Second officer resigns following report

A second senior garda criticised for his role in Donegal in the early 1990s by the hard-hitting Morris report has handed in his resignation, it emerged today.

Supt John P O’Connor, who was the officer in charge of the Buncrana district in Donegal, made his decision after a meeting with Garda Commissioner Noel Conroy.

One senior Garda retired last week after the first 500-page report from Justice Frederick Morris into certain Garda activities in Donegal was published.

Chief Supt Denis Fitzpatrick, who was a superintendent in Donegal in the early 1990s, last week also accepted early retirement from September 1 next.

Justice Morris found Supt O’Connor had attempted to limit his role in the events while giving evidence to the tribunal.

It also found Chief Supt Fitzpatrick and Supt O’Connor had not asked obvious questions about home-made explosives in Bridgend in 1994.

The report found him ultimately responsible for all investigations carried out in his area and accused him of negligence in relation to investigating the activities of two officers who faked explosive finds.

Justice Morris found Supt O’Connor and Supt Fitzpatrick had failed to properly examine information from Supt Kevin Lennon, Detective Garda Noel McMahon and Adrienne McGlinchey, who they claimed was an IRA informer.

Supt O’Connor had been in the force for 37 years and he was serving in Tralee when his early retirement was announced.

The Commissioner has begun proceedings to dismiss Det Garda McMahon from the force and the Government will consider the fate of Supt Lennon in September.