New book marks 50 years since murder of Portarlington-based Garda

A NEW book marking 50 years since the infamous murder of a garda near Portarlington will be published in October.

Garda Michael Clerkin died in the Garryhinch bombing of 16 October 1976, when an IRA unit lured officers to a booby-trapped, derelict farmhouse.

‘Thundering Disgrace 1976 - 2026’ is written by Jamie Mac Giolla Bháin, a first cousin twice removed of Garda Clerkin, who was a native of Monaghan.

The story has a particularly strong Laois connection, as Garda Clerkin was stationed in Portarlington at the time of his death and previously served at Portlaoise Prison.

He and four colleagues responded to reports of suspicious activity at a vacant house in Garryhinch near Portarlington where a booby-trap bomb exploded, killing Garda Clerkin and seriously injuring his colleagues.

The officers had been lured to the property by terrorists who claimed they were holding then Laois-Offaly Fine Gael TD Oliver J. Flanagan, father of now-retired TD Charlie Flanagan.

After a long campaign, all five gardaí were awarded a Scott Medal for bravery in 2017. Retired gardaí Jim Cannon, Ben Thornton, Tom Peters and Gerry Bohan and the family of the late Garda Clerkin were presented with the medals at a ceremony in Templemore Garda Training College. Fittingly, the presentation was made by then-Minister for Justice Charlie Flanagan.

The bombing is believed to have been carried out by the IRA but no one has ever been convicted for the atrocity. Garda Clerkin was killed instantly in the explosion, which also left Detective Garda Tom Peters permanently blind and deaf.

The author says the new book examines ‘one of the most remarkable and consequential periods in modern Irish history’, reflected by its subtitle ‘The Assassination of a British Ambassador, the Murder of Garda Michael Clerkin and a Presidential Resignation, 50 Years On’.

Drawing on extensive historical research, parliamentary records, contemporary newspaper reporting and archival material, the book revisits the assassination of British Ambassador Christopher Ewart-Biggs, the murder of Garda Clerkin and the constitutional and political fallout that followed.

The book will be published on 16 October, exactly 50 years after the events that culminated in the resignation of President Cearbhall Ó Dálaigh.

The Monaghan author says that, rather than viewing these events in isolation, ‘Thundering Disgrace’ examines how they became intertwined during one of the most turbulent periods in the State's history, ultimately leading to the unprecedented resignation of the President of Ireland.

A chapter of the debut book focuses exclusively on the Garryhinch bombing, which occurred mere hours after President Ó Dálaigh signed the Emergency Powers Bill into law.

The author says: ‘As Garda Clerkin was a cousin of mine, I have spent the past year researching his life and the events surrounding his death. The book seeks both to preserve Michael’s personal story and to examine the extraordinary constitutional and political events in which his death became intertwined. I discuss how this brutal attack became a visceral symbol of the escalating security emergency of late 1976.

“Many people remember the assassination of British Ambassador Christopher Ewart-Biggs, the murder of Garda Michael Clerkin, the “Thundering Disgrace” comments from Minister Paddy Donegan and the resignation of President Cearbhall Ó Dalaigh separately. For the first time, ‘Thundering Disgrace’ examines these events in tandem with one another, while preserving the story of Michael Clerkin.’ 

The book explores the constitutional issues raised by the events, the response of the Irish Government, the atmosphere in Ireland during 1976 and the lasting legacy for Irish politics and public life.

The book will be available in bookshops and can be ordered at www.macgiollabhain.ie.