Supt Alan Murray set to retire
The career of one of the most respected local members of An Garda Síochána is coming to an end this week.
Superintendent Alan Murray is retiring today, Tuesday January 18, after 39 years of service, the vast majority of which were spent in the Mullingar Garda District.
A native of Dundalk, Mullingar Station was Supt Murray's first posting after he graduated from Templemore in March 1983.
In 1989, he was one of 50 Guards selected to go to Namibia for a year to serve as a UN civilian police monitor overseeing the handover of power from South Africa.
In 1993, he was promoted to the rank of Sergeant and spent two years in Granard, County Longford. He was posted back to Mullingar station in 1995, where six years later he was appointed to the position of Sergeant in Charge.
In 2003, he was promoted to the rank of Inspector and was posted to Tallaght. He spent two years in Dublin before returning to Mullingar when he was appointed as the Regional Traffic Inspector.
In 2010, he was appointed as the Regional Inspector for the Assistant Commissioner in Mullingar, while in 2015 he was promoted to the position of Superintendent for the Mullingar District.
Living in Mullingar and married to Caroline with whom he has two sons, Niall and Peter; Supt Murray is the third generation of his family to serve in An Garda Síochána. His father also served as Superintendent in the Mullingar District in the 1970s, while his own sons have followed in their father, grandfather and great grandfather's footsteps and are currently based in Dublin.
Looking back over his long career, Supt Murray says that he has many changes over the past four decades.
Mullingar Garda Station itself has been significantly expanded, while the role of the Gardaí has also changed with the times, a major population increase and technological advances.
“I think there is more pressure on Guards nowadays and I think it was easier back in 1983. There wasn't the same technology, people were easier to deal with.
“It [Mullingar] was smaller, more intimate and you had people like Charlie Dunlevy, Denis Naughton and John Cannon, who knew almost everyone.”
After the best part of 40 years, Supt Murray says that he enjoyed his time in An Garda Síochána and leaves “with happy thoughts”.
Tributes were paid to Supt Murray at the most recent JPC meeting, which was held online, last Monday, January 10.
The chief executive of Westmeath County Council Pat Gallagher paid tribute to Supt Murray for his “huge contribution to the policing in the county and in particular the Mullingar District”.
Mr Gallagher also thanked Supt Murray for his “great assistance” to the council during his career.
“He was always ready to help and always ready to respond. It's really appreciated and we wish him all the best for the future,” he said.
The cathaoirleach of the JPC Cllr Paddy Hill also paid tribute to Supt Murray. Cllr Hill said that Supt Murray “seemed too young a man to be retiring”.
Cllr Tom Farrell, speaking on behalf of the Fine Gael group, also wished Supt Murray well and thanked him for his decades of service.
“He is a very practical man, a very helpful man and a very upfront man. He doesn't suffer fools gladly and I wish him the best in retirement.”