Garda Kevin Flatley death: Motorcyclist in collision makes slight improvement in hospital
Garda Kevin Flatley
(49) on Sunday has improved slightly.
The roads policing garda was killed when he was struck by a motorcycle near Lanestown in north
Dublin
. The father of two was conducting a routine speed check when the collision occurred.
The motorcyclist was thrown from the bike and suffered life-threatening injuries, including to his head. Passersby administered first aid and he was taken by ambulance to
Beaumont Hospital
, where he remains.
The man, who is aged in his 30s, remains in a very serious condition but doctors believe he will survive, sources said. However, it will be some time before investigators will be able to take a statement from him.
READ MORE
Gardaí in Santry have obtained a large quantity of CCTV and dashcam footage of the road immediately before the collision. Footage from a CCTV camera on a nearby petrol station will form a key part of the investigation, sources say.
The
Garda
is also planning to conduct a review of checkpoint procedures to identify any changes which may be required to safety policies.
Garda Flatley had parked his official jeep by the side of the R132 at Lissenhall near Swords on Sunday morning and was operating a speed gun by the roadside.
It is understood at 12.50pm he detected a motorcycle was breaking the 80km/h speed limit on the road and went to flag it down when the collision occurred.
[
Garda Kevin Flatley was an 'absolute gentleman' who was 'always lending a hand', GAA club says
Opens in new window
]
The powerful Yamaha R1 1,000cc motorbike travelled for a significant distance following the collision and came to a rest on the opposite side of the road.
The death of Garda Flatley came after a spate of incidents in which gardaí were injured on traffic duty.
In the early hours of the morning of May 2nd, a garda on duty in Ardee, Co Louth, approached a suspicious-looking van that suddenly accelerated and hit him before leaving the scene.
The garda suffered broken bones and required surgery. A man was later arrested.
Earlier last week an on-duty garda was injured when he was hit by a car. Last Friday, another garda suffered a broken leg in Coolock, Co Dublin, when hit by a motorcycle. A suspect was arrested shortly afterwards.
Last year, 70 gardaí were injured in road-traffic collisions, the second most common injury category after assaults.
While road safety operations are inherently risky, several safety measures are put in place. Road policing gardaí undergo out-of-vehicle safety training, while risk assessments are conducted before a checkpoint is established at a location.
The Datawrapper link: https://app.datawrapper.de/edit/RtRIU/publish
And the spreadsheet if anyone can add to it when they see fatalities: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1jjknne0bxKD--oZBale1ZEZEnighKRNaGUIvbhLQ3PI/edit?pli=1&gid=0#gid=
The Garda's newer speed guns also allow members to detect speeding at a greater distance, meaning they can stay farther back from traffic. However, gardaí often have to step closer to traffic to flag down motorists they have detected speeding.
An incident review is to take place alongside the Garda investigation into Garda Flatley's death. It is likely to focus on the risk faced by gardaí conducting roadside speed checkpoints.
Garda Commissioner
Drew Harris
, who said the incident calls for a 'real reset and rethink about our approach as society to road safety', joined colleagues and family members of Garda Flatley at a private service in Dublin Castle on Monday evening.
