The 25-Hour Siege of Abbeylara, 25 Years Later

On an otherwise quiet Wednesday in the village of Abbeylara, County Longford, in April 2000, a man by the name of John Carthy was agitated, pacing his childhood home. Shouting through the window, his cries were barely audible at times over increasing howls of wind. He was armed with a double-barrelled shotgun, which had already been discharged numerous times in the direction of the Gardaí who surrounded the house. By the time Holy Thursday evening arrived, John Carthy would be dead. Mr Carthy, who suffered from bipolar depression and had spent several periods in psychiatric care, fired 30 shots from his home as negotiators tried to mediate with him. The Abbeylara siege, which lasted 25 hours, resulted in Gardai from the ERU discharging four bullets by two separate officers. A judicial inquiry chaired by Mr Justice Robert Barr published a damning report on the Abbeylara siege in 2006. It criticised major shortcomings in the Garda operation, stating that scene commanders had "little training" and "no practical experience" of an armed siege situation. Host: Fionnán Sheahan Guest: Ralph Riegel

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