Garryhinch ambush Garda lived a life of "service and character"

Gardai in the Laois/Offaly Garda Division have paid a heartfelt tribute to one of their colleagues who sustained lifelong injuries in an ambush which took place on the Laois/Offaly border in 1976, following his death this week.

Retired Sergeant James Cannon, Teach Mhuire, Sandy Lane, Portarlington passed away peacefully at the Midland Regional Hospital in Tullamore on Monday, November 10, after decades of service to An Garda Siochána and to the local community in Portarlington where he made his home.

A native of Galway, Sergeant Cannon was one of five young gardai called to the scene of suspicious activity at a farmhouse in Garryhinch, on the Laois/Offaly border on October 16, 1976, which tragically claimed the life of Garda Michael Clerkin when a booby-trap bomb exploded as he opened the front door of the house.

The other gardai on the scene, including the late Sergeant Jim Cannon, were all seriously injured and endured lifelong physical and psychological impacts as a result of their involvement in the incident.

In paying a deeply personal and poignant tribute to the memory of Jim Cannon, the Laois/Offaly Garda Division said in a Facebook post that he had lived a life “of service and character” and his dedication to the Garda service had “set a benchmark of courage and professionalism.”

As a community activist in Portarlington he was “widely respected” and was “a rock” to his family, his colleagues and his neighbours. “Across many years, he stood as a witness and advocate for the effects of that bombing, as a reminder of the cost paid by front‐line public servants” said the tribute.

The late Sergeant Cannon's colleagues added that, while “the gallantry” of the night he was called to the scene of the Garryhinch ambush defined a key moment in his life, his career and his character “will define his legacy.”

The late Sergeant Cannon spoke in later years about the events that unfolded on the fateful night of the Garryhinch ambush, and recounted how he had been trapped under rubble. He also recalled how the blast had changed his life and that of his colleagues who were called to the incident.

“We will remember Jim not just for the horrors he endured, but for how he carried himself with dignity, commitment and unwavering service. His courage in recovery, sense of duty and community spirit will continue to inspire. May his memory be a blessing” said his Garda colleagues in the Laois/Offaly Division.

The late Jim Cannon is survived by his wife Mary (née Shanahan), his children Pádraig, Marie and Carmel, his grandchildren and great-grandchildren, his sister Maureen, and the entire Cannon, Shanahan and extended families.

He was laid to rest earlier today (Wednesday, November 12) in St. Michael's Cemetery in Portarlington following Requiem Mass in St. Michael's Church.