Gary Sheehan (police officer)
Gary Sheehan (24 September 1960 – 16 December 1983), Garda Síochána 23589L,
A native of Carrickmacross, County Monaghan, Sheehan had worked as a technician before joining An Garda Síochána, as had his father and grandfather before him.
Sheehan was a trainee three months into his service when the Gardaí and the Irish Defence Forces participated in a joint rescue of Don Tidey, a businessman kidnapped for ransom by the Provisional IRA. A nationwide hunt narrowed to the area about Ballinamore, County Leitrim.
On 16 December 1983, Sheehan and Private Patrick Kelly (I.D.F.) were part of a group searching Derrda Woods, Ballinmore, when they encountered the IRA kidnappers, and were shot dead. Mr. Tidy escaped, unharmed.
Though Brendan McFarlane is believed by Garda sources to have led the kidnap group, no one has ever been charged with the murders. Private Kelly's eldest son demanded of McGuinness that he give the names of those responsible to the Irish authorities. McGuinness claimed to have no knowledge of the incident.
See also
- Dennis O'Brien (policeman), killed by the IRA in 1942.
- Richard Fallon (policeman), killed by republicans in 1970
- Michael J. Reynolds, killed by republicans, 1975
- John Francis Morley and Henry Byrne, killed by the INLA, 1980
- Death of Jerry McCabe, killed by the Provisional IRA, 1996