Murder of Det Gda Adrian Donohoe: Without saying a word or giving any warning, the killer pulled the trigger

In an extract from their new book about the killing of the much-admired officer at Lordship Credit Union, the authors outline the events of the fateful night when the greed and callousness of an armed gang cost a family man his life

Detective Garda Adrian Donohoe was much-respected by his colleagues. Photo: David Conachy

Pat Marry and Robin Schiller

The evening of January 25, 2013 started like any other shift for Adrian Donohoe. He left the family home in Lordship, Co Louth, saying goodbye to his wife and children before making the short car journey across to Dundalk garda station. He hadn’t been due to work that night, but, true to his selfless nature, he filled in for a colleague at the last moment to ensure there were enough armed officers to police the large region the station covered, including the busy town centre and rural hinterlands.

His detective duties required him to wear plain clothes. Dressed in a white checked shirt, black trousers and a black zipped jacket, he set off from home into the rain. His first task that night would be to shadow the credit union officials transporting cash from the four branches across the Cooley Peninsula and safely escort them to the bank in Dundalk town centre.