Tributes as police ‘legend’ retires after 40 years

TRIBUTE upon tribute have been heaped on the man who trained nearly one-third of the current serving gardaí, as he retired from the force after 40 years of service.

More than 300 people — including former Garda commissioners, Fachtna Murphy and Noel Conroy — attended a special function on Friday to mark the retirement of Chief Superintendent Kieran McGann, who started his career in Fermoy, Co Cork, as an ordinary member of the force and finished it there as a very senior policeman.

Only a few years ago the native of Bellharbour, Co Clare, was promoted to director of training at the Garda College in Templemore and oversaw the policing education of the biggest influx of recruits in the history of the state — 4,228.