Abbeylara tribunal grants representation to named gardai

The Barr tribunal, investigating the shooting dead of John Carthy in Abbeylara, has granted legal representation to nine named members of the Emergency Response Unit and 27 other gardaí on duty during the siege.

It was the first time the names some of the gardaí involved in the operation were made public.

Full representation was also granted to the Garda Commissioner, Mr Pat Byrne, on behalf of the force as a whole, and for all officers who had relevant involvement with the case.

Mrs Rose Carthy and Ms Marie Carthy, mother and sister of Mr Carthy, who was shot dead as he walked from his Co Longford home on April 20th, 2000, after a 25-hour siege, were granted limited representation.

Two GPs who treated Mr Carthy until his death, Dr Patrick Cullen and Dr Gerard Meagher, were also granted limited representation. Dr David Shanley, consultant psychiatrist to Mr Carthy, was granted full representation.

The ERU members granted representation included Det Sgt Michael Jackson, who acted as negotiator during the siege, Det Garda Michael Sullivan, Det Sgt Gerard Russell and Det Garda Aidan McCabe. At Mr Carthy's inquest, Det Garda McCabe was said to have fired the fatal shot as Mr Carthy emerged from the house carrying a firearm.

The other ERU members granted representation are Garda William Sisk, Garda Ronan Carey, Garda Tony Ryan, Garda Joseph Finnegan and Garda Oliver O'Flaherty.

The other named members of the Garda up to the rank of inspector who were granted representation are: Martin Maguire, Longford Garda station; Frank Reynolds, Granard, Co Longford; Alan Murray, Mullingar, Co Westmeath; Eugene Boland, Athlone, Co Westmeath; Sinéad Cunniffe, Longford; Eugene Dunne, Mullingar; James Campbell, Granard;

Colin White, Longford; Maeve O'Gorman, Maynooth, Co Kildare; Gerard Barrins, Longford; Anthony Foley, Athlone; Tom Dooley, Edgeworthstown, Co Longford; Peter Early, Granard;

Mary Mangan, Longford; Oliver Cassidy, Granard; Daniel Monaghan, Longford; David Martin, Granard; Turlough Bruen, Mohill, Co Leitrim; Frank McHugh, Granard; John Boyle, Granard;

Blaithín Moran, Garda Headquarters, Phoenix Park, Dublin; John Gibbons, Westport, Co Mayo; Justin Browne, Smear; Jack Kilroy, Longford; Mary Ann O'Boyle, Galway; Desmond Nally, Granard, and John Quinn, Athlone.

Representation in each case was granted in the form of solicitor briefing two senior and one junior counsel, with the exception of the two GPs for whom representation of solicitor briefing one junior counsel was granted.

The tribunal will formally begin on February 12th in Longford.