Philip St. John Howlett Kelleher MC

District Inspector Kelleher was off duty, unarmed and in plain clothes in Kiernan’s Hotel in Granard, County Longford, where he resided at the time when, about 9:30pm, two gunmen entered the bar and fired at him while he was drinking with three friends. Two bullets struck Philip in the chest and killed him.

At the time of his death Philip had held the post of District Inspector in Granard for only four months.

A native of Macroom, County Cork, he had previously served as a Captain in the British Army for four years and was awarded the Military Cross.