Hundreds gather to remember Det Adrian Donohoe a year after his murder

The memory of Adrian Donohoe is everywhere in Lordship. His photo and jersey hang proudly inside the front door of St Patrick's football club. A steel arch outside the pitch bears his name, as does the stone plaque at the entrance to the credit union.

It was here, where the 41-year-old was murdered, that hundreds gathered to remember him on Saturday night. In front of the flowers and candles decorating the granite memorial, his wife Caroline and two children bowed their heads for several minutes silence at 9.30pm, exactly a year since the detective garda’s violent death.

The passing of time has not eased the pain. St Patrick's chairman Alan Duffy said the moment of "madness, greed and chaos" in which Adrian Donohoe lost his life is still fresh in everybody's mind.

'True role model'

“It might be a year ago but it seems like a few weeks ago,” he said. “It’s just so raw.” He described Garda Donohoe as a “true role model” who was well-loved and whose passing had left a “huge void”.

“We all miss Adrian,” he said. “People like that, they don’t come round too often.”

A lone piper led the procession for several miles along the road – on which the “giant of a man” would have driven countless times – up to St Patrick’s Gaelic grounds.

People of all ages, from toddler to pensioner, braved the weather to show support.

Local councillor Martin Murnaghan said the remembrance walk sent a clear message that the people of north Louth, Dundalk and the country want "justice for Adrian".

“There was a rally and a willingness for the community to come together to hope and pray for justice,” he said.

He said people were now hopeful that arrests and prosecutions would take place soon.

Lordship native Rose McEneaney said people had a sense of “frustration” and “anger” because no one had been punished for the crime. However, she added there was quiet confidence that those responsible would be caught.

Ms McEneaney, who is also a spokeswoman for St Patrick’s, added that the days leading up to the one year anniversary had been “very sad”.

“There was a lot of memories this week,” she said, recalling the night on which the father of two was killed.

“I had heard it was Adrian who was shot . . . I never for one moment thought he was dead. I couldn’t believe it, that such a thing could happen. He wasn’t two minutes down the road from his house”.

Garda Donohoe’s headstone is inscribed with the words: “Those we love don’t go away, they walk beside us every day.”