Law « Thurles Information

Man Dead Following Single Vehicle Collision In North Tipperary.

Gardaí are appealing for witnesses to a single vehicle collision which took place last night on the Old Dublin Road (Route 445) on the outskirts of Nenagh, in North Tipperary.

The collision is believed to have taken place shortly after 10:00pm and Gardaí and the Emergency Services were quickly alerted.

The driver of the vehicle, a male, understood to be aged in his 40s was sadly discovered unresponsive at the scene and his body has since been removed to University Hospital Limerick, where the county Coroner has been notified.
The accident scene was preserved for technical examination by Garda Forensic Collision Investigators, however we learn that the road has since reopened to public access.

Nenagh Gardaí are appealing for witnesses who may have any information regarding the crash to come forward. Gardaí are anxious to obtain camera footage, including dash-cam video, from any persons who may have travelled this route between 9:00pm and 10:30pm last night

Persons with information are asked to contact Nenagh Garda Station Tel 067-50450, the Garda Confidential Line Tel 1800 666 111, or indeed any Garda station.

Tipperary Man Loses Life In House Fire.

An elderly male, understood to be aged in his 70s, has lost his life in a house fire in west Co. Tipperary.

The alarm was raised at 6:30am and Gardaí and Emergency Services attended quickly at the scene this morning, Wednesday August 6th; latter at a domestic residence situated in the townland of Ballinree, Boherlahan, Cashel, Co. Tipperary.

Fire services quickly extinguished the blaze at the property and discovered the male; the sole occupant of the dwelling, dead at the scene.

The county coroner has now been notified and a post-mortem will be undertaken shortly.

While Garda enquiries remain ongoing to establish the cause of the fire, it is understood that no foul play is currently being suspected.

Irish Probation Service’s Annual Report

Irish Probation Service’s Annual Report shows referrals to the Service increases as well as the total number of Community Service hours.

The Irish Probation Service launches its 2024 Annual Report,
Executive Summary – Statistical Highlights.

Total number of Persons dealt with in Community: 17,150. Up 10% since 2020, and now at the highest level on record.
Total court referrals to the Probation Service: 9,720. Up 5% on 2023.
Number of Community Service Hours ordered in lieu of custodial sentence: 222,245. Up 6.8% on the previous year.
Alternative sentence in years that would otherwise have been served: 856. Up 10% on the previous year.
Number of people in worked with prisons, preparing for reintegration and rehabilitation upon release: 3,521. Up 11% on the previous year.
Referrals for children aged 12-17: 609. Up 10% on the previous year, and higher than any other time since 2015* (*Representing 6% of all referrals, while 94% are aged over 18).

The 2024 Annual Report of the Probation Service highlights the Service’s ongoing commitment to building safer communities across Ireland, through its core work of the supervision and management of people in the community who have offended, offender rehabilitation and reintegration, and services to victims.
However, this work is not without its challenges; challenges that significantly impact all levels of the criminal justice system, and the Service’s ability to provide these services to clients and stakeholders.

Amid continued pressures on the prison system, increased numbers of court referrals and the highest volume of referrals of those aged 12-17 seen since 2015, the Probation Service’s engagement with the Judiciary, the Courts System and Community Service projects – already a key aspect of its service delivery – now holds even more relevance.

The Probation Service is proud to continue essential service delivery in these areas; compiling detailed probation assessments and reports for the judiciary, ensuring court ordered sanctions are implemented, supervising community service orders, and playing a vital role in rehabilitation, social reintegration, skill development and community payback.

In 2024, the Probation Service managed 1,723 Community Service Orders, an increase of 6.8% on the previous year.

This resulted in 222,245 hours of community service nationwide (which is the equivalent of 856 years in prison) resulting in over €2.8 million worth of unpaid work for the benefit of communities nationwide.

In 2024, the duration of the most frequently imposed Probation order was 12 months, while the duration of the most frequently imposed community service order was 40-70 hours.

Launching the Annual Report, Director of the Probation Service, Mark Wilson, said: “The Probation Service’s 2024 Annual Report, published today, captures the breadth of Service’s work in building safer communities and addressing offending behaviour. It underscores how community sanctions play an invaluable role within the administration of justice.
The report details our measurable impact: in 2024, we worked with over 17,100 individuals in the community (a 10% increase since 2020), while our probation officers delivered more than 13,000 court reports, meeting growing demand with unwavering professionalism.
Looking forward, the Probation Service will continue to strengthen collaboration with our partners in the Department of Justice, Migration and Home Affairs, with An Garda Síochána and the Irish Prison Service. We’re also grateful for the ongoing support of our 60+ community funded projects across the country, as we work to tackle complex crime, alleviate pressure on prisons, and most importantly, deliver better outcomes for our clients, their families, victims of crime and the wider community.”

