A Garda responding to an incident in Clogheen on June 18th suffered knife wounds that were non-life threatening. It is understood that the Garda involved is married and has a family. The Garda was working alone when he responded to a call in Clogheen where a man was making threats. Gardaí subsequently charged a man, aged in his 40s following the assault and he has since appeared in Carrick on Suir District Court.
The Garda Representative Association says the intervention of a member of the public averted a more serious incident. The Tipperary Representative from the GRA Richard Kennedy questions the staffing levels at Cahir Garda station that resulted in a Garda attending alone to such an incident.
The incident was raised in the Dáil by Tipperary TD Mattie McGrath who called on the Minister for Justice to ensure adequate Garda for rural Ireland. The TD says the Garda Representative Association is aware of 6 requests made to Tipperary Garda to work in Dublin over the coming days due to a number of sporting and entertainment events being held in the capital city. Deputy McGrath says the community in Clogheen have shared concerns about the man in custody and is sharply critical of the Garda Call Centre for dispatching a single Garda to respond to the situation with full knowledge of the man’s history. The Garda Emergency Response Unit also attended the scene in Clogheen.
