Two Gardaí officers, Insp Joseph Finnegan and Sgt Kieran Flynn, have been recognised with Scott medals for their immense courage and exceptional efforts in the force’s first-ever live rescue mission. The celebrated rescue took place over two decades ago, in October 1997, when the forces’ underwater unit faced serious difficulties while executing a daring cave rescue in Co Mayo.
The rescue officers were initially called to save three survivors trapped in sea caves near Lady’s Bay, Belderrig during adverse conditions and complete darkness. However, the situation required a follow-up daylight operation to retrieve the bodies of two unfortunate individuals who didn’t make it.
Despite the daunting 15-20ft waves crashing into the cave, Insp Finnegan and Sgt Flynn bravely navigated to the rear of the area. Supported by their colleagues on a boat, they managed to recover the remains using ropes and flotation devices during a challenging 90-minute mission.
Insp Finnegan recounted that they had initially been alerted to the fact that a family had not returned from a boating trip, triggering a local search operation. The discovery of the family trapped in the depths of a cave lead to their unit’s involvement. Up until that incident, the underwater team’s responsibilities had primarily been focused on recovery missions.
The rescue team was flown by helicopter to Co Mayo, landing in a farmer’s field in the cover of darkness with the help of tractor lights guiding their safe touchdown. The subsequent rescue of the three survivors then revealed the unfortunate demise of two others, prompting a second successful operation to recover their remains from the water-soaked cave. For Sgt Flynn, this unprecedented and successful live rescue signified a momentous first in the unit’s history.
Det Sgt Denis O’Brien also shared in the recollection of the historic occasion during the Scott medals presentation ceremony for eight serving and deceased members of An Garda Síochána in Dublin.
At the hands of Garda Commissioner Drew Harris and Justice Minister Helen McEntee, the family of the late Det Sgt Denis O’Brien was posthumously awarded a Scott gold medal in Dublin.
Det Sgt O’Brien was ambushed by three IRA members armed with sub-machine guns on September 9th, 1942, as he departed his Rathfarnham, Dublin residence. Despite managing to escape his vehicle and return fire, he was fatally shot by a fourth gunman lying in ambush. Ultimately, one of the assailants was apprehended, convicted, and sentenced to death by hanging.
The honour was gathered by O’Brien’s granddaughters, Orla and Meabh McKeown during a ceremony, which also marked the 82nd anniversary of his death. Orla expressed deep pride and honour at this recognition, noting the emotional resonance of the day particularly for her elderly mother at home. O’Brien, fondly referred to as Dinny, was remembered for his love for sports, antiques, gardening, family gathering and singsongs.
Orla further noted how his artistic interests, which seemed contradictory to his duties as a guard, influenced many of his grandchildren. She shared an anecdote about his great, great grandson recognising O’Brien’s name on the radio, reflecting the ongoing interest, pride and honour embedded in younger generations.
Scott medals are typically given to Garda members demonstrating remarkable courage. Nominations often come from colleagues or family, and can be decades after the event. The intent of the medal stems from recognising acts of personal bravery carried out wisely in duty execution, potentially at the cost of one’s life, and with full awareness of the risks involved, as stated by Supt John Curtin.
Nearly a century after his tragic demise in an ambush in Friarsfield, Co Tipperary, on March 21, 1931, Superintendent John Curtin was honoured with the prestigious gold Scott medal. He was murdered shortly after receiving threats via a letter and following his prosecution of several paramilitary members in Clonmel court. On the day of his murder, an armed group attacked him at his home, using closed gates to slow him down. Sadly, he was unarmed and was found seriously wounded by his sister-in-law, before succumbing to his injuries in hospital later that day.
Silver Scott medal recipient Garda Timothy McSweeney, currently stationed in Cork, is acclaimed for his heroism in saving a mother and her children from a dangerous domestic violence situation in Douglas, in March 2022. He bravely entered the residence and subdued the knife-wielding, drunk assailant, despite suffering multiple wounds, including stabs to his arms.
A posthumous bronze Scott medal was presented to Garda Morgan Lahiffe for his courageous efforts during a grocery store robbery by an armed mob in Togher, Co Cork, in August 1971. The following year, his partner, Garda Gerry O’Sullivan, was also celebrated with a silver Scott medal for his bravery during the same incident. Lahiffe was additionally rewarded with a gold award in 1978 for foiling another bandit group in Cork. Despite being menaced by gun-toting raiders during the 1971 episode, both gardaí successfully chased the gang and secured their arrest with support from additional police.
Furthermore, Dublin-based officers Niamh Connaughton and Warren Farrell received bronze Scott medals for overpowering a gunman during a liquor store theft on Ninth Lock Road, Clondalkin, on March 27, 2013.
Upon recognising that a heist was in progress, a pair of police officers made their way into the liquor store where two malefactors, one brandishing a firearm and the other a screwdriver, were intimidating the employees. When the armed criminal aimed his gun at the officers, they managed to subdue him, despite being attacked and his attempts to evade their pepper spray by using an innocent patron as cover. His partner in crime, armed with a screwdriver, made a successful bid for escape after a fierce confrontation, though he was apprehended later on.