Gardaí honoured with bravery awards
Garda Commissioner Drew Harris at the Scott Medal award ceremony at Dublin Castle: 'This is a real reassurance to the public of the service we provide and the exceptional lengths members of An Garda Síochána will go to to protect the public.' Picture: Brian Lawless/PA Wire
Garda Commissioner Drew Harris said 13 awards given to gardaí and their families for bravery provides a “real reassurance” to the public of the service members provide and the “exceptional lengths” they will go to to protect them.
Three of the Scott medals were given posthumously and followed a trawl through the history of the organisation, resulting in recognition of the bravery of three detectives shot by the IRA in August 1940.
Two of the gardaí, Detective Sergeant Patrick McKeown and Detective Garda Richard Hyland, were fatally wounded, while their colleague Detective Garda Michael Brady was seriously injured.
All three received the Gold Scott Medal – the highest decoration. Nine Bronze Scott medals and one Silver Scott medal were also awarded at the ceremony, held in Dubh Linn Gardens in Dublin Castle.
“This is a real reassurance to the public of the service we provide and the exceptional lengths members of An Garda Síochána will go to to protect the public,” Commissioner Harris said.
Referring to three posthumous awards, he said many gardaí in the past were not recognised at the time for the duties they performed.
Justice Minister Heather Humphreys said the awards were given for “truly heroic action” by the gardaí concerned, actions she said that were “over and beyond the call of duty”.
She said: “It’s important to recognise that bravery. They do put their lives at risk and when they get up in the morning they don’t know what they are going to face.”
She said it was “especially poignant” for those receiving posthumous awards and their families.
