Son of former top Garda tells funeral his Dad put ‘100 per cent’ into everything he did in life

A massive crowd of friends, colleagues, family and well-wishers gathered on Thursday morning to pay their respects to the former Assistant Commissioner of An Garda Síochána John O'Driscoll, who tragically died suddenly last Friday

Former top Garda John O’Driscoll always put ‘100 per cent’ into everything he did in life, his son told his funeral.

A massive crowd of friends, colleagues, family and well-wishers gathered at St Brigid's Church in Killester, North Dublin on Thursday morning to pay their respects to the former Assistant Commissioner of An Garda Síochána, who tragically died suddenly last Friday.

John’s funeral mass was celebrated by Garda Chaplains Fr Joe Kennedy and Archdeacon David Pierpoint - and was attended by hundreds, including Garda Commissioner Drew Harris and Minister for Justice Helen McEntee.

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At the beginning of the ceremony, the Garda Ceremonial Unit placed the Tricolour on top of the coffin, along with John’s Garda hat and gloves - representing his over “41 years of proud service” in the force, as described by Fr Kennedy.

The Book of scriptures and a crucifix were also placed on the coffin to represent John’s deep faith, as well as many gifts brought to the altar representing his life - including a fitbit, a copy of the Irish Times, a dog lead, a wedding photo and a family holiday photo.

Speaking at the end of the service, John’s heartbroken son Sean spoke movingly about his father as a dedicated family man - who despite his incredibly busy job, always had time for them. He told those gathered how his mother Muriel and father met in 1985 and got married two years later, in the same church he was now having his funeral.

Sometime around 1991 he said, his father won a camera, and for years after that made a point of filming now cherished family memories over the years.

“Although we traded out the old video camera for an iPad in recent years, he still made every effort to record all the occasions and as a result, on our phones, we now have 30 years of video memories stored, dated and we can look at any time. When me and my family look back on those memories and think of my Dad we think of how loving, caring, generous and fun he was for us, and how lucky we were to have him as our Dad,” he told mourners.

“He would do anything for us without ever expecting much in return. He would always come to support and make sure through our lives that we’d never be stuck for a lift in the car to or from anything.”

Sean told how his father picked his daughter up the night before he died, and how he spoke about looking forward to the launch of his upcoming memoir - charting his over 41 years of service in An Garda Síochána.

“Just last Thursday, the night before he passed away, he insisted on picking up my sister Laura, well after midnight from somewhere a short walk away, because of the rain. He was in very good spirits with her, talking about his book memoir launch at the end of the month and how it would be an opportunity to see his closest friends and former colleagues in one place.

“His book was his latest retirement project, which he completed over the last year or so. This was in between all the last-minute trips away with my Mom, being a trustee on the board of Sage activism group, acting on behalf of older people who need support in fulfilling their wish to remain in their own homes and communities, as well as walking my sister’s dog who he adored, and the many coffees he went for in Insomnia Killester.”

He told those gathered how the family spent quality time together on a cruise in the Mediterranean earlier this year - and how his father was always adventurous in life.

“He always liked to do adventurous things and would rarely say no when an opportunity came up. Years ago, he did two parachute jumps. He would go on any roller coaster or water slide during our family holidays growing up.

"So when the time came towards the end of Covid-19 restrictions to pick my first ever passenger to come flying with me when I passed my pilot's licence, without hesitation he agreed. He loved the experience. We got the opportunity to fly over Howth and do a few laps over our home in Raheny while the family waved up from the back garden. It's an experience I’ll never forget and that he talked about for weeks.”

Sean also talked about how his Dad loved rowing, looking after greyhounds when he was younger, reading newspapers, watching sporting events, going to the sauna - and most of all, running. "Running, though, was probably his favourite. He got me into it from an early age because he was so consistent in going for a run every day when we were away and a couple of times a week. He loved exercise and he had a competitive side,” he said.

In all his many years in An Garda Síochána, working at the highest levels of the force, Sean says his father always found time for family.

“To us it never felt like we were sharing him. He put 100 per cent into everything he did in life and that included being there for us and always being the best Dad to us in every possible way. All four of us will always miss him and love him and cherish the happy times we spent with him and me and my sisters are so proud that we can call him our Dad,” he said.

John’s wife Muriel also read out a poignant poem at the service, which heard how he and his brothers were researching their family tree, and he had contributed to that on the day before he died. In another moving tribute, John’s brother Brian outlined in detail his stellar career in An Garda Síochána, and following in their father’s footsteps.

“Having completed his Leaving Cert at the tender age of 16, John began his working career at Texaco, where he spent four years before fulfilling his cherished ambition of following our father into An Garda Síochána.

“At that time our father was a detective Chief Superintendent at the Central Detective Unit, a position that John would proudly fill some 32 years later as Chief of the then renamed National Bureau of Criminal Investigation. He was always immensely proud that they had the opportunity to serve together in the force, albeit briefly.

“Their careers had many remarkable and happy parallels. However, our father sadly died the following year aged only 62, having had little time to enjoy his well-deserved retirement. Sadly, history repeats itself,” he said.

Brian outlined his brother’s “remarkable” 41-year career in the force, beginning in Fitzgibbon Street in 1981, before moving onto the DMR taskforce, becoming a Sergeant in Rathangan, Co Kildare, before working back in the north inner city in charge of the hugely successful Store Street drugs unit - a time he said he described as “the best years of his career".

“Many of the stellar team that he worked with and mentored are here today, some now occupying the most senior positions in An Garda Síochána. I know that they know how proud he was of them and what they achieved together,” Brian said.

He further outlined how John was promoted to Inspector in 1998, serving in Dublin’s Bridewell Station and the National Immigration Bureau before becoming a Superintendent in 2002, Chief Superintendent in 2008, and finally, Assistant Commissioner in 2016.

“On promotion to Assistant Commissioner in 2016 he was tasked with leading the Northern region and the Community engagement service, before being promoted to where he truly felt at home, as head of Special Crime Operations,” Brian said.

“There, his efforts and achievements in harnessing the resources of the State and working with international partners in so effectively targeting organised crime are so widely known and highly regarded.”

He said his brother’s appetite for work was “legendary” and continued into his retirement, where he wrote a memoir, due to be released in just five weeks' time.

“He was very much looking forward to its upcoming launch. But now it will provide both a fitting legacy and a poignant bookend of a remarkable life,” Brian said.

“John worked famously long hours and to that extent I was often amazed how he could remain the consummate family man that his son Sean has so movingly described for us today. He was devoted to his children, Michelle, Laura and Sean, and he took great pleasure from and had enormous pride in their very considerable achievements over the years. John was an exceptional family man. He was an exceptional policeman and public servant. He was quite simply, exceptional,” he said.

Speaking during the Homily, Archdeacon David Pierpoint told those gathered that it came as “quite a shock” for him to learn that he grew up on the same street with the late John and his family.

“It's quite a coincidence that I’m here representing An Garda Síochána for John’s funeral mass. It really is a small world when we meet up on an occasion like this. I was quite shocked when I made the connection,” he said. Celebrant Fr Joe Kennedy spoke of how John died suddenly, and how difficult that can be for loved ones to come to terms with.

“I often make the comment with respect when Jesus says to us do not let your hearts be troubled. That’s easier said than done when someone we love dies. Particularly when someone passes away quite suddenly, as John did last Friday.

“No warning, no preparation, just so sudden. We’re all aware of the circumstances on Friday last. So it's the most natural thing to grieve and shed tears,” he said.

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