Patrick Quinn (20 March 1904–4 December 1976) was an

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police officer (Garda 1700), and a recipient of the

Scott Medal The Walter Scott Medal for Valor is a medal awarded for acts of bravery by the Garda Síochána. It is not a state award, being in the gift of the Garda Commissioner. History The Garda medal was instituted at the behest of Colonel Walter Scott, ...

. A native of Mountgordon,

Castlebar Castlebar () is the county town of County Mayo, Republic of Ireland, Ireland. Developing around a 13th century castle of the de Barry family, de Barry family, from which the town got its name, the town now acts as a social and economic focal poi ...

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, Quinn joined the

Garda Síochána (; meaning "the Guardian(s) of the Peace"), more commonly referred to as the Gardaí (; "Guardians") or "the Guards", is the national police service of Ireland. The service is headed by the Garda Commissioner who is appointed by the Irish Gover ...

on 1 June 1922. Following a report of an alleged

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, he and two colleagues, Timothy Mahony (Garda 2376) and Laurence Neill (Garda 5357), used their Chief Superintendent's car to pursue two suspicious-looking men. The arrival of the three Gardaí alarmed the two men, who reached into their pockets. A fight ensued as Gardaí Mahony and Neill strove to prevent the two men from using their weapons (the officers being unarmed as is the usual custom for Gardaí). As Garda Quinn came to their aid, the two men were overcome but Quinn narrowly avoided being shot as a gun went off. The apprehended men had approached Balbriggan Station in pursuit of their kidnap victim, a Mr Finnegan, with the intention of using their loaded guns to recapture him. Quinn was later transferred to the

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, being promoted to

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in July 1936. He and his two colleagues were awarded their Scott Medals at the Garda Depot, Dublin, on 25 August 1935. He retired on 19 March 1967.

References

* ''An Garda Síochána and the Scott Medal'', pp. 46–48, Gerard O'Brien,

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, 2008. {{DEFAULTSORT:Quinn, Patrick Police officers from County Mayo 1976 deaths Garda Síochána officers Recipients of the Scott Medal 1904 births People from Castlebar