This is a list of Garda officers killed in the line of duty since the establishment of the Garda Síochána in 1922. The list includes all Gardaí who were killed in the service of the state (accidentally and unlawfully), as per the official Garda Síochána Roll of Honour.[1] [2] The list does not include members of previous police services or other law enforcement agencies in the Republic of Ireland, nor those in Northern Ireland.
At least 23 serving Gardaí have been killed by individuals or groups associated with the Republican paramilitary groups,[3] this being the most common cause of death apart from accidents.
The most recent death was that of Detective Garda Colm Horkan, who was killed in June 2020, becoming the 89th member of the force to die on duty. [4]
Note: Coloured rows denotes when officers were killed in the same incident.
| Name | Rank | Reg. No. | Age | Date of death | Circumstances | Location |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Detective | 26225M | 49 | Murdered after being disarmed and shot with his own service pistol, during an incident on a mobile anti-crime patrol[5] | Castlerea, County Roscommon | ||
| Garda | 29909L | 36 | Murdered while attending a domestic dispute by dissident republican Adrian Crevan Mackin, who also shot and critically injured his partner before taking his own life[6] | Omeath, County Louth | ||
| Detective | 26222F | 41 | Murdered by a criminal gang with links to dissident republicans during a credit union robbery | Jenkinstown, County Louth | ||
| Garda | 34104E | 25 | Accidentally swept away and drowned during floods while trying to warn motorists of the danger | Kilbride, County Wicklow | ||
| Garda | 31917A | 24 | Unlawfully killed after the vehicle he was pursuing rammed his vehicle intentionally | Bridgend, County Donegal | ||
| Garda | 31285A | 29 | Killed after being hit by a vehicle driven by fleeing suspect he and colleagues were attempting to apprehend while stealing another vehicle | Letterkenny, County Donegal | ||
| Garda | 23037E | 46 | Accidentally killed by a vehicle while directing traffic away from the scene of an accident, fireman Michael Liston also died | Foynes, County Limerick | ||
| Garda | 26973E | 27 | Accidentally killed in a road traffic collision travelling from court to Garda station | Kinnegad, County Westmeath | ||
| Garda | 27477A | 27 | Killed in a vehicle collision attempting to intercept the vehicle of a robbery suspect | Stillorgan, County Dublin | ||
| Garda | 17644C | 53 | Killed in a vehicle collision attempting to intercept the vehicle of a robbery suspect | Stillorgan, County Dublin | ||
| Detective Sergeant | 22294A | 40 | Abbeyleix, County Laois | |||
| Detective | 23363C | 40 | Accidentally killed in a road traffic collision while on duty for the Garda National Surveillance Unit | Dundalk, County Louth | ||
| Garda | 26361C | 29 | Accidentally killed in a road traffic collision while on mobile patrol | Ballyvolane, County Cork | ||
| Garda | 22336M | 44 | Accidentally killed in a road traffic collision while on mobile patrol | Ballyvolane, County Cork | ||
| Garda | 27489E | 25 | Accidentally killed in a road traffic collision while responding to a callout | Finglas, County Dublin | ||
| Garda | 26650G | 28 | Accidentally killed in a road traffic collision while responding to a callout | Finglas, County Dublin | ||
| Garda | 26178E | 27 | Accidentally killed in a road traffic collision while responding to Gardaí in distress | Enniscorthy, County Wexford | ||
| Garda | 21244L | 42 | Accidentally killed in a road traffic collision while responding to Gardaí in distress | Enniscorthy, County Wexford | ||
| Sergeant | 22477D | 36 | Set alight with petrol by deranged man who entered a Garda station, suffering fatal wounds | Tallaght, County Dublin | ||
| Garda | 26158M | 25 | Accidentally killed in a road traffic collision while on patrol | Blackrock, County Dublin | ||
| Detective | 15860G | 53 | Vehicle rammed, shot dead by Provisional IRA members during a cash-in-transit robbery | Adare, County Limerick | ||
| Detective Sergeant | 20655E | 39 | Suffered fatal injuries after being shot at by a sniper, causing him to crash the vehicle he was driving (on duty with the United Nations Protection Force) | Sarajevo (Bosnia and Herzegovina) | ||
