A monument of remembrance to remember garda recruit Gary Sheehan from Carrickmacross and his colleague, Garda Patrick Kelly, will be unveiled at a ceremony in Leitrim today. On this date in 1983, both young men were killed in the line of duty.
They were part of a joint Garda/Irish Defence Forces search party deployed to Ballinamore, Co. Leitrim in the search for Quinnsworth boss, Don Tidey, who had been kidnapped by the IRA over three weeks' earlier. When the security forces reached Drumcornan Wood, Ballinamore, Recruit Garda Gary Sheehan and Private Patrick Kelly, were shot dead.
Following a ceremonial mass this morning the Garda Ceremonial Unit and Garda Band will perform a ceremonial march for the 350 metres from the front of St Patrick's Church to the monument of remembrance at Ballinamore Garda Station. Garda Commissioner Drew Harris and Minister of State at the Department of Justice, Mr James Browne, TD will unveil the monument. Carrickmacross Garda recruit Sheehan was just 23 when he was killed. Private Kelly was a 36-year-old married father of four from Moate, Co Westmeath