Gardaí are continuing to appeal for information about Sunday's collision, including any information or footage relating to the movements of the motorcycle in the hour before the fatality.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Irish Times
an hour ago
- Irish Times
‘He kept saying, what wrong have I done? Why me?' An Indian man is left stripped and bloodied on an Irish street
Late last Saturday night, news began to spread online that an Indian man had been attacked in the Dublin suburb of Tallaght . Shocking images of the victim dripping with blood and walking the streets in his bare legs quickly followed. The man, who is in his early 40s and has requested anonymity and privacy following the attack, had arrived in Ireland three weeks previously on a critical skills visa to begin a new job with a leading international tech company. He left his wife and 11-month-old baby behind in southern India with plans to apply for their visas to join him in Ireland later this year. 'He came with lots of excitement but now he is traumatised, he's lost all his confidence,' a resident in the building where the man lived told The Irish Times. READ MORE The resident, who is also from southern India and requested anonymity, visited the man following his release from hospital. The victim is subletting a room in an Indian family's apartment in the complex. [ Man violently assaulted and partially stripped by gang in Tallaght Opens in new window ] 'He has two big scars on his forehead, his nose is broke, his left eye is almost closed, his eyes are black. He's got very visual bruises on his legs and thighs; he was really badly harmed,' the resident said. Online speculation and commentary have left the victim reeling. 'When he saw the pictures [online], he started gasping for breath; that's really shaken him. He just wants to run away and hide from people. 'He kept saying: 'I came here to make a living and live in peace. I was just walking to my place of worship. What wrong have I done, why me?'' Earlier that Saturday evening, July 19th, the victim set off on foot to the Vinayaka Hindu temple in Kingswood, following a Google Maps route. While walking through Kilnamanagh, he was approached by a group of teenagers who started taunting him and asking why he was in Ireland. 'He's very softly spoken; he's a humble guy, not aggressive in any way, and I think he was just being nice,' said his friend. 'He tried explaining he'd been hired by a tech company to fill a skills gap here in Ireland. And then they hit him badly on the head. For 10 to 12 seconds he didn't know where he was and then he realised blood was oozing from his forehead.' The group stripped the man from the waist down and took his trousers, before dispersing and leaving him to wander in a dazed state through the residential area. 'He was trying to take cover and seek help; he was so ashamed. A couple of cars passed him and one man hurled abuse at him. There's a video of that.' Videos of the bloodied man were quickly shared online, alongside claims he had been acting inappropriately around children before the attack. Gardaí have confirmed there is absolutely no truth to these claims. These claims were amplified by prominent anti-immigration accounts, including that of David Atherton, a journalist with a conservative website. 'In Tallaght, a suburb of Dublin, a migrant was caught exposing himself to children. He is covered in blood after being taught some manners,' Atherton falsely claimed in a post to his 300,000 followers on X, accompanied by a video of the man. Local resident Jennifer Murray spotted the victim as she drove by and stopped to help him. She gave him a blanket and waited with him for an ambulance to arrive. Later that night, she was shocked to see claims spreading online that the man was acting inappropriately. Her video refuting the claims went viral, racking up more than 500,000 views, and helping to counter much of the misinformation spreading online. However, others directed abuse towards her and, in at least one case, threatened to harm her. 'I was so suddenly aware of how dangerous word of mouth is. It was like watching the internet live in front of me,' she told The Irish Times. 'That's what really spurred me to alert the local residents to the truth.' The vast majority of the responses to her video have been positive, she said. Gardaí are continuing to investigate the incident as a potential hate crime and have appealed for witnesses to come forward. Legislation introduced earlier this year mandates tougher sentences for crimes motivated by racism or other bigotry. Akhilesh Mishra, India's ambassador to Ireland, praised Murray and the 'large number of common Irish people have also shared their concern and sympathy for the innocent victim'. He said the incident has caused 'widespread outrage, fear and concern among the Indian community all over Ireland'. [ Indian family suffers torrent of racial abuse on Belfast to Dublin train Opens in new window ] Mishra said the embassy has visited the victim and is liaising with the Garda and other authorities, as well as the wider Indian community. In another incident last Saturday night, Vikram Jain, an Irish citizen who moved from India 20 years ago, discovered his tenant had also been attacked. The young man, who is studying for a master's degree at Dublin Business School, arrived back at Jain's home with a broken nose. The student was walking through Sean Walsh Park in Tallaght at about 6pm when, he said, he was approached by a group of teenagers. I've lived in this country for over 20 years and always praised Ireland as one of the safest nations in the world. But my views have totally changed over the past three years — Vikram Jain 'They started hurling verbal abuse at him and then they punched him in the face and all over his body,' Jain told The Irish Times. 