This week’s Meath Chronicle newspaper featured a nice tribute to AGSI member Inspector Ollie Keegan on the occasion of his retirement from An Garda Siochana. AGSI National Executive member and Secretary Donal Smyth was in attendance of behalf of the Association. We covered his retirement and feature the evening in a short article below.
On the 31st August 2015 Inspector Ollie Keegan, Ashbourne Garda Station retired from on Garda Síochána after 35 years of dedicated service. The majority of Ollie’s service was spent in the Louth/Meath division apart from transfers following promotion which took him to Blacklion and Tallaght.
Superintendent Jim Cannon thanked Ollie for his assistance in running the District of Ashbourne for his service to An Garda Síochána and the people of Ashbourne, Co. Meath.
As Ollie recalled his 35 years’ service he entertained his colleagues with stories of policing in the past after treating his guests to a lovely meal in the Snailbox at Kilmoon, Ashbourne.The room was packed to capacity which say a lot for the high esteem that friends and colleagues had for Ollie. Ollie’s good friend, neighbour and his former Divisional Officer Mick Finnegan was present as well as retired Assistant Commissioner Al Mc Hugh and retired Commissioner Pat Byrne. Much to the entertainment of his younger audience he told stories of his escapades on the Louth/Armagh border about a dead dog and a parrot who could not divulge what happened to the dog as it died from a massive heart attack. Dead parrots are bad witnesses as they can’t talk it’s a “Polllygone” if you can work that one out. The old stories are the best.
Ollie is a straight forward thinking man, very approachable which is why so many sought his advice, whether it was a member of his station party with a late file or a mother worried about her son or daughter who had gone a little wayward. Ollie was the man to put them back on the right path so to speak. He was an active member of Gael Colmcill GAA Club in Kells where he lives with his wife Catherine and family. Ollie maintained that a young lad involved in playing football had little time for getting into trouble and so his answer quite often to a mother seeking advice was “send him up to the GAA Club”. Ollie has retired and Catherine has returned to work on a full-time basis.
To Ollie, Catherine and family we wish them many years of happiness and good health.
Photos by Alan Dowley
