By Dan Walsh in Gorey
Around a hundred serving, retired, and relatives of deceased members of An Garda Siochána who served in Gorey District were honoured with a medal and certificate to mark a century of the Gardaí at a pleasant ceremony in Christ Church, Gorey, today.
Superintendent Denis Whelan and Sergeant Stephen Ennis supervised the ceremony.
The Gardaí had earlier attended the Remembrance Service before assembling on the site of the demolished Rynvanney Police Barracks site at the entrance to Pettitt’s car park and close to Gorey Little Theatre.
A report in the Wexford Conservative newspaper (dated July 9th 1842)) and reproduced in Historic Gorey – A Pictorial History published by the late Michael Fitzpatrick (1987) it was the Police Barracks in 1842. “We are unsure when Rynvanney ceased to be used as a Constabulary Barracks, but at some stage it was re-sited at Main Street.”
The officers then marched behind Gorey Pipe Band along Main Street to the site on the present station.
A commemorative plaque on the wall of Gorey Garda Station was unveiled by James Browne, T.D, Minister of State at the Department of Justice in the presence of Assistant Commissioner Paul Cleary, Chief Superintendent Anthony Pettit, Superintendent Denis Whelan, Inspector Pat Cody, Inspector Sean Clince and Cllr Donal Kenny, Cathaoirleach Gorey-Kilmuckridge Municipal District.
Gorey Garda Station is a three bay, two storey building 1932, as a replacement for a constabulary barracks destroyed by arson (1922) during “The Troubles” (1919-23),
After the coin and medals presentations refreshments were provided for all in the Christ Church Hall where copies of the recent publication ‘The Guards’ was available for purchase and signing from the joint-authors Tony Fagan and Tom Miller.
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