McCabe, O’Sullivan honoured - Lest we forget

Detective Garda Jerry McCabe, who was murdered by IRA terrorists in Co Limerick 22 years ago, was awarded the freedom of Limerick last night. His colleague Ben O’Sullivan was also honoured.

When the men convicted over McCabe’s death, Pearse McCauley and Kevin Walsh, were released from prison in 2009, they were greeted by Kerry Sinn Féin TD Martin Ferris, who has refused to condemn the murder. Mr Ferris might have been delegated to meet-and-greet because of his familiarity with the prison system. In 1984, he was sent to jail for 10 years for arms running. These are the kind of people SF would have us believe were frustrated civil rights activists.

Those protestations are laughable, but ring especially hollow in a week when SF promises to hold the incoming Garda commissioner, Drew Harris, “to account”. That an armed security team looks set to protect Mr Harris, when he takes up his role in September, and that he is likely to travel in an armoured vehicle, is a more accurate reflection of the situation.

Lest we forget, indeed.