Garda Bernard Graham takes the stand for the last time in Carlow district court
Garda Bernard Graham made his last appearance at the local court ahead of his upcoming retirement
FOND tributes were paid to Garda Bernard Graham last week in Carlow District Court when he took the stand for possibly the last time before he retires from An Garda Síochána.
The well-known and popular garda is retiring in the coming weeks after three decades with the force, after a career that involved him helping to set up the traffic division in Carlow and also serving as a community garda.
Not only was he a well-known face around Carlow town and beyond, he often appeared in the local district court to give evidence in the cases he brought there.
Last week, Garda Graham, just before he put his hand on the bible to be sworn in to give evidence, told Judge Geraldine Carthy that it was possibly the last time he’ll take the oath.
Solicitor Joe Farrell, representing the Carlow bar, said that Garda Graham was “always a pleasure to deal with in court” and that he always did his best to help people.
He said that he remembered Garda Graham, a native of Tollerton, Co Laois, entering An Garda Síochána but that it is “a different job now than when he started” over 30 years ago.
Mr Farrell said he wished Garda Graham all the best on behalf of the practitioners associated with the court.
Judge Carthy said that she was appointed as district court judge in Carlow five years ago and she always found Garda Graham’s evidence and mitigation in cases “very fair”.
She added that while An Garda Síochána was “losing good people”, he was retiring while he was still fit and healthy.
She then wished him and his family all the best and thanked him for all his years of service in court.
Garda Graham recalled his younger self entering Templemore training centre back in February 1994, adding that he’d only applied to the gardaí to appease his mother. He said that one of the standout early memories for him was when he was on duty in Croke Park, which was “an emotional place for a Laois man to be”.
In 2002, he was asked to set up a traffic corps for Carlow, along with Garda Liam Lawlor (now retired), Brian O’Shea, now a district court judge, and the late Garda Kim Clinton.
He said that during his time in the traffic corps he met “a lot of decent people” and that while he valued being called “fair” by the judge, his favourite word was “respect”.
“No shop sells it, you have to go out and earn it,” he said.
Court presenter Sergeant Hud Kelly said that he’d known Garda Graham for a long time and that while his court files were “never on time, they aways arrived, or else Garda Graham himself would be in court”.
He concluded by saying that An Garda Síochána’s loss would be farming’s gain and wished his colleague all the best in his retirement.
