GARDA COMMISSIONER Fachtna Murphy has announced a reshuffle in the senior ranks of the force, following the promotion of two officers to the rank of assistant commissioner.
The changes in the senior ranks have not been officially announced yet but Garda sources confirmed that new personnel have been appointed to lead policing in a number of Garda regions.
New senior personnel have also been appointed to the Criminal Assets Bureau (Cab), the Garda National Drugs Unit (GNDU) and crime and security.
The two men newly promoted to the rank of assistant commissioner have been assigned the lead policing posts in the north and west of the country.
Assistant Commissioner John O’Mahoney will be the senior officer in charge of the Garda’s western region, based in Galway. He has most recently been the detective chief superintendent in charge of Cab.
Assistant Commissioner Kieran Kenny takes charge of policing in the northern region, based in Sligo. He has been based in Sligo in recent years as a chief superintendent.
Assistant Commissioner Mick Feehan has been transferred from Sligo, where he was in charge of the northern region, to Dublin.
In his new post he will be responsible for policing in the Dublin metropolitan region.
That post, regarded as the most challenging operational posting in the force, became vacant last month on the retirement of former assistant commissioner Al McHugh.
Mr Feehan is already very familiar with policing in Dublin having spent many years of his career based in the north inner-city.
Assistant Commissioner Kevin Ludlow, who has been in charge of the southern region, based in Cork, is moving to head policing in the southeastern region. He will be based in Kilkenny.
Mr Ludlow was one of the most senior officers in Cork city for many years.
Assistant Commissioner Willie Keane, who has most recently been in charge of policing in the western region based in Galway, moves to the top officer’s position in the southern region, based in Cork.
That region covers Limerick city where Mr Keane was based for many years before his promotion to assistant commissioner last year.
Det Chief Supt Pat Byrne moves from crime and security to Cab. He takes over as the head of the bureau from John O’Mahoney.
Det Chief Supt Byrne has a long record of involvement in key investigations into major drug gangs, having previously been assigned to both Cab and GNDU.
Chief Supt Kevin Donohoe has been posted to the lead position in security and intelligence within crime and security.
Chief Supt Donohoe has previously been head of the Garda press office and has also previously worked as a senior officer in the midlands.
Det Supt Denis O’Leary moves from GNDU to Cab.
Like Det Chief Supt Pat Byrne, Det Supt O’Leary has long been involved in investigating drugs gangs, with GNDU and during an earlier stint with Cab.
There remain two key vacancies at detective superintendent level in GNDU and the fraud squad.
It is unclear when they will be filled.
