Remembrance for Sergeant Patrick Morrissey

To mark the anniversary of his murder, a remembrance ceremony will take place in Belturbet this coming weekend in honour of the late Sergeant Patrick Morrissey.

The event will begin at 3pm on Sunday, June 26, with a short parade leading from Belturbet Garda Station to a memorial erected at what is now called Morrissey Park.

The Belturbet remembrance event is being organised by the Cavan branch of the Garda Siochana Retired Members Association (GSRMA). A wreath will be laid on behalf of the GSRMA followed by a short ecumenical service.

A native of Drumalee, near Belturbet, Sgt Morrissey, joined An Garda Síochána on December 14, 1960. He was killed on June 27, 1985, as he attempted to apprehend two men behind a heist at Ardee Labour Exchange.

Sgt Morrissey was posthumously awarded the Scott Gold Medal for bravery in 1986, and the posthumous Freedom of Drogheda in 2013.

He previously served at Tramore, Adelphi Quay, Drogheda, Dundrum, Stepaside, Fitzgibbon Street, Whitehall, Omeath, Bridewell and Garda HQ. An experienced lifesaver, his allocation to headquarters saw him play a major role in the development of the Garda Sub-Aqua Unit. All retired and serving Garda members have been invited to join the occasion, in particular those who served with Sergeant Morrissey.

Earlier this month, the GSRMA erected a memorial to mark the 50th anniversary of the killing of Inspector Samuel Donegan. The event coincided with the 100th anniversay of the formation of the force in Ireland.