A second senior garda has taken early retirement following the publication last week of the first module inquiring into certain garda activities in Donegal by Mr Justice Frederick Morris.
Supt John P O'Connor met the Garda Commissioner, Mr Noel Conroy, yesterday and late last night the Garda Press Office said he was retiring from the force on September 1st.
Last week it was announced that Chief Supt Denis Fitzpatrick will take early retirement from September 1st after he was criticised in the Morris report. He was Border superintendent in Donegal in the early 1990s.
Chief Supt Fitzpatrick had been in charge of the Garda's National Traffic Bureau when his retirement was announced.
The Morris report found that Supt O'Connor had attempted to lessen his role in the events in Donegal during his evidence to the tribunal, which it deemed disingenuous.
As officer in charge of the Buncrana district, Supt O'Connor said he had accepted that Ms Adrienne McGlinchey was an IRA informer. It was found that he "kept himself well away" from Ms McGlinchey, and failed to investigate the concerns some of his officers had about her credibility.
Supt O'Connor joined An Garda Síochána in 1967, and served along the Border as a sergeant in Pettigo, Co Donegal, between 1973 and 1975 and in Letterkenny between 1975 and 1986, when he was promoted to Inspector.
In 1993 he was promoted to superintendent and transferred to Buncrana as District Officer.
Before his sudden retirement announcement last night, he served in Tralee. He transferred from his position in Donegal to take up his post in Kerry in 1996.