The Probation Service’s 2024 Annual Report also highlights the top six offences resulting in referrals to the Service, representing 75% of all referrals. Unchanged from previous years, and in this order, they were: theft, assault, drug offences, public order, road traffic, and burglary.
In summary, despite the challenges of the current landscape, the Probation Service entered 2025 dedicated to meeting its strategic objectives, delivering greater impact across the justice sector, informed by the knowledge that people can and do change, and that the Probation Service is instrumental to that change; helping people whose behaviour has caused harm to reintegrate into society, while contributing positively to their communities.

Following the release of the Annual Report, selected data from the 2024 edition, and previous annual reports, will be published as open data on Probation.ie and data.gov.ie.

The Probation Service is an executive agency of the Department of Justice. It is responsible for the supervision and management of people in the community who have offended. This is achieved by compiling detailed probation assessments and reports for the judiciary and ensuring court ordered sanctions are implemented.
As a national organisation, with more than 35 community-based offices nationwide and a presence in every county, its programmes are delivered locally by providing services to the courts, custodial institutions, and communities across the country.

Clonmel Gardaí Investigate Male Death In Co. Tipperary.

Clonmel Gardai are currently investigating the death of a man found at a property in Carrick-on-Suir in Co Tipperary; the unresponsive body of whom was discovered during the early hours of this morning.

Emergency services were first alerted and attended at the Ravenswood estate, at around 3:30am, after the man was discovered unresponsive. Sadly, he was pronounced dead a short time later, with his body remaining at the scene.

The area has now been preserved for a technical examination and the Office of the State Pathologist has been notified.

Gardaí confirm that they are attempting to establish the man’s last known movements and are carrying out door-to-door inquiries in the estate as well as checking CCTV footage.

They are also appealed for anyone with information to come forward, including any road users who may have dash-cam or other camera footage and who may have used the Cregg Road area, between 8:00pm last night and 3:30am this bank holiday morning.

Those with information are asked to contact Clonmel Garda Station, Tel 052 617 7640, the Garda Confidential Line Tel 1800 666 111, or indeed any garda station.

A post-mortem examination will now be carried out.

New Irish Garda Commissioner announced.

The Irish government today (Tuesday 29th July 2005) has announced the appointment of Mr Justin Kelly to the post of Garda Commissioner for a term of five years with effect from September 1st next.

The recruitment process for the new Garda Commissioner was the first undertaken under section 26 of the new Policing, Security and Community Safety Act 2024 which commenced in April. A three-week recruitment campaign was held by publicjobs.ie (formerly the Public Appointments Service) in May last, including an international search for suitable candidates, which resulted in 14 candidates. The selection process included two interviews and a presentation by candidates as well as a detailed psychometric assessment.

**Newly appointed Garda Commissioner, Mr Justin Kelly**

Deputy Commissioner Mr Justin Kelly was selected as the preferred candidate and recommended for appointment and he was today appointed by the Government as Commissioner with effect from September 1st next.

Outgoing Commissioner Mr Drew Harris will continue to lead An Garda Síochána until the September date, at which time he will retire after 41 years of service to policing on the island of Ireland, including a total of seven years as Garda Commissioner.

A native of Dublin, Deputy Commissioner Kelly has more than 30 years policing experience and was appointed to his current role as Deputy Commissioner Security, Strategy and Governance in October 2024 last. He has a strong background, both academically and in operational policing, particularly in relation to combatting organised crime groups and safeguarding the security of the State.

In his previous role, as Assistant Commissioner/Serious and Organised Crime, he was responsible for leading the national policing response in areas of drugs and organised crime, cybercrime, economic crime, immigration and crimes against vulnerable persons. He was the strategic lead for the development of capacity and organisational policy in areas connected with serious crime investigation.

From 2020 to 2022 he was Detective Chief Superintendent, leading the Operational Counter-Terrorism Unit, the Special Detective Unit. He was previously Detective Superintendent, Garda National Protective Services Bureau, as well as a Detective Inspector, Drugs and Organised Crime Bureau, and a front-line Inspector in the Blanchardstown and Clondalkin areas of Dublin.

Career History.
1992 – 2017:- Garda, Sergeant and Inspector ranks.
Aug 2017 – Oct 2020:- Detective Superintendent, Garda National Protective Services Bureau.
Oct 2020 – May 2022:- Detective Chief Superintendent, Special Detective Unit.
May 2022 – Oct 2024:- Assistant Commissioner, Organized and Serious Crime.
Oct 2024 to current date:- Deputy Commissioner, Security, Strategy and Governance.

Education.
2006 – BCL (2:1), UCD.
2010 – MA Criminal Justice (First Class Hons), John Jay College, New York City (recipient of the 2009 McCabe Fellowship).
2019 – MBA (2:1), Dublin City University.
2019 – Professional Certificate in Governance (First Class Hons), Institute of Public Administration.
2019 – MA Serious Crime Investigation (First Class Hons), University of Limerick
2020 – Strategic Command Course – four-month senior police leadership programme, College of Policing, UK.

The salary for the Garda Commissioner role is currently €314,512, reflecting both the size and unique complexity of leading An Garda Síochána, which is a very large policing service with over 18,000 employees, and includes lead responsibility for the security of the State.