British policemen remembered at Longford mass
Thursday, March 11st, 2010

A number of British soldiers who lost their lives during the war of independence were remembered at a special mass in Granard in County Longford at the weekend. 

For the first time, and in a major break with tradition, the names of 18 policemen and British servicemen who lost their lives in Longford and Westmeath during the 1919 - 1921 Irish War of Independence were read out a special remembrance Mass. 

The conciliatory gesture was done by local historian and former Garda Pat McCarthy who read out the names in front of a congregation comprising of Gardaí, retired Gardaí, high ranking PSNI officers and their predecessors from the RUC.

Having served as a Garda from 1954-58, Mr McCarthy became a policing historian ever since his chance encounter with a former Royal Irish Constabulary veteran in April 1955. 

Over 50 years on, the father of ten last Sunday finally achieved what he has spent much of his retired life planning for and that three months ago looked a mere aspiration.  "We are a divided community, this is the start towards rectifying that I hope," were his simple yet striking words following the 45 minute Mass. 

It was a view which certainly was not lost on the ceremony's chief celebrant and local parish priest Fr Simon Cadam.  The Granard cleric said the day marked a "very historic moment" in the new-found friendship and commonalities that define policing on both sides of the border. 

"Looking at history you will find all sorts of scurrilous remarks about the cadets but yet if you look the people who we have commemorated today one man from Cork won the military cross in the 1914 - 1918 war, and one Lieutenant commander won a distinguished service order, cross and medal.  Very brave people and yet they came to help us solve what was a problem.  I think today marks another step on the road to peace," Fr Cadam claimed. 

At the reception which was held in St Mary's National School shortly afterwards, Assistant Commissioner John O'Mahony admitted the RIC had paid a heavy price for their efforts prior to the Garda takeover of law and order in 1922.

by Sean Ryan

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