*Supt Brendan McDonagh overseeing operations at Shannon Garda Station ahead of the visit of Donald Trump in 2019. Photograph: Gerry Mooney
Tributes have been paid to a prominent Clare Garda ahead of his upcoming retirement.
Superintendent Brendan McDonagh is to retire from An Garda Síochána this week bringing the curtain down on four decades of service.
He was appointed a Superintendent in Ennis in March 2015, moving from his role as Inspector at Limerick’s Roxboro Road Garda Station. McDonagh previously worked with the traffic corps in Clare.
Speaking at Monday’s meeting of the Clare Joint Policing Committee, Chief Superintendent Seán Colleran acknowledged the contribution of his colleague and revealed that for Supt McDonagh’s final week on the job he was excused from attending the JPC.
Colleran outlined, “He has made my job much easier”. He praised Supt McDonagh and his colleagues for taking “a huge interest in the policing of Clare. All of us in Clare should be thankful that we have people of that calibre”.
Supt McDonagh’s commitment to Clare by spending up 33 of his 40 working years in the county was referenced by Chief Supt Colleran. “34 years in the one county. He will be hugely missed, he was really invested in Clare, everything he did was for the right reason”.
Director of Service with Clare County Council, Leonard Cleary had already met Supt McDonagh to wish him well on his retirement. “He is an exemplary member of An Garda Síochána. Supt McDonagh was a great partner to Clare County Council on many difficult and positive projects”.
Cathaoirleach of Clare County Council, Cllr PJ Ryan (IND) stated, “Brendan has been a very good friend to the people of Clare. Policing in Clare is certainly in a better position than when he came into it”.
Golf will become a bigger priority for the retiring Garda, Cllr Alan O’Callaghan (FF) quipped. “He was a fella you could always pick up the phone to. He gave years of service to us in Co Clare, he is trying to get his handicap down, he’ll be hitting the golf course now”.
Chair of the JPC, Cllr John Crowe (FG) described Supt McDonagh as an “approachable man always” while his predecessor Cllr Mary Howard (FG) noted, “he was a very easy person to deal with”.
Deputy Commissioner of An Garda Síochána, Dr Shawna Coxon who was formerly Deputy Police Chief of Toronto walked the beat in Ennis in recent weeks when she toured Ennis Garda Station and thanked Supt McDonagh for his forty year contribution to the job.
