Kevin Flatley: Funeral of Garda killed in line of duty held in Dublin
Garda motorcycle colleagues from the Dublin Metropolitan Region's roads policing unit formed a guard of honour as the hearse carrying Garda Flatley's coffin arrived at St Peter and Paul's Church.
Two police officers led the cortege, one carrying the Irish tricolour and the other the flag of An Garda Síochána (Irish police force).A number of items including a fiddle, a GAA top and jersey, and a family bible which he used to read to his children, were placed at the altar to commemorate his life.Among those who attended the funeral were Taoiseach (Irish prime minister) Micheál Martin, President Michael D Higgins, Tánaiste (deputy prime minister) Simon Harris, Minister for Justice Jim O'Callaghan, Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald and First Minister Michelle O'Neill.
'Cherished by everyone'
A colleague, Garda Rosanna Caul, spoke of the "privilege" of working with the "family man".She said that on Sunday, the lives of Garda Flatley's wife Una, and their daughters, were changed forever."They never imagined when Kevin went to work, that he would not return home," she said."The family are so grateful to those who came to Kevin's aid on Sunday and to everyone who has taken care of Kevin since this time."
She said that the support which his family has received since Sunday has been "phenomenal"."An Garda Síochána have been unwavering in their care support and help that has been offered to the family since Kevin's passing."Kevin's memory will never be forgotten, he is forever in his children's, family's and friends' hearts, and Kevin will always be cherished by everyone who knew him."
Garda Kevin Flatley, who was a member of the roads policing unit based at Dublin Castle, is the 90th member of An Garda Síochána to be killed on duty.The 89 other garda victims lost their lives on duty for a variety of reasons including incidents relating to the Troubles in Northern Ireland, while on anti-crime operations, and in accidents.Following the fatal collision on Saturday, Garda Commissioner (head of the Irish police force) Drew Harris called for "a real reset" when it comes to road safety.Speaking at a press conference on Sunday, Mr Harris said it was a "desperately sad day for An Garda Síochána".Following the funeral mass, Garda Flatley's remains were taken for a private family burial in Newcastle, County Dublin.
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When interviewed by specialist gardaí, she said she met the men through social media and they made arrangements to meet in Dublin City Centre, where they hung out. The next day, they met again and went to his apartment. She told gardaí, they went to his bedroom and 'then we did it'. She said she later masturbated the man. She also described him putting his penis to her lips, but refusing to open her mouth and saying no. She said he got mad and asked, 'Why wouldn't I suck it?' The girl told gardaí he rolled her a joint, then they left his apartment and she returned home. CCTV was played during the trial, showing the girl and the defendant arriving and leaving the apartment complex together. The jury were also shown video captured of the social media messages seen by the girl's sibling. These messages included some graphic and explicit material sent by the man to the girl and explicit conversation between them before their first meeting. The man's apartment was searched in November 2023, and he was interviewed by gardaí in May 2024. He accepted having sex with the girl, that she masturbated and said he asked her for oral sex. He said he thought she was older than 17 and there were 'no red flags'. The investigating garda agreed with Michael O'Higgins SC, defending, that his client was co-operative when interviewed and gave his perspective. Mr O'Higgins read extracts from letters written by his client to the victim's family and to the court. The defendant said he was sorry for causing so much pain and sadness and acknowledged his responsibility. The man said he was 'immature', and it was 'shameful' that he had been 'so stupid', ignoring his responsibility as an adult. Mr O'Higgins asked the court to consider all of the circumstances in which this offending occurred. A psychological report was also submitted to the court, which outlined the defendant's background and assesses him at a medium risk of re-offending. Mr O'Higgins submitted that his client has shown some insight into his impact of his behaviour, but does not have a full understanding of the effect on the injured party. He asked the court for as much leniency as possible and to consider imposing a post-release supervision order as part of any sentence. If you have been affected by any of the issues raised in this article, you can call the national 24-hour Rape Crisis Helpline at 1800-77 8888, access text service and webchat options at or visit Rape Crisis Help.