| Garda | 17751B | 41 | Accidentally killed in a road traffic collision while en route to a union meeting | Cliffoney, County Sligo | ||
| Garda | 21738G | 33 | Accidentally killed by a vehicle while investigating a road traffic collision | Newbridge, County Kildare | ||
| Garda | 23595D | 29 | Accidentally killed in a road traffic collision while on road patrol | New Ross, County Wexford | ||
| Garda | 24015L | 29 | Accidentally killed in a road traffic collision while on official motorcycle training | Tullamore, County Offaly | ||
| Garda | 13716B | 52 | Accidentally killed in a road traffic incident while transferring a prisoner | Cashel, County Tipperary | ||
| Garda | 15062B | 47 | Accidentally run over while on foot investigating criminal damage | Carlow, County Carlow | ||
| Garda | 22762E | 26 | Accidentally killed when hit by a train while pursuing thieves on foot | Sutton Park, County Dublin | ||
| Garda | 24131H | 25 | South Quays, County Dublin | |||
| Garda | 19207D | 36 | Birr, County Offaly | |||
| Sergeant | 14545K | 49 | Murdered by the Irish National Liberation Army (INLA) following a bank robbery | Ardee, County Louth | ||
| Detective | 20594L | 26 | Drumree, County Meath | |||
| Recruit | 23589L | 23 | Fatally shot during the Don Tidey kidnapping by the Provisional IRA, Private Patrick Kelly (Irish Army) also killed | Ballinamore, County Leitrim | ||
| Garda | 20676H | 25 | Lemybrien, County Waterford | |||
| Garda | 21517A | 24 | Accidentally died after a road traffic incident on his motorcycle escorting a motorcade | Ballygall, County Dublin | ||
| Detective | 21096L | 27 | Clontarf, County Dublin | |||
| Sergeant | 14679L | 41 | Murdered at his home during the night by an assailant who fired from outside | Dunboyne, County Meath | ||
| Sergeant | 16595F | 37 | Accidentally killed in a road traffic collision on patrol | Naas, County Kildare | ||
| Garda | 16262M | 37 | Accidentally killed in a road traffic collision while in a military explosives convoy | Broomfield, County Monaghan | ||
| Garda | 17003H | 34 | Accidentally killed in a road traffic collision while in a military explosives convoy | Broomfield, County Monaghan | ||
| Garda | 21281D | 23 | Fatally shot by an Irish National Liberation Army (INLA) gunman after investigating a report of suspicious activity | Tallaght, County Dublin | ||
| Garda | 20018B | 26 | Accidentally killed in a road traffic collision while en route to specialist training | Blackrock, County Dublin | ||
| Detective | 13497G | 42 | Shot dead by a member of the Provisional IRA during an exchange of gunfire after stopping a vehicle containing explosives | Cleariestown, County Wexford | ||
| Garda | 18300H | 28 | Shot dead by the Irish National Liberation Army (INLA) following a bank robbery | Ballaghaderreen, County Roscommon | ||
| Detective | 15543H | 37 | Shot dead by the Irish National Liberation Army (INLA) following a bank robbery | Ballaghaderreen, County Roscommon | ||
| Garda | 18189G | 24 | Killed after entering a premises boobytrapped (IED) by the Provisional IRA, other colleagues seriously injured | Portarlington, County Laois | ||
| Garda | 17673G | 30 | Shot in the head (off-duty) after following an armed gang who had robbed a bank | Killester, County Dublin | ||
| Garda | 18137D | 22 | Accidentally struck down and killed by a vehicle at a road checkpoint | Limerick, County Limerick | ||
| Garda | 17992B | 21 | Knocked down and killed while on foot at a checkpoint | Dundalk, County Louth | ||
| Garda | 16116M | 28 | Accidentally killed in a road traffic collision while responding to an emergency | Cork, County Cork | ||
| Garda | 12689F | 42 | Accidentally killed after being hit by a vehicle while conducting a roadside checkpoint | Charlestown, County Mayo | ||
| Inspector | 8586 | 60 | Killed by an IED laid by the Provisional IRA during a Garda/Defence Forces cross border search | Near Wattlebridge, County Fermanagh (Northern Ireland, United Kingdom) | ||
| Sergeant | 10114 | 45 | Accidentally killed in a road traffic collision while responding to an emergency call | Sligo, County Sligo | ||
| Garda | 9936 | 43 | Shot dead by members of Saor Éire during a bank robbery | Arran Quay, County Dublin | ||
