New book covers murder of garda in Baltingass in 1914

THE MURDER of a garda following a botched bank robbery in Baltinglass is one of a number of stories included in a newly published book.

‘ The Fallen: Gardaí Killed in Service 1922-1949’ is the second book by Galway author Colm Wallace.

Among the stories inside is the that of Garda Patrick O’Halloran, who was shot and killed on January 28, 1924.

On that fateful day, two men took a taxi from Dublin to Baltinglass. They entered the National Bank (now the Bank of Ireland) where they were greeted by teenage bank assistant Cecil Shade. He showed them to the office of bank manager Maurice Wolfe and knocked on the door. As he opened the door, Mr Wolfe came face to face with the barrel of a gun as the smaller of the two men pulled out a revolver and ordered him to hand over the keys to the bank’s safe.

However, rather than meekly accede to the demand, Mr Wolfe also had a gun which he pointed at the smaller man. There was a struggle during which Mr Wolfe was shot in the side and he himself also fired a shot.

The raiders picked up Mr Wolfe’s revolver, demanded the keys and forced the young Mr Shade to use them to open the safe.

The shots had been heard by a number of people and Garda O’Halloran made his way to the scene. On the way, he met a merchant who handed him a loaded pistol.

On hearing the garda’s whistle, the raiders attempted to flee. The garda ordered them to stop and then gave chase as they headed for the bridge over the Slaney. He was within four yards of the duo when the taller man fired his pistol behind him.

Garda O’Halloran fell to the ground, fatally wounded. The Galway-native was brought to the Curragh Military Hospital but passed away five days later.

The two raiders managed to make good their escape from the scene but three weeks later Wexford man Peter Jordan was arrested in Monaghan town and identified by the taxi driver while his co-conspirator Felix McMullan from Fermanagh was traced to Liverpool and arrested.

Both men were ex-National Army soldiers who had recently been demobilised.

When they went on trial a second time (the first jury could not agree a verdict), both pleaded not guilty. The jury found Jordan not guilty of murder but guilty of armed robbery while McMullen, the man who fired the shot, was found guilty of murder and sentenced to hang.

‘ The Fallen: Gardaí Killed in Service 19221949’ is published by History Press and is on sale now at a price of €16.

It is the second book by Colm Wallace. His first, ‘Sentenced to Death’, was released last year and included the story of teenager William O’Neill who was hanged for the murder of Peggy O’Farrell in Glenmalure and is believed to be the youngest man ever executed by the State.