'He was bleeding badly when two other men came to help and brought him to the Garda station.' The student was later treated for injuries in Tallaght Hospital and has returned for daily check-ups since the assault, according to his landlord. The student says he was walking through Sean Walsh Park in Tallaght at about 6pm last Saturday when he was attacked. Photograph: Google Street View Gardaí confirmed they had been notified of an alleged assault on the evening of July 19th, 2025 at Sean Walsh Park and said investigations were ongoing. 'He is now terrified, not just of going out but of speaking up about what happened,' said Jain, who spoke to The Irish Times on his behalf. 'He's still in huge pain, he's scared and not eating. 'I've lived in this country for over 20 years and always praised Ireland as one of the safest nations in the world. But my views have totally changed over the past three years. Many people, especially immigrants, are now living in fear.' Indian IT workers, doctors and nurses have started sharing experiences of similar attacks in community WhatsApp groups, said Jain. Some no longer let their teenage children out to socialise and others avoid using public transport. 'There is a growing misunderstanding among some members of the public – particularly youth – about who immigrants are. Indian nationals pay substantial taxes, work in critical sectors such as IT and healthcare, and support the very infrastructure that helps Ireland thrive.' There are 78,086 Indian nationals living in Ireland, according to the 2023 population estimates from administrative data sources, collected by the Central Statistics Office (CSO). Census data, which is collected using different methodologies, shows 45,449 were living in the State in April 2022. More than a third of skilled employment permits awarded by Government to foreign nationals in 2024 went to Indians. Some 13,500 Indians secured work permits last year, compared to 4,553 Brazilians and 4,049 Filipino workers. Indian nurses make up a fifth of all registered nurses and midwives in the State, according to 2024 figures from the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Ireland. Nearly 18,500 Indian nurses and midwives are registered to work here alongside 54,000 Irish nurses, more than 7,000 Filipinos and more than 3,200 from the UK. I used to be comfortable going out alone but that incident took away my sense of safety. Even if my daughter asks me to take her to the park in the evening, I won't go without another adult — Jiby Palatty Jiby Palatty, who has worked as a nurse in a Dublin hospital for nearly two decades, contacted gardaí in mid-May after two teenage boys on an e-scooter threw a glass bottle that shattered on her leg while she was training in Lucan for the women's mini-marathon. Two months on from the incident, Gardaí visited her home this week to take a formal complaint. She described the injury to her leg as a 'surface wound, nothing major' but said the 'emotional trauma' ran deep. 'I've been here since 2006 and I suddenly felt like I wasn't welcomed. I felt embarrassed and alone,' she said. Indian nurses make up a fifth of all registered nurses and midwives in the State, nearly 18,500 Palatty quickly discovered she was not alone and that many of her Indian nursing colleagues suffered similar experiences. 'They never said anything because they felt shame and knew gardaí couldn't do anything because these are just kids,' she said. [ African, Brazilian communities 'lack trust' in gardaí, believe force takes 'lenient' attitude to racist attacks, report says Opens in new window ] 'I was so scared about running after that and it was only because I was training for the marathon that I found the courage to go back out with my husband. I used to be comfortable going out alone but that incident took away my sense of safety. Even if my daughter asks me to take her to the park in the evening, I won't go without another adult. 'There's been so many incidents in the park and I don't want to be that person in the wrong place at the wrong time. If I can, I will avoid it.' Fine Gael councillor for Donaghmede Supriya Singh said last Saturday's assault in Kilnamanagh 'wasn't random – it was hate'. 'There has been a noticeable increase in racially motivated attacks – not just on the Indian community, but on migrants more broadly,' she said. 'I hear from residents constantly that people are scared. This cannot become the new normal.' Data published by An Garda Síochána shows a 12 per cent increase in hate-related incidents reported in Ireland between 2022 and 2023, with most incidents linked to the victims' ethnicity or nationality. However, the force still warns that hate-related crime is underreported. [ Racism seen as permeating all aspects of Roma and Traveller lives in Ireland, European report finds Opens in new window ] The Criminal Justice (Incitement to Violence or Hatred and Hate Offences) Bill needs 'clear definitions and real consequences' around hate speech, said Singh. Gardaí are also under-resourced and need the tools and training to identify, record and follow up on these crimes, she added. 'People who have made Ireland their home and contribute every day to its growth and success deserve our respect, not violence.'
