The day at local port when the army fired on Brian Moroney!
FORMER locally based Sgt Brian Moroney might recall this - the day the army opened fire above his head!
A full scale Gardai-Army investigation was called into an incident at Drogheda docks in March 1975 when an army officer fired a burst from a submachine gun over the head of two plain clothes gardai.
The incident happened as a quantity of explosives were being unloaded from a vessel in the port for transportation to Enfield, Co. Meath. .
The convoy of lorries is normally escorted by a force of armed troops and they were on duty at the docks when the shooting incident took place.
Then Det Garda Brian Moroney, with another plain clothes Garda, approached the officer in charge of the troops. The two Gardai were asked for identification but the officer refused to accept the garda identity card.
As Garda Moroney was just a few yards away from him, still showing his identity card, the officer, who was only recently been commissioned, fired a burst from an automatic weapon.
C.I.E. staff, who were in charge of transportation arrangements, had earlier refused to move the convoy of explosives under the control of the officer.
A short time after the shooting incident the Garda and Army authorities were contacted and the officer was immediately withdrawn and replaced by another officer who led the convoy to Enfield.