Officer And Man Shot Dead In County Louth

The Irish police officer who was shot dead while responding to a 999 call has been named as Anthony Golden.

Gardai said a woman was seriously injured in the same gun attack which occurred at a home near Omeath, Co Louth at about 6pm.

The woman, in her early 20s and believed to be the gunman’s partner, was also shot a number of times and is said to be in a critical condition in hospital.

In January he was brought before the Special Criminal Court in Dublin charged with IRA membership following a joint Garda-PSNI operation targeting dissident republicans along the border.

A garda was shot dead by a dissident republican while responding to a domestic incident on a housing estate in Omeath, Co Louth, yesterday evening.

“My thoughts and sympathies are with the families of those who have died”, he added.

Tributes were led by President Michael D Higgins, members of government and the commissioner – who was also meeting the officer’s widow.

The cathaoirleach of the Ballina Municipal District, Councillor Gerry Ginty, has extended his sympathy to the Golden family on their tragic loss.

Mrs Ruane, who represents a seat in Northern Ireland but lives in Louth, Ireland, said: “He was a Mayo man, like myself from Mayo, and we used to often joke that we were both exiled from our native county in County Louth”.

After spending time with the family, Fr Kennedy drove over the Cooley Mountains to the small Garda station in the quiet and scenic waterside village of Omeath, where Garda Golden was stationed along with two colleagues.

“It put that into perspective very quickly”, he said.

President of the GRA, Dermot O’Brien, has said the shooting comes as a warning to the Minister for Justice and that she needs to take action on bail laws.

Archbishop Eamon Martin, who is in Italy, said: “The shocking news has reached me at the Synod on the Family in Rome”.

“I know our communities will stand with An Garda Siochana at this most hard time for them”.

“Like me, they are very upset by this tragic incident which has devastated families and rocked the peaceful parish community in lovely Omeath”, he said.

Niall Collins, justice spokesman for the main opposition party in Ireland, Fianna Fail, said he was shocked to hear a garda had been killed.

Gardai who are killed in the line of duty are entitled to be commemorated in a State funeral.