Glowing tributes flow for retiring sergeant

An officer of the highest integrity and a public servant in the truest sense of the word was how Sergeant Michael Keating of Nenagh Garda Station was described when glowing and emotional tributes were heaped on him at his last appearance as a serving garda at a sitting of Nenagh District Court on Friday last.

Speaking on behalf of all the local solicitors, Mariea Flanagan said it was not a normal court day as there were so many people present who had returned to the chamber specially to pay tribute to a long-serving and respected colleague.

Ms Flanagan asked for the liberty of the court to refer to Sergeant Keating by his nickname, “Babs”, whom she described as a friend in the truest sense, a garda held in the highest respect by all the local solicitors and other offices of the court.

She said solicitors who encountered Sergeant Keating found him to be a very fair person who was prepared to do his best for both the winning and losing sides in court cases.

Referring to his Limerick roots, Ms Flanagan said Sergeant Keating had never really lost the accent of his native city, despite spending almost forty years serving in the force in North Tipperary, humorously adding that his native accent became heavily pronounced when he was engaged in an argument with the resident judge, Elizabeth MacGrath.

Quoting Nelson Mandela - who once said that “a good head and a good good heart were always a formidable combination” - Ms Flanagan said Sergeant Keating held both those qualities in equal capacity: He was always on top of his case files, while at the same time displaying a good heart particularly to the most vulnerable people coming before the courts, whom he was always willing to help in any way he could.

Ms Flanagan said Sergeant Keating was a great supporter of the Restorative Justice Scheme operating in Nenagh, believing first time offenders who came to court always deserved a second chance.

Wishing him well in his retirement, she said, his departure would afford him the time to fulfil his bucket list and have more days to enjoy with his wife Dorothy and son Darragh.

A SAD DAY

Barrister Kenneth Kerins said he regarded Sergeant Keating as a personal friend and someone of whom was best described by the line from Shakespeare's Othello: “I have done the State some service, and they know't.”

Sergeant Keating's last day in court was a sad day, but it was a great honour to be able to acknowledge his great contribution to An Garda Síochana and magnificent grasp of the workings of the courts system. Mr Kerins said Sergeant Keating had an encyclopedic knowledge of criminal law and the administration of justice.

“He also possesses his own innate sense of justice and always set out to ensure that justice was done. He was exceptional in everything he did,” said Mr Kerins.

He was someone who went out of his way to get to know young inexperienced barristers starting out in their careers. He treated then with courtesy and was always there to help them.

A GREAT MENTOR

Inspector Amanda Reynolds said Sergeant Keating had given 40 years of “excellent service” in An Garda Síochana in North Tipperary, first in Roscrea and subsequently in Nenagh and Portroe. He had dedicated the last 22 years of his career as the sergeant responsible for cases in the local court and during all his years in the force had been a great mentor to younger members, particularly in court practice. He was always professional in his approach with people and gave a fair hearing to every person before the court that he encountered. He displayed courtesy and selflessness throughout his career and he would be sadly missed by all his colleagues.

Court Clerk Tommy Mockler wished Sergeant Keating all the best in his retirement and said he had been someone who made the work of the Court Service staff so much easier. Sergeant Keating was someone who always came into court with a smile on his face and he was a pleasure to work alongside him, a man who was a credit to the force and to his own family.

FULL COMMITMENT

Judge McGrath said she had Sergeant known Keating since her days as a solicitor and she described his commitment to his work as “absolutely phenomenal”. She was in no doubt that the workings of the District and Circuit Courts in Nenagh would not have run so smoothly over the years but for the full commitment of Sergeant Keating. The worth of the human connections he made in the course of his work over the years could never be equalled by even the most sophisticated online initiatives now so favoured by technology gurus.

The judge said Sergeant Keating was someone who was “absolutely in the highest category when it comes to integrity”. He was a person who prosecuted, but he did not persecute. If he witnessed anything unfair happening to a defendant he always brought it to the attention of the bench. If there was something good to be said about a defendant he always said it. He was a man who had a superb knowledge of the law and he possessed a huge appreciation on the workings of human nature.

On behalf of the local media, Peter Gleeson said the people of North Tipperary took Sergeant Keating into their hearts from the first day he arrived, even bestowing on the Limerick man the same nickname one of the finest every hurlers and team managers every to emerge from Tipperary.

He was a pleasure to know and most helpful in his dealings with court reporters and the epitome of a true public servant, being on duty every year on Christmas Day to direct traffic at the Charity Christmas Swim at Youghal Quay.

Sergeant Keating said it was a momentous day for himself and his family. He recalled starting his career as a garda in Roscrea in January 1983 and being posted to Nenagh five years later before being transferred to Portroe and back to Nenagh again, taking up the court portfolio in 2000. He had encountered so many decent people along the way and thanked them all for supporting him in his work. His one regret was that the Restorative Justice System had not been rolled out on a statutory basis as he felt all first-time offenders coming before the courts deserved a second chance. Working with all his colleagues and officers of the court and in the community in general had been a pure pleasure, he said.