Joe McKenna promoted to superintendent

Joe McKenna promoted to superintendent


Neill O’Neill
neilloneill@mayonews.ie

WESTPORT-native Joe McKenna was one of only two Mayo men who found their names on the national list of garda officers to be promotion to the rank of superintendent last week. Inspector McKenna, currently based in Belmullet but working a roving role across all six Mayo Garda districts, will learn where he is to be stationed in the coming weeks.
His appointment must be ratified by the Government before he will be assigned a district – thought likely to be in Mayo – by Garda Commissioner Martin Callinan.
The other Mayo man on the list is Matthew Niland, currently based in the Legal Affairs Department at Garda Headquarters in The Phoenix Park in Dublin.
Inspector McKenna, a much-respected member of the force, was number two on the list of those recommended for promotion. He began his career with An Garda SíochΡna in the border station of Swanlinbar in Cavan in 1984. After six years at this station, which was only ten miles from Enniskillen during a time when the the Troubles raged in Northern Ireland, and which included the infamous Enniskillen bombing in 1987, Joe was transferred to Glenamoy in north Mayo in 1990, where he remained for eleven years, before being promoted to the rank of sergeant in Killala.
After a further year in north Mayo, Joe was, in March 2002, transferred to Castlebar, where he worked on the regular units until 2004. He was then appointed Divisional Clerk in the Chief Superintendent’s Office. He remained at this post until 2009, when he was promoted to the rank of inspector and transferred to Castlerea in Roscommon. In February 2010, he was transferred back to Belmullet.
Inspector McKenna was the only officer based in the western region to be included on last week’s promotion list.

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