At the recent graduation ceremony in Templemore College, Gardaí Joseph Glackin, Gavin Cahill and Michael Bolton were awarded the Bronze Scott Medals for their courage in confronting armed robbers. Garda Joseph Glackin’s life was miraculously saved when a bullet fired at him was deflected by the torch he was carrying. Garda Glackin and Garda Cahill were on patrol together in Finglas in October 2014 when they went in pursuit of an armed gang who had held up a filing station. When one of the raiders opened fire directly at Glackin, the torch in his hand deflected the bullet.

According to Garda Glackin: “I was carrying a torch in my right hand and this deflected the bullet and it hit me in the hand. Only for the torch, it would have hit me in the upper body. Crew from Dublin fire brigade came to the scene and brought me to the Mater Hospital and I spent a number of days in hospital as plastic surgeons operated to repair tissue and extensive nerve damage to my hand.” Garda Cahill, then only a student garda, bravely came to the aid of his colleague.

Gda Michael Bolton foiled the armed robbery of a credit union in Portmarnock, Dublin, in 2012. On bicycle duty, Gda Bolton responded to an alert regarding the credit union, and was confronted by two armed suspects. Gda Bolton was forced to dive behind a parked car when one of the men fired at him. Due to Gda Bolton’s courage, the suspects were later apprehend by support units.

The Scott Medal is awarded for acts of “personal bravery, performed intelligently in the execution of duty at imminent risk to the life of the doer, and armed with full knowledge of the risk involved.” Taoisech Enda Kenny paid tribute to the three recipients.