A gold Scott Medal for bravery was awarded posthumously to Longford born Garda Inspector Sam Donegan, who was killed on June 8, 1972 after responding to suspect devices along the Cavan-Fermanagh border.
His son, John Donegan collected the award on behalf of his father at last Friday’s ceremony in Walter Scott House, Military Road, Dublin 8, and said it was an emotional day.
Garda Inspector Sam Donegan
“It’s a good day for us. It’s a sad day. I think of him and I think of my mother who survived him by 34 years, and was without him for that length of time and never stopped talking about him.”
He said his father’s death “had a huge impact on us as a family” for all their lives.
“I suppose sorrow entered into our lives that day, and we still have that. Very emotional, sad, and sorrowful of course, but still happy to get this award, happy to get this recognition,” he said.
Justice Minister Simon Harris said that the late Inspector Donegan’s “exceptional courage” had protected the community and colleagues in Cavan “from an immediate and certain danger”.
“On behalf of the government and on behalf of the people of Ireland, I want to express our gratitude and offer our deepest sympathies to his family, to his friends, to his colleagues,” he said.
Sam Donegan, a native of Ballintampen, Ballymacormack, joined An Garda Síochána on September 4, 1934 and he was assigned Registration No. 8586.
He was promoted to Sergeant in 1952 and Inspector in 1967.
Insp Donegan, a married man with six children, served in Co Mayo and Co Sligo before being transferred to Cavan in 1967.
As a young Garda in North Mayo, Sam was taken by ambulance to hospital in Ballina and the ambulance nurse was Mai Marren, a native of Curry, Co Sligo.
After he was discharged, Sam returned on his motor-bike to ask her out on a date. They married in August 1940 and went on to have six children – four daughters Maura, Kathleen, Frances and Sheila; and two sons John and Michael. Mai died on March 18, 2006 at the age of 95 years.
A memorial to mark the 50th anniversary of the killing of Insp Donegan in the line of duty took place last year at Cavan Garda Station.
While last October in Clones, at the 10th annual Service of Remembrance and Thanksgiving organised by the victims’ organisation South East Fermanagh Foundation (SEFF), Insp Donegan’s son, Michael, said he and fellow victims felt they had been “ignored by the authorities”.
“The peace process has moved on and it is wonderful that it has, but I suppose I feel that people who have suffered because of these events many years ago, and in many cases are still suffering, they deserve their suffering to be recognised.”
Mr Donegan criticised what he said was a failure by the authorities in the Republic of Ireland to offer therapy, counselling and other services that may help victims.
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