Garda Commissioner to meet Colm Horkan's family amid public inquiry calls

Garda Commissioner Justin Kelly has committed to meeting the family of Detective Garda Colm Horkan, shot dead on duty in Castlerea in 2020.

Commissioner Kelly pledges meeting with Horkan family as inquiry pressure grows

Garda Commissioner Justin Kelly has committed to meeting the family of murdered Detective Garda Colm Horkan next month, TheJournal.ie reports, as pressure mounts in the Dáil for a public inquiry into the circumstances of his death.

Horkan, aged 49, was shot several times with his own gun on 17 June 2020 in Castlerea, Co Roscommon, while on duty. Steven Silver, of Aughavard, Foxford, Co Mayo, was found guilty of his murder in 2023.

Concerns have since been raised in the Dáil that Horkan had allegedly been issued with a defective holster. His family is seeking a public inquiry into the circumstances surrounding his death.

Asked on Thursday whether he would back such an inquiry, Kelly said: "Myself as the Garda Commissioner, obviously, and the whole wider Garda family – our hearts go out to the Horkan family."

"It was a terrible tragedy for the whole Garda organisation, and obviously the Horkan family themselves most importantly," he added.

Kelly confirmed the planned meeting but indicated he would not be drawn on the inquiry question publicly ahead of it. "I am meeting the Horkan family next month and I will be discussing a lot of these things with them," he said. "So I think, in fairness to the Horkan family, it's probably not appropriate to discuss them publicly now."

The Commissioner expressed satisfaction that the family had agreed to the meeting. "I'm very happy that they're willing to meet me and they put aside time to meet me," he said.

Source: TheJournal.ie