Law « Thurles Information

Ms Emily Logan Nominated As Police Ombudsman.

Ms Emily Logan (pictured here left), has been recommending for appointment as the new Police Ombudsman under the Policing, Security and Community Safety Act 2024.

Ms Logan was nominated for the role following an open, competition undertaken by the Public Appointments Service. The Government approved the nomination last week and Ms Logan’s official appointment, by the President of Ireland, is expected to be confirmed, with effect from August 1st, 2024, when her current term of appointment ends.

Career to date:
Ms Logan was appointed to the Garda Síochána Ombudsman Commission in February 2021 having served as Chief Commissioner of the Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission (2014 to 2019). Prior to this, she served as Ireland’s first Ombudsman for Children (2003 to 2014).

In addition to ten years of investigations as Ombudsman; in 2013 she conducted an inquiry under Section 42 of the Garda Síochána Act 2005, into the taking into care of two children from two Roma families by An Garda Síochána.
Ms Logan has over twenty years management experience both in Ireland and in the UK, including Director of Nursing at Crumlin Children’s Hospital and Director of Nursing at Tallaght University Hospital.
She holds an LLM in Human Rights Law (Queens University Belfast), an MBA (University College Dublin) and an MSc in Psychology (City University London).
She is Adjunct Professor (Human Rights Practice) at the Irish Centre for Human Rights, NUIG, and Adjunct Professor at the School of Law in University College Cork.
Ms Logan also serves on the Board of the Independent Police Complaints Authorities Network (IPCAN).

It will be necessary to ensure that there is a seamless transition process between the provisions contained in the Garda Síochána Act 2005 and the Policing, Security and Community Safety Act 2024.

Preparations are at an advanced stage for the commencement of the Policing, Security and Community Safety Act 2024, later this year. Further announcements regarding appointments to key roles are expected to be made in the coming weeks and months.

Pardoned Harry Gleeson Re-Interred In Holycross, Thurles, Co. Tipperary.

“Can Honour’s voice provoke the silent dust…”
Extract from poem ‘Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard’, by Thomas Gray.

The earthly remains of an innocent man, executed by hanging in Mountjoy jail; same body having been located within the prison grounds, were handed over to his family last week.
Yesterday, Sunday July 7th, 2024 same remains were re-interred, with his parents in the family plot, following Requiem Mass in Holycross Abbey, Thurles, attended by hundreds of people, some who travelled from other countries, to be in attendance.

Farm worker Mr Harry Gleeson, then aged 38 years, was executed on April 23rd 1941, despite his denial of the killing of a neighbour known as Ms Moll McCarthy of New-Inn, Co Tipperary.

In November, 1940, the executed Mr Gleeson had found the body of this single mother of seven children in a field owned by his uncle Mr John Caesar, while the former was out tending sheep.
The victim had been shot twice in the head and rather than being thanked for alerting local authorities to his gruesome discovery of Ms McCarthy’s body, Mr Gleeson soon found himself charged with her murder.
Following his trial and eventual conviction, the manner of execution was proscribed by the then sentencing Judge, Mr Justice Martin Maguire, that he be ‘hanged by the neck until he be dead.’
Alas, Mr Gleeson’s pardon came 83 years after his execution; granted by the current President of Ireland, Mr Michael D. Higgins, on the initial recommendation of former Minister for Justice, Mr Alan Shatter.

Having studied the original trial transcripts and noting that back in 1941 the judge, Mr Martin Maguire, had asked for a gun register to be shown during the trial. Same register although available, had never been produced by the prosecution.

Yet another issue was the temperature of Ms McCarthy’s body, when it had been first located. The post-mortem report from 1940 indicated that Moll had been murdered at a time when Mr Gleeson actually had an alibi.

Ten years ago in 2014, a retired nurse Ms Ann Martin Walsh, who had cared for Ms Moll McCarthy’s eldest daughter, Ms Mary McCarthy, as the latter was nearing her death, confirmed that her patient had clearly declared that ‘I saw my own mother shot on the kitchen floor and an innocent man died’.

Mr Harry Gleeson denied ever being one of Ms Moll McCarthy’s many known lovers or of fathering one of her seven children, which, it was stated could have jeopardised an inheritance of land, due from an uncle John Caesar.

Today, the murdered body of Ms Moll McCarthy lies in an unmarked grave in a now disused cemetery in New-Inn, Cahir, Co. Tipperary.

