Watchdog to investigate gun holster used by murdered Garda Colm Horkan

THE GARDA WATCHDOG has accepted a request from justice minister Jim O’Callaghan to carry out an investigation into the gun holster issued to a murdered detective.

Detective Garda Colm Horkan was 49 years old when he was murdered while on duty six years ago.

He was shot several times with his own gun on 17 June 2020 in Castlerea, Co Roscommon, by Steven Silver, of Aughavard, Foxford, Co Mayo, when Horkan approached him on the street. Silver was found guilty of his murder in 2023.

Concerns have been raised in the Dáil and by Colm Horkan’s family that Horkan had allegedly been issued with a defective holster. The issue was also raised by garda whistleblowers including Detective Chief Superintendent Brian O’Reilly.

The detective’s family is seeking a public inquiry into the circumstances of his death.

A number of issues have been claimed to have been a factor in the death of Horkan – this includes the quality of the leather holster and the fact it did not have a specialist retention clasp built into it. 

Gardaí have been issued with new holsters by the force. 

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On Tuesday, ahead of a Dáil debate on the issue introduced by TD Peadar Tóibín, O’Callaghan asked Fiosrú to investigate the holsters. 

This afternoon the independent garda oversight and accountability body agreed to investigate the matter. 

In a statement, Fiosrú said it was carrying out the public interest investigation.

“Fiosrú has received a request from the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration for it to conduct an independent investigation into matters concerning the safety and suitability of the firearm holster used by Detective Garda Colm Horkan at the time of the incident in which he was murdered,” it said in the statement. 

Fiosrú said the request for the investigation was made by Minister Jim O’Callaghan TD by letter to police ombudsman Emily Logan on Monday.

Fiosrú said that it has been in direct contact with Colm Horkan’s family.

The garda ombudsman can initiate a public interest investigation on request from the minister. This is contained in the Policing, Security and Community Safety Act 2024. 

In the Section 205(2) legislation the issue to be considered by the ombudsman is defined as “relevant cause of concern”. 

This means that the investigators will examine if a member of the garda may have committed an offence or behaved in a manner that constitutes misconduct that would justify the bringing of conduct proceedings.