Ann McCabe backs probe into first death of garda in Troubles
Calls for a public inquiry into the first garda officer killed in the Troubles were today backed by the widow of murdered garda Jerry McCabe.
Republican splinter group Saor Eire was blamed for shooting garda Richard Fallon during an armed robbery in Dublin in April 1970.
However, unexpected public support by Ann McCabe today boosted a long-running campaign for a public inquiry by bereaved relatives of garda Fallon.
The 43-year-old later became the first member of the force to be posthumously awarded the Scott Gold Medal for bravery.
Mrs McCabe, whose husband Jerry also received the Scott medal after his death, said: “I would certainly support the Fallon family in their campaign. They deserve our support and they would have my 100% support.
“The family has been a long time looking for answers and any law-abiding citizen has a right to the truth.”
Det. garda McCabe was shot dead in a botched armed robbery by IRA members in Adare, Co Limerick in 1996.
Garda Fallon’s youngest son Finian has threatened to return his father’s Scott medal if he is not granted a public inquiry into the murder.
The father-of-five was the first garda to be killed in the Republic during the Troubles.
He was part of a three-man mobile patrol that went to investigate an alarm at the Royal Bank on Arran Quay in the capital.
Three activists of the now-defunct Saor Eire organisation later went on trial for the murder but were acquitted.
Mr Fallon said today: “It is my belief that something untoward went on in relation to the murder of my father and the Irish Government is hiding the truth to this day.”
A month after garda Fallon’s murder, Taoiseach Jack Lynch sacked Minister for Finance Charles Haughey and Minister for Agriculture Neil Blaney over accusations of illegally importing arms for use by the IRA. Local Government Minister Kevin Boland later resigned in sympathy with his colleagues.
Mr Fallon and Mrs McCabe are both members of the Garda Survivors’ Support Association which was formed in 2005 by relatives of gardaí killed in the line of duty.
Two of the four IRA men who killed Garda McCabe – Jeremiah Sheehy and Pearse McAuley lost a bid last month to be released under the Good Friday Agreement.
Relatives and gardaí attended a prayer service in Limerick’s Henry Street garda station last June to mark the tenth anniversary of Garda McCabe’s death in 1996.
He was the 29th garda to be killed since the foundation of the State.
The killing sparked outrage and more than 40,000 people attended his funeral.
