county team between 2006 and 2011, said: “It’s a terrible, terrible tragedy. He was a walking gentleman. People generally say that when someone dies, but he was an exceptional gentleman and also an exceptional footballer, with great class and skill.”

Pat Mitchell of Wicklow GAA said: “Ciaran was a proper gentleman on and off the field. There was not a bad word from him or a bad streak. He was a role model for young men playing the game.”

Declan Bealin, chairman of Manor Kilbride GAA club, said he had been a “shining light” in the club since the age of 10 and that people were “numb”.

Neighbour and councillor James Ruttle said: “Ciaran was an iconic figure. He was much loved and we were very proud of him. He would always help other people and he was a professional garda.”

Garda Jones joined the force in September 2008 and was serving in Stepaside, Dublin.

Mr Shatter said Garda Jones was a dedicated member of the force and that “his courageous actions were in the finest traditions” of the force.

Garda Commissioner Martin Callinan said: “Ciaran was a popular member of the ‘W’ district (Blackrock, Dundrum and Stepaside) and a keen sportsperson who played Gaelic football for Co Wicklow. Ciaran was a valued and highly regarded member of An Garda Siochána and his local community of Manor Kilbride.”

The Government said it would conduct “an after review” of the crisis.