Late Superintendent P. Moriarty
The death occurred on January 22nd last of retired Garda Superintendent Patrick Moriarty, late of Gortlandroe, Nenagh, Co. Tipperary and Oola, Co. Limerick.
The late retired Garda Superintendent was predeceased by his wife Betty. Our sympathies go to his daughter Patrica, his grandsons David and Michael, Sisters Eileen and Betty, Brother in law Paul, Sister in law Delia, his Nephews and Nieces, Cousins, Relatives and many Friends.
Following Requiem Mass at St.Marys of the Rosary Church Nenagh, Superintendent Moriarty’s body was later burial in the new Cemetery at Lisboney, Nenagh.
During his lifetime Superintendent Moriarty had been awarded the Scott Medal for bravery, following his involvement in the capture of notorious Irish republican socialist paramilitary group (INLA) member, Dessie O’Hare, in 1987, latter nicknamed ‘The Border Fox’.
The Border Fox
Dessie O’Hare, who was once the most wanted man in Ireland, was responsible in 1987, together with three other known INLA members, for their kidnapping of Mr John O’Grady, latter a Dublin dentist. The gang were poorly informed, intending originally to seize Mr Austin Darragh, owner of the Institute of Clinical Pharmacology. However unknown to the gang, Mr Darragh had moved from that house three years previously, having passed on his ownership to Mr O’Grady, latter also his son-in-law.
John O’Grady was initially held in a Dublin basement, while a demand for a IR£1.5m ransom was made and he was later moved to a Co. Cork disused cargo container. Located by investigating police in Cork, O’Hare, their prisoner and his gang escaped, using a hijacked car and having opened fired on Gardaí. O’Hare and his captive now hid out in a house in Cabra, in north Dublin, sending the hijacked car north to Dundalk, where it was later located burnt out.
All initial ransom demands had been refused, resulting in the cutting off of the little finger from each of Mr O’Grady’s hands, using a hammer and chisel. Fingers were sent to Carlow Cathedral, with a telephone call sent to Gardaí stating; “It’s just cost John two of his fingers. Now I’m going to chop him into bits and pieces and send fresh lumps of him every fucking day if I don’t get my money fast.”
Through Garda gathered intelligence, the gang were traced to the north Dublin house in Cabra and a shootout followed. One Garda detective was seriously wounded and Mr John O’Grady freed, while O’Hare and gang escaped. O’Hare now became the most wanted man in Ireland with a reward offered of IR£100,000 for information leading to his whereabouts. Two of the gang were later arrested, in early November near Cahir, Co Tipperary.
In the same month, on November 27th, O’Hare was arrested after his car attempted to drive through an Irish Defence Force check point outside Urlingford, County Kilkenny. O’Hare was shot eight times during his attempted arrest, while his driver Martin Bryan, died in the fire fight which ensued. An Irish army soldier was also wounded. Dessie O’Hare was sentenced to life imprisonment but later released early under the Good Friday Agreement.
Huge tributes were paid to the late Mr Moriarty at his Funeral Mass at St Marys of the Rosary Church on January 24th and at Nenagh District Court, a precinct which he served honourably from 1981 through to 1994.
Go ndéana Dia trócaire ar a anam dílis.
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