Deadly shootout was a harsh lesson for brave rookie gardai
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THEY crawled on their hands and knees through the dense undergrowth of Derrada Wood, in places completely impenetrable -- the gorse and briars five feet high.
For the dozens of trainee gardai 'borrowed' from Templemore training college, the thrill in joining in the official search for kidnapped supermarket boss Don Tidey probably cannot be overstated.
It was a chance to be part of the action, away from the humdrum lessons, assisting in the massive search.
Who knows what fear must have gripped these youngsters upon realising that they were indeed in the thick of the action, and their lives in danger, as gunfire rained upon them.
They didn't say but even 25 years later, the events of December 16, 1983 obviously still remain as clear as day for those men, who are today the comfortably middle-aged senior ranking members of the force.
Still with an almost fearful look in their eyes as they remembered those long-off days, one by one they gave evidence at the Special Criminal Court of the dramatic, and most traumatic occasion when they finally tracked down the whereabouts of the Quinnsworth chief, amid a shootout which, ultimately and tragically, took the lives of one of their own.
Stumbling upon the homemade black polythene tent in the part of the wood so darkly overgrown that they could scarcely see the danger which lay in front of them, trainee Garda Gary Sheehan (23), of Carrickmacross, Co Monaghan, was killed, along with Private Patrick Kelly (35), of the Defence Forces, who was from Moate, Co Westmeath.
"A garda dead over here," came a shout in the aftermath of the shooting and almost immediately another voice confirmed: "Soldier dead over here'', recalled retired Garda Inspector Seamus O'Hanlon, now stooped and elderly.
Lifeless
The lifeless body of Gary Sheehan bore a large head-wound and Insp O'Hanlon -- who'd known him since he was a boy -- said an Act of Contrition into his ear.
Brendan McFarlane, who denies charges of possession of firearms, intent to endanger life and unlawful imprisonment, sat impassively through the long list of witnesses who described their roles that day.
It was Sgt Francis Smith, then a recruit garda combing part of the wood with the search team, who had first spotted a person dressed in military attire standing in the middle of the wood.
He thought the man was a soldier but noticed that his boots appeared to be slightly different from the military personnel assisting in the search.
The man was holding a rifle and appeared to be polishing it.
"Soldier answer my call," recruit Garda Smith shouted out, but the person did not respond.
Shortly after, there followed intense automatic gunfire and "some loud bangs".
Then a person approached his search team, dressed in military attire and bearded and trying to attract their attention by beckoning to them.
They were "very suspicious" of him, Sgt Smith said, since he looked like "one of the criminals".
They searched him and he informed them he was Don Tidey but they were unsure because he looked like a "totally different person" to the man they'd seen in the photos.
- NICOLA ANDERSON
