Galway native appointed to top Garda post
Carna native Dónall Ó Cualáin has been appointed as Deputy Commissioner of An Garda Síochána – confirmation of his new role was given by the Cabinet this week.
Mr. Ó Cualáin had been promoted to the role of Assistant Commissioner in February 2012 and he was subsequently transferred back to the western region later that year.
There had been a delay in confirming the appointment of Mr. Ó Cualáin and the other successful appointee, Dubliner John Twomey, after another candidate had issued a High Court challenge in relation to the appointments.
That candidate – John Fintan Fanning – had sought an injunction to prevent the appointments from being made, on the grounds that his [Fanning’s] interview process was unfair.
Deputy Commissioner Ó Cualáin came up through the Garda ranks serving as sergeant in the Aran Islands before working as an Inspector, Superintendent and Chief Superintendent in Galway over recent years.