On Monday, 16th December 2024, An Garda Síochána hosted a ceremony in Ballinamore, Co Leitrim, to unveil a Monument of Remembrance honouring Recruit Garda Gary Sheehan and Private Patrick Kelly for their ultimate sacrifice in the service of the State in 1983. Both men were part of a joint Garda/Irish Defence Forces search party searching for kidnapped businessman Don Tidey on 16th December 1983 when they were confronted by a Provisional IRA gang at Drumcornan Wood, Ballinamore, and shot dead. The remembrance ceremony commenced with a mass at 11.30am at St Patrick’s Church, followed by a ceremonial parade performed by the Garda Ceremonial Unit and Garda Band to the unveiling of a monument at Ballinamore Garda Station and wreath-laying ceremony. Garda Commissioner Drew Harris was joined at the ceremony by Minister of State at the Department of Justice, Mr James Browne TD; Brigadier General Rossa Mulcahy of the Irish Defence Forces and members of the Sheehan and Kelly families. Commissioner Harris said: "Today we unveil a specially designed monument of remembrance to these fallen heroes. Today we honour their service to their country. Today we pay tribute to their bravery and courage. Today their sacrifice is etched in stone, just as their loss is etched in our hearts and minds. "They paid an eternal price, and so it is right and just that their memories are eternally recognised here in Ballinamore. "Today is a day filled with complex emotion. The Sheehan and Kelly families have lost a son, brother, father and it does not matter that 41 years have gone by, that loss is felt as deeply now and is it was in 1983. "In memorialising Gary and Patrick here today, we hope that it provides an opportunity to commemorate their life, mourn their loss, and acknowledge the huge sacrifice they made. A burden that you carry to this day. "On days like today we are afforded a chance to remember. To fill our hearts and minds with the joy these brave men brought to you and all those who knew them in life. It is therefore wonderful to see so many people gathered here today to honour them. "Today’s memorial portrays both men aptly in the form of two pillars standing tall. It will serve as a permanent reminder of the sacrifice they made for the People of Ireland.” Minister of State at the Department of Justice, Mr James Browne TD said: "The loss of a Garda or a member of our Defence Forces is a tragic and lifelong loss for their family, but it is also felt painfully across both organisations and indeed by the community as a whole. While, thankfully, it is a relatively rare occurrence, I know how deeply this tragedy has been felt by all those who served with Gary and Patrick – all down the years – to this very day.” Brigadier General Rossa Mulcahy said: "The ripples in the stone beside me continue to spread out and are very evocative of what we are here today to remember. The families have demonstrated remarkable resilience since 1983. In the tradition of remembrance, we continue to honour the memories of Garda Gary Sheehan and Private Patrick Kelly.” | 