| Garda | 14676E | 28 | Accidentally killed in a road traffic collision on a motorcycle while on traffic duty | Naas Road, County Dublin | ||
| Sergeant | 6587 | 62 | Accidentally killed in a road traffic collision while en route to apprehend a fugitive | Balbriggan, County Dublin | ||
| Sergeant | 10543M | 33 | Accidentally stuck down and killed by a vehicle while investigating a road traffic collision | Monasterevin, County Kildare | ||
| Detective | 10445M | 32 | Accidentally killed in a road traffic collision while escorting a prisoner | Daingean, County Offaly | ||
| Garda | 10698 | 26 | Accidentally killed in a road traffic collision while on counter-IRA patrol | Redhills, County Cavan | ||
| Garda | 10094 | 29 | Accidentally killed in a road traffic collision while on motorcycle traffic duty | Killiney, County Dublin | ||
| Garda | 8786 | 56 | Accidentally killed by a vehicle while on foot patrol | Ardnacrusha, County Clare | ||
| Sergeant | 1315 | 55 | Accidentally killed by a vehicle while on pedestrian duty | Tullow, County Carlow | ||
| Chief Superintendent | 4804 | 49 | Dublin Docklands, County Dublin | |||
| Garda | 7779 | 38 | Shot dead while on plainclothes protection duty by a fellow officer, who was convicted of murder | Pallasgreen, County Limerick | ||
| Garda | 4034 | 44 | Shot dead by a fellow officer in his Garda station, who then killed himself (murder-suicide) | Nenagh, County Tipperary | ||
| Detective | 6712 | 45 | Shot dead during a raid on an IRA safe house by Garda Special Branch. An IRA member was subsequently executed for his role in the shooting.[7] | Donnycarney, County Dublin | ||
| Detective | 6658 | 41 | Shot dead attempting to apprehend a wanted criminal in a house raid | Kilnaleck, County Cavan | ||
| Detective Sergeant | 8288 | 43 | Ballyboden, County Dublin | |||
| Detective | 8333 | 36 | Shot dead by members of the Anti-Treaty IRA during a Garda Special Branch raid | Rathgar, County Dublin | ||
| Detective Sergeant | 11919 (DMP) | 39 | Shot dead by members of the Anti-Treaty IRA during a Garda Special Branch raid | Rathgar, County Dublin | ||
| Garda | 6481 | 35 | Accidentally drowned after saving two girls from drowning at sea | Ballybunion, County Kerry | ||
| Detective | 4905 | 34 | Shot dead after stopping and attempting to question a member of the Anti-Treaty IRA on the street | St. Patrick's Street, Cork | ||
| Sergeant | 5802 | 30 | Accidentally drowned after the vehicle left the road following a patient transfer | Connemara, County Galway | ||
| Garda | 1408 | 38 | Accidentally drowned after the vehicle left the road following a patient transfer | Connemara, County Galway | ||
| Garda | 7912 | 25 | Accidentally drowned after rescuing a person from a river | George's Quay, County Cork | ||
| Detective | 7794 | 28 | Fatally wounded after attempting to shield Patrick Reynolds from assassination while on close protection duty | Ballinamore, County Leitrim | ||
| Superintendent | 783 | 28 | Ambushed and assassinated by members of the Anti-Treaty IRA for his work combatting them | Tipperary, County Tipperary | ||
| Detective | 6670 | 32 | Suffered fatal injuries following an IED explosion, which was set as a targeted trap | Knock, County Clare | ||
| Garda | 11369 (DMP) | 33 | Accidentally killed by a vehicle while directing traffic on foot | Stillorgan, County Dublin | ||
| Sergeant | 2566 | 23 | Cork, County Cork | |||
| Garda | 5663 | 29 | Hollyford, County Tipperary | |||
| Garda | 3919 | 26 | Fatally shot by an individual while entering a premises to investigate a shooting incident (died some months later) | Carrick-on-Suir, County Tipperary | ||
| Sergeant | 814 | 25 | Fatally shot by an individual while entering a premises to investigate a shooting incident (died soon after) | Carrick-on-Suir, County Tipperary | ||
| Detective | 11993 (DMP) | 39 | Pearse Street, County Dublin | |||
| Garda | 651 | 27 | Shot dead at point-blank range pursuing armed criminal bank raiders | Baltinglass, County Wicklow | ||
| Sergeant | 2358 | 23 | Murdered in his Garda station after resisting an armed raid by insurgents | Scartaglen, County Kerry | ||
| Garda | 1347 | 21 | Murdered in a sports shop by armed Anti-Treaty IRA intruders | Mullinahone, County Tipperary | ||
| Civic Guard | 1017 | 19 | Accidentally shot dead by a colleague | Ship Street Barracks, Dublin | ||