A passerby may miss the roadside memorial for Martin Eugene Bryan near Freshford as they might be distracted by the castle in the background.
The inscription may seem cryptic to those unfamiliar with the story. In 1987, Bryan was driving a car carrying Dessie O’Hare, known as “The Border Fox,” a notoriously violent member of the an IRA splinter group. A glimpse into just how brutal O’Hare’s reputation was, the links below tell his story.
In short, Gardia (police) were tipped off on O’Hare’s location and set up a checkpoint on the road near Urlingford. In the shootout that occurred, Bryan was killed and O’Hare survived six gunshot wounds. He was sentenced to 40 years in prison.
- Irish Independent: Genocidal killer who got ‘up close and personal’
- Wikipedia: Dessie O’Hare
- The Remnants of the “Seven Castles” of Clonmines: Co Wexford - March 22, 2020
- An Incredible Walk with a Hawk, Co. Clare - March 20, 2020
- Reading the Stories of the Durrow High Cross: Co. Offaly - March 20, 2020