Updated 1.45pm
THE TAOISEACH HAS condemned the shooting dead of Garda Detective Adrian Donohoe outside a credit union near Dundalk in Co Louth last night.
Enda Kenny was responding to the shooting dead of Detective Donohoe outside the Lordship Credit Union at around 9.30pm last night. The father-of-three’s death has been met which shock and condemnation from across the country.
“This was an outrageous act of cold blooded violence that has left a family without a husband and father and the Garda Siochana without a brave and valued member,” Kenny said in a statement this morning.
He extended his condolences to Detective Donohoe’s wife and his children at this “unbearably sad time” and also extended his sympathies to the gardaí.
Kenny added: “I would also like to express my deepest sympathies to Commissioner Martin Callinan and all of Adrian’s colleagues in An Garda Siochana who I know will spare no effort in bringing to justice those responsible for this appalling crime.”
President Michael D Higgins said it was a “dreadful crime and all Irish people will be truly appalled by it.”
“I wish to extend my deepest sympathy to the late Garda’s family and to all of his colleagues. I have already conveyed my condolences to the Garda Commissioner,” the President said in a statement late last night.
The chairman of the Oireachtas Justice Committee and Fine Gael TD David Stanton expressed “horror and anger” at the incident.
“Every effort will be made to bring these killers to justice. Detective Donohoe was working on behalf of the Irish people and any attack on the Gardai is an attack on every man, woman and child in this country,” Stanton said.
Louth TD and Minister of State Fergus O’Dowd said: “Our country has lost a committed public servant who was also deeply involved in local community life.”
Fianna Fáil leader Micheál Martin said the shooting was a “cowardly act of violence” and said it represented a “direct assault on our society and out sense of community”.
He said: “Like the murder of Garda Jerry McCabe, last night is a horrible reminder that the gardaí stand apart.
“Their role is different to that of every other public servant and we should never forget that. They are putting their lives on the line every day to protect ours and deserve whatever support they need to do that job.”
Sinn Féin president Gerry Adams said he was “shocked” by the shooting in a brief statement issued last night.
“I extend my deepest sympathies to his family and colleagues and appeal to those with information about this crime to co-operate with the gardaí,” he added.
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