Garda David ‘much loved, valued’

GARDA David Bolger was described as a ‘much-loved and valued colleague’ at an inquest into his death last week.

The inquest was reopened at Wexford Coroner’s Court following an adjournment on May 15.

Dr Sean Nixon said the cause of death had been determined as severe head injury as a result of a road traffic collision.

Garda John Cleary of Enniscorthy Garda Station read his own deposition, in which he said he went to Magmore Wells on December 2, 2015, following a call about a car accident. At the scene, he met with Shay Hammel, who had discovered the car and driver. Garda Cleary discovered the driver in his car with the belt still on. He was later brought to Wexford General Hospital.

A deposition by Edward Harney, owner of Harney’s Pub, said that the night of December 2 was a usual Wednesday night. He said that at approximately 10 p.m., Mr Bolger, who he knew well, came to visit him in the pub. He said he was in great form.

He stayed for an hour and a half before the pair shook hands and David left on his own. At 1.30 a.m., Mr Harney received a call from his employee to say that Mr Bolger had been killed in a road traffic collision.

The inquest heard that Shay Hammel of Kilmuckridge discovered Mr Bolger while driving home from the cinema with his children. In his deposition, he said that he was driving along Well’s Road when he came across a car on its roof. He was unable to see anybody in the car at first.

On discovering Mr Bolger, Mr Hammel rang 999. He said that he got into the car and checked for Mr Bolger’s pulse but couldn’t find one. He kept trying to find one until the ambulance arrived.

Wexford County Coroner Dr Sean Nixon told the inquest that the weather had been particularly bad on the night of Mr Bolger’s death which resulted in the car of the deceased colliding with a ditch and turning over. This caused him head injuries which, as explained at the opening of the inquest, resulted in his death.

31-year-old Garda Bolger of Silverdale, Kilmuckridge, was serving in Newtownmountkennedy at the time of his death.

Dr Nixon extended his sympathies to the parents, friends and family of Garda Bolger, including his three children.

Superintendent James Doyle also offered his condolences, saying that Mr Bolger was a much loved and valued colleague. He said his death was an enormous loss both to his family and his Garda Siochana family.