THE GARDA COMMISSIONER has said the attack on Detective Garda Adrian Donohoe was a “cold blooded murder” and said Gardaí are committed to finding the perpetrators.
Thousands of people lined the streets of Dundalk on Wednesday afternoon to mourn the murdered Garda.
His wife Caroline led the coffin draped in a tri-colour into St Joseph Redemptorist Church at around 1pm. His Garda hat lay on top of the coffin.
Detective Garda Donohoe’s two young children presented symbols of their father: the remote control which his daughter used to hide from him and the football with which he and his son used to play.
GAA jerseys from Adrian’s former clubs and a photograph of St Patrick’s 2001 Louth senior football championship team were also placed in front of the altar.
Chief celebrant Fr Michael Cusack described Adrian as a ‘wonderful’ person who was an amazing husband and father to his children.
He said the murder was the “callous mowing down of an innocent human being” and called on those with information to come forward.
“If you have any semblance of good in you, for God’s sake, turn these people in,” he said.
Det Garda Donohoe’s sisters, Mary and Anne, did Bible readings while two of his brothers, Colm and Alan, spoke about how ‘big in stature’ Adrian was.
“He was big in heart and had so much to live for,” one brother told the congregation.
Garda Commissioner Martin Callinan described the attack as “cold blooded murder” and said that the Gardaí were committed to bringing the perpetrators to justice. He told the congregation:
No words can adequately express the great sense of loss and revulsion felt by the Donohoe family, the family of An Garda Siochana and indeed the wider public.
The President Michael D. Higgins and his wife Sabina expressed their condolences to family members and friends towards the end of the ceremony.
Almost 2,500 Gardaí showed up at the funeral and one Garda source said busloads had come from every major station in country.
The Taoiseach, Tánaiste, and Justice Minister, Alan Shatter, were all in attendance. Ministers and TDs such as Leo Varadkar, James Reilly, Pat Rabbite, Mary Lou McDonald and Gerry Adams also joined the mourners.
Both the Dáil and Seanad were suspended for five hours yesterday to allow Oireachtas members attend the funeral.
Detective Donohoe was shot dead outside Lordship Credit Union on Friday night in what was the first fatal shooting of any Garda since Detective Gerry McCabe 17 years ago.
Gardaí have said that the 41-year old was killed without warning while on escort duty to transfer money to Dundalk.
It has been reported that Adrian Donohoe was supposed to be off duty on Friday but filled in for a colleague.
The Irish League of Credit Unions has offered a €50,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and prosecution of any persons connected to the shooting.
Det Garda Donohoe was buried at Lordship cemetery, a short walk from where the shooting took place.
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