Irish Times
2 hours ago
- Irish Times
Fine Gael says Mairead McGuinness ‘acted in full accordance' with medical advice after being injured in crash
Fine Gael has said Mairead McGuinness acted 'in full accordance with the advice of her medical practitioners,' after it emerged that she flew to New Zealand weeks after she said she had sustained 'severe and debilitating injuries' in a car crash. Ms McGuinness, who will be contesting this year's presidential election as the Fine Gael candidate, also attended a luxury dinner in the days after the crash in which she said had severely injured her neck and back. Ms McGuinness and her husband Tom were involved in a collision with a car driven by an American tourist in Co Monaghan on September 21st, 2003. Ms McGuinness was a passenger in the car, which was driven by her husband. The then high-profile agricultural journalist took a damages claim against a Wexford branch of Hertz Rent-A-Car, which had hired out the car to the American tourist. READ MORE The claim was settled in April 2005, by which point Ms McGuinness was a Fine Gael MEP. In her claim, Ms McGuinness said the injuries she had suffered in the crash 'interfered with her enjoyment of life and all routine and other activities'. She also described them as 'severe and debilitating' injuries. However, just five days after the crash, on September 26th 2003, Ms McGuinness attended a gala meal at Farmeligh House hosted by celebrity chef Richard Corrigan. Ms McGuinness's attendance at the event in the days after the crash was first reported last weekend by The Ditch website. Six weeks after the crash, in November 2003, Ms McGuinness travelled to New Zealand to report on the Irish farming community living there for RTÉ's Ear to The Ground programme, which she presented at the time alongside her work as a newspaper journalist. Ms McGuinness was asked via Fine Gael if she could explain her attendance at the dinner and long-distance travel while suffering from severe injuries. A spokesman for Fine Gael said: 'Mairead McGuinness and her husband were travelling in their car when they were involved in a collision with another car in 2003. [ Who is Mairead McGuinness, the early front-runner in the presidential race? Opens in new window ] 'Ms McGuiness was hurt, underwent medical care and acted in full accordance with the advice of her medical practitioners. 'Ms McGuinness, a well known journalist at the time, got on with her personal and professional life. 'A civil case was settled in 2005.' The details of Ms McGuinness's settlement were not made public. Asked about her own case in 2019, after a compensation claim by party colleague Maria Bailey became public, Ms McGuinness said she could not 'remember the details of it'.
Irish Times
2 hours ago
- Irish Times
MMA fighter Charlie Ward (44) and co-accused face trial over Garda corruption offences
Former MMA fighter Charlie Ward has been returned for trial accused of corruption offences involving 'confidential' Garda information and helping to pervert the course of justice. The mixed martial artist (44) of Acragar, Mountmellick, and co-accused Noel Carroll (57) of Ballyfinn Road, Portlaoise, both Co Laois, appeared at Dublin District Court on Friday when the gardaí served them with books of evidence. It follows a probe by the anti-corruption unit , and the Director of Public Prosecutions had also directed trial on indictment. Judge Gerard Jones granted an order sending them forward for trial to the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court, which has wider sentencing powers and where the case will be listed for mention on October 16th. READ MORE The defendants, who have yet to enter a plea, did not address the court and were warned by the judge to notify the prosecution within 14 days if they intend to use an alibi. Gardaí must also furnish the defence with copies of interview videos. Legal aid was granted. Earlier, Det Sgts Paul Dowling and Kieran Kilcoyne said the two men 'made no reply' when charged. The pair face charges contrary to section 5 of the 2018 Criminal Justice (Corruption Offences) Act regarding requests for information concerning three men. According to the court documents, on March 2nd, 2022, at an unknown location in the State, both men corruptly requested a gift, consideration or advantage on account of a named garda requesting that confidential information relating to another person be obtained and disclosed. [ Man charged with assault at IPAS centre ordered not to incite hate on social media Opens in new window ] Mr Ward is accused of the same type of offence on February 28th 2022, about Garda information on a second male. Another charge states that on the previous day, Mr Ward corruptly offered the same officer an inducement for doing an act in relation to his employment as a member of An Garda Síochána. [ Kinahan crime boss ordered to pay back £1 million or face more jail time Opens in new window ] Mr Ward is also accused of an offence under section 7 of the Criminal Law Act 1997. This alleges that between October 15th-17th, 2019, when another person committed an arrestable offence, namely, perverting the course of justice, that he 'did aid, abet, counsel or procure the commission of this offence'. It is alleged that on January 26th, 2022, at an unknown location, Mr Carroll corruptly requested a gift consideration or advantage on account of the garda seeking confidential information about a search operation at the home of a third named man.
