Detective Garda Jerry McCabe was a member of the Garda Síochána, the police force of the Republic of Ireland. McCabe was killed in Adare, County Limerick on June 7 1996, by members of the Provisional Irish Republican Army during the attempted robbery of a post office. On July 31st 2008 his son, Desmond McCabe graduated from the Garda Training College at Templemore

The robbery

The two detectives were escorting an An Post van at 6:50a.m. on the morning in question when Detective Garda Ben O'Sullivan spotted a Pajero heading towards them from behind. The car collided with them. Two men wearing balaclavas jumped out of the Pajero, and fired fourteen rounds from an AK-47 at the detectives. Three rounds hit Jerry McCabe, killing him. His colleague, O'Sullivan was seriously injured. They were fired in two bursts, with a pause between. O’Sullivan, who was driving the car, is convinced it was deliberate, controlled shooting.

Shortly after the shooting, a Mitsubishi Lancer arrived and the would-be robbers made their getaway in it. No money had been stolen by them, but both vehicles used at the crime scene had been stolen.

The Gardaí had been armed with .38 Smith & Wesson revolvers and an Uzi, but the trial concluded that they had not had time to use them.

Bullet casings found at the scene were unique in Ireland to the IRA at the time.

Up to 40,000 people lined the streets of Limerick city for Jerry McCabe's funeral.

Aftermath

The killing of Detective McCabe happened four months after the breakdown of the first IRA ceasefire in 1996. The Army Council of the Provisional Irish Republican Army announced that they were not involved in the killing, it later admitted that individual members were involved - the IRA said "in contravention of its orders". Bertie Ahern, the Taoiseach, said that he believed the Army Council, calling them honest.

Initially, the killing was denounced by the leadership of Sinn Féin, but later the party lobbied for the early release of McCabe's killers under the terms of the Belfast Agreement.

Pearse McCauley from Strabane and three County Limerick men - Jeremiah Sheehy, Michael O’Neill and Kevin Walsh - were convicted by the non-jury Special Criminal Court of manslaughter. McCauley had escaped from Brixton Prison in 1991 while awaiting prosecution over an IRA campaign in England and had jumped bail in the Republic of Ireland two months before the shooting of Detective McCabe. O'Neill was released from prison on May 15, 2007 with Sheehy released on 4 February, 2008.

In 2000 McCabe's widow was presented with a Gold Scott Medal. The Scott Medal is the highest honour bestowed on a Garda by the Republic of Ireland who has shown exceptional courage and heroism risking their lives in their work as police officers.

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