Mick Clifford: The Evan Fitzgerald case still demands answers the State has failed to provide

The limited Garda ombudsman investigation leaves fundamental questions about accountability, proportionality and State oversight unanswered, argues Mick Clifford

Evan Fizgerald. The 22-year-old died from self-inflicted gunshot wounds at the Fairgreen Shopping Centre on June 1, 2025.

In the hurried week running up to the August bank holiday, it was determined there was nothing more to see here in the case of Evan Fitzgerald. This should not come as a surprise to anybody familiar with how the State and its agencies deal with awkward, uncomfortable or even scandalous issues. In the absence of political or public pressure, matters that should be investigated for learnings and to address the pain of affected citizens are quietly shelved.

Fitzgerald, aged 22,  took his own life after entering the Fairgreen Shopping Centre in Carlow on June 1, 2025. He was carrying a shotgun which he had acquired — most likely stolen — from a neighbour. He shot himself in a public and terrifying manner.