In 2015, following a full review of the trial and the evidence provided, members of the Gleeson family attended a special ceremony at the Department of Justice, where a certificate of official pardon was finally presented.

Re-interment Of Harry Gleeson, Thurles, Co. Tipperary.

It was with a sense of shame and deep sadness that we learned of the wrongful conviction and the subsequent execution by hanging, on Wednesday 23rd April 1941, of Mr Henry (Harry) Gleeson, Galbertstown, Thurles, Co. Tipperary and formerly of Marlhill, New Inn, Co.Tipperary.

The immediate family and extended relatives of the late Mr Gleeson, now rejoice in announcing the final homecoming of his remains to his native townsland of Galbertstown, Thurles, Co. Tipperary.

Having languished for eighty-three years in an unmarked grave in Mountjoy Prison, most wrongly convicted, and having been executed for a murder in which he had neither hand act or part; Mr Gleeson’s remains may soon finally rest in peace, having been declared a totally innocent man.
Betrayed by the very system of law, which should have protected him, it has since fallen to others to restore his good name and bring him back home to finally rest.

Requiescat in Pace.

Re-interment Arrangements.

The earthly remains of Mr Gleeson will be received into the former Cistercian Monastery Abbey at Holycross, Thurles at 1:30pm, to repose for Requiem Mass at 2:00pm on Sunday afternoon next, July 7th, followed by re-interment immediately afterwards in St. Mary’s Cemetery, Holycross, Thurles, Co. Tipperary.

For those persons who are unable to attend the re-interment service for Mr Gleeson, same can be viewed streamed live online, HERE.

The extended Gleeson family wish to express their appreciation for your understanding at this difficult time, and have made arrangements for those persons wishing to send messages of condolence, to use the link shown HERE.

May his innocent soul now enjoy the happiness of Heaven knowing that truth and justice has finally prevailed.

Ar dheis Dé go raibh a anam dílis.

June 2024: New Gardaí Graduate From Templemore, Co. Tipperary.

157 Gardaí graduated yesterday at a ceremony held at the Garda College, Templemore, Co. Tipperary, bringing to approximately 323 the number of newly graduated members so far this year.
35% of the new recruits were women while 11% were born outside of Ireland.

At a graduation ceremony held at the Garda College in Templemore, Co. Tipperary yesterday, 157 newly-Garda members were welcomed by those in attendance.
These new Garda members have now completed their training and will be assigned to Garda Divisions throughout the country.

Yesterday’s graduations now bring the total number of members of An Garda Síochána to over 14,000, up from 12,943 members in 2016. Of those graduating today, 53 members (35%) were women, while 17 members (11%) were born outside the Irish State.

It will come as no surprise that 103 of these probationer Gardaí have now been assigned to the Dublin Metropolitan Region (DMR); 38 to the Eastern Region; 11 to the Southern Region, and 6 to the North Western Region. Four of those graduating yesterday are former Garda Reserve members.

These additions in increased Garda membership should ensure that our communities continue to remain safe while granting An Garda Síochána the resources required to operate effectively. The budget, provided by taxpayers to the Garda Commissioner continues to increase to unprecedented levels, with an allocation of over €2.35 billion for 2024.

Yesterday was the second graduation to take place from the Garda College at Templemore in 2024, with a further graduation planned for September of this year.

An intake of 185 trainees entered the Garda College in April. This was the first of four intakes planned for April, July, September and December of this year.

Gardaí Investigate Discovery Of Dead Woman Found In West Tipperary.

Gardaí have launched an investigation following the discovery of the body of a woman believed to be aged in her 40s, located in a private residence in Newport, west Co. Tipperary, yesterday evening, Tuesday June 18th, 2024.

Gardaí and emergency services were summoned to the scene just after 11:15pm, by possibly a member of her family; latter who had failed to make contact with her.
The body of the woman, which may have lain undiscovered for some time, has since been removed to University Hospital Limerick, where a post-mortem examination will take place; the results of which will determine the course of any future Garda investigation.

A Garda spokesperson has stated: “Gardaí are investigating all the circumstances surrounding the death of a woman at a residence in Newport, Co. Tipperary. The woman (40s) was discovered deceased at a residence in Newport on Tuesday evening, June 18th, 2024. A post-mortem is expected to take place later today at University Hospital Limerick”.