‘Sad and joyful reflections’ from Garda boss at launch

SADNESS mixed with joy in the reflections of Garda Commissioner Noirin O’Sullivan, who launched the Tony Golden Memorial Cycle.

She said: ‘ I’m delighted the family are here, and it is a great honour to be here with his colleagues and to be joined by (retired Louth Chief Superintendent) Pat McGee, to see everyone in solidarity.

‘Coming here, there are sad reflections. We are here to honour and immortalise Tony’s memory who died doing what Gardai do every day. But the joyous part of it is we are here for something special and we can hold onto the memory of our colleague Tony.

‘For Nicola and particularly for the children, it is important to have something for their dad. I want to pay a huge tribute to the organising committee, who put a lot of thought into what should be done - down to the colours of the jerseys . . . right down to the route of the cycle and nothing has been left to chance’.

She said the event was also an opportunity to remember Gda. Golden. ‘We can’t do what we have to do without the support of the community. I want to thank the community in Dundalk and around the country because we could not deal with the loss of our 88 colleagues without it.

‘I’d also like to thank the sponsors involved in this event. There are 14 on the jersey and I’m told that after they were produced, so many more wanted to support it. I want to thank them for giving their support to something that is so important to us. Well done to all involved and I know that Tony, who is looking down on us, with his sense of community, he would be so heartened to see everyone coming together to do something very special.

‘I also think he would have a bit of a wry smile at people going out and buying new bikes and taking up cycling very quickly and I’m sure that would cause a little bit of a laugh’.