GARDAÍ WILL HONOUR colleagues for their bravery in facing down armed robbers, terrorists and fire rescues in a medal ceremony in Dublin today.

The Garda Commissioner Justin Kelly and Minister for Justice Jim O’Callaghan will present Scott Medals.

There will be nine awards given to gardaí, some of which will be posthumously presented for incidents dating back to the 1920s and in more recent years. 

In 1924 Colonel Walter Scott donated to An Garda Síochána a $1,000 gold bond to be used in bravery medals.

The Scott Medal is the highest award that can be bestowed by the Commissioner of An Garda Síochána and is awarded for “most exceptional bravery and heroism involving the risk of life in the execution of duty”.

Two gold medals have been granted to two gardaí, who are now deceased for their part in an incident in Carrick on Suir, Co Tipperary in May, 1924.  

Sergeant Thomas Griffin and his colleague Garda John Alphonsus Murrin were investigating a shooting incident involving a Garda colleague, which had occurred the previous day in Cregg, near Carrick-on-Suir, Co. Tipperary.

When they approached the house where the suspect was hiding they came under fire. Both men were shot dead by the suspect.

A silver Scott medal will be presented to Garda Joseph O’Sullivan for his actions in Drumnart, Co Monaghan in August 1973 when they confronted an armed suspect. 

Garda Joseph O’Sullivan and Garda Kevin Carty were on border patrol when they discovered two men, who appeared to be conducting surveillance in this area, one man was using binoculars and the other man was armed with a rifle.

Both men were pursued by the gardaí – O’Sullivan quickly caught one of the men while Carty continued to chase the armed man alone.

O’Sullivan followed with his  prisoner and spotted the gunman attempting to choke his colleague in a struggle. O’Sullivan grabbed the rifle and helped his colleague to arrest the man. 

A silver garda Scott Medal for bravery. Alamy Stock Photo Alamy Stock Photo

For another incident a silver Scott medal award will be given to Detective Garda Gregory Sheehan for his part rescuing a kidnaped man who was taken hostage by Dessie O’Hare, a Republican gunman who was known as the Border Fox. 

In November 1987 John O’Grady’s home was raided by O’Hare and members of his gang. The following morning, John O’Grady was kidnapped from his home by the gang and held hostage for 23 days.

On the 5 November 1987, Sheehan responded to a call where a garda called for urgent assistance in the Cabra area of Dublin.

When he arrived he was fired upon as several armed men emerged from a van carrying “long barrel rifles”. On arrival at the scene, and as Detective Garda Sheehan got out of his car, several armed males appeared from the rear of a van parked nearby, armed with long barrelled firearms. 

Sheehan observed one of the armed men move to the front of the van and point a rifle at Detective Garda Martin O’Connor.

Sheehan was fired upon and he returned fire with revolver – he moved to the van and discovered his injured colleague who had been shot. 

Ultimately Sheehan’s actions allowed John O’Grady to escape from his captors and be rescued.

A bronze Scott Medal award will be given to Gardaí Nigel Murphy and Conor Treacy who, in September 2023 who rescued a woman from a house fire in Cabra. Both gardaí were treated for smoke inhalation.

Another medal was granted to Sgt Eamonn O’Neill who confronted armed robbers during an incident at a shop in Bray, Co. Wicklow in February 1996.

A bronze award will also be given to Gardaí John Yeates and Jamie Caffrey for confronting a gunman in Mill Street, Dublin 8, in March 2022.

The disarmed the gunman who was struggling with a taxi driver who the suspect had tried to hijack.