There were two firsts on the Garda Commissioner's list of eight appointees to the rank of chief superintendent announced yesterday.
Supt Catherine Clancy is the first woman to become a chief superintendent in the history of the Garda Siochana; Supt Bill Fennell is the first non-Catholic to reach such a senior rank. The appointments will be made between now and the end of 1999 as other chief superintendents reach retiring age. There are currently 47 chief superintendents in the Garda. The other six appointments yesterday were: Supt Pat O'Boyle, based at Roxboro Road, Limerick; Supt David Roche, the Garda Commissioner's private secretary; Supt Basil Walsh of the Special Detective Unit at Garda headquarters; Supt Felix McKenna, currently in the Garda crime branch at headquarters; Supt Martin Crotty, who is in personnel at Garda headquarters; and Supt John McLaughlin, of Pearse Street.
Supt Clancy, head of the "Q" district covering Lucan and Leixlip, said she was "absolutely over the moon to have achieved this. Apart from being wonderful personally, it is great for the force and we've broken a mould".
From Glenties in Co Donegal, she joined the Garda in 1975, serving in Pearse Street, Dublin and Naas, Co Kildare. In 1980 she joined the Garda Technical Bureau as a detective before moving to the Central Detective Unit in 1988.
She worked in Ballyconnell, Co Donegal as a sergeant and served as a UN observer in Cambodia in 1993.