Mayo gardaí to be remembered in memorial cycle

TWO mayo gardaí who were killed in the line of duty are being remembered as part of a memorial cycle will travel through Charlestown and Ballina.

The Tony Golden Memorial Cycle is an annual event held in memory of Ballina native Garda Tony Golden, who was shot dead by dissident republican Crevan Mackin while on a domestic callout in Omeath, Co Louth, in 2015.

This year’s 240-kilometre cycle will travel from Blackrock, Co Louth, to Longford town today (Tuesday), September 17, before making its way to Ballina tomorrow.

En route, they will stop at Colm Horkan Memorial Pitch in Charlestown, a pitch named in honour of former Charlestown footballer, the late Detective Garda Colm Horkan. The group of 40 cyclists will be accompanied in Charlestown by Garda Commissioner Drew Harris, who is a keen cyclist.

Garda Horkan was killed in Castlerea, Co Roscommon, in 2020, by Stephen Silver, who grabbed the garda’s service gun and used it to shoot him eleven times. He became the 89th – and latest – member of An Garda Síochána to be killed in the line of duty.

The Tony Golden Memorial Cycle first took place in 2016, when 61 cyclists cycled from Blackrock to Ballina. The event has taken place every year since, using a remote format during the Covid-19 pandemic.

All funds raised from the Tony Golden Memorial Cycle will go towards Breast Cancer Ireland.

At the time of going to print, over €8,200 had been raised for the charity, which supports pioneering research programmes and promotes education and awareness on good breast health in women.