The tragic death took place in Castlerea, Co. Roscommon recently of Detective Garda Colm Horkan, Airport Road, Charlestown. His remains were removed to St. James’s Church, Charlestown and burial took place after solemn requiem mass in the Cemetery of the Resurrection. He is survived by his father Marty, brothers Aidan, Brendan, Dermot and Padraig, sister Deirdre, nieces, nephews, aunts, cousins and a wide circle of friends.
The late Colm, who was pre-deceased by his mother Dolores and twin sister Colette, was killed in horrific fashion doing the job he loved – keeping law and order on the streets, providing protection for the general public. He was afforded a full state funeral with Garda Commissioner Drew Harris, Minister for Justice Charlie Flanagan, as well as many other members of the top brass of An Garda Siochana in attendance for what was a poignant and sombre occasion. Hundreds of other rank and file Gardaí from all over the region and country came to the town to pay their last respects to a man who touched so many lives in so many ways.
Charlestown Sarsfields GAA Club and the community in general was front and centre of what was a tumultuous few days as colleagues, teammates, members and the public at large stepped up to provide a blanket of support and comfort for his crestfallen, distraught family who are entrenched in the community and have such intrinsic links to all fabrics and facets of life in town. An Garda Siochana and the Sarsfields club gave Colm the send-off that befitted a man of terrific moral fibre and the highest possible integrity.
Our community has lost a pillar in the real sense of the word as we struggle to comprehend the shocking events of Wednesday, June 17 when Colm was cut down in the prime of his life, doing the job he loved in the best way he knew how.
Colm was an absolute gem. He was a son and brother like no other. He had all the values you would associate with a good and decent person. Grace, humility, compassion, dignity, selflessness, poise, courtesy and charm are all qualities we aspire to in life; Colm had these in spades. He was a rock in the Horkan household, the man you could count on in times of crisis or need, the glue that held it all together. Fife is all about making decisions and Colm seldom if ever made a bad one. He lived his life by the book, which makes it all the more difficult to process the events surrounding his tragic and needless death.
He touched the lives of many in the communities of Charlestown and beyond, with dignity and regalness characterising his every action and deed. He loved his town and this was the place where many great friendship and bonds were moulded with the outpouring of emotion following his passing providing the family with some solace and consolation as we bade farewell to a terrific man in the real sense of the word.
Colm loved his football and served Charlestown Sarsfields with distinction over the course of a long, stellar and star-studded career. He donned the green and white jersey with honour and excellence and took centre stage in many of our finest successes in a career that saw him reach some marvellous heights.
He played with courage, intelligence and intensity and brought tremendous passion to the fields of play with O’Hara Park his domain and the scene of many of his greatest performances as he inspired his team and led from the front at all times. He was a born leader and played with a conviction and belief that typified his persona and character. He never let the jersey down and more often that not came up with the right pass or the crucial score to get the Sarsfields over the line in many of our epic victories.
He also represented Mayo at under-21 level and this was a proud day for his father Marty and late mother Dolores who where such a constant presence in his life, always supporting him on the sideline, providing encouragement for whatever team he was representing on any given day.
Colm was a believer in giving 100 per cent to everything he did on the football field and this was the mantra he brought into work and to life as a whole. These were values that he was instilled with and imbued from an early age, and Marty and his beloved late mother Dolores and his siblings and friends can be proud of the way he carried himself, with decorum, tact and civility underpinning his every action and deed.
Colm commanded respect wherever he went. Time spent in his company was precious and much sought after as there was always a joke or funny story to be had with that charming, beguiling and enchanting smile lighting up a room and brightening up many a dark hour and day.
The journey home from Castlebar after his post mortem tugged on the heart strings as the communities of Bohola, Swinford, Carracastle, Ballaghadereen, Tourlestrane, Curry and Charlestown and their respective GAA clubs together with Mayo County Board, lined the bypasses, roads and streets to commemorate his memory and pay their respects to a man they had many a joust and tussle with on the field of play.
The Horkan family were proud and humbled at the way his memory was honoured. They and the Sarsfields club would like to extend a heartfelt thanks to all those who took the time out to express their condolences and sympathies to remember the man Colm was, both as a player and a person. Our emotions are in turmoil as we bade farewell to someone who enriched our lives by his mere actions and presence. He was a bulwark and a cornerstone, always a purveyor of good advice and an absolute treasure when it come to family and how he interacted with each and every one of them.
He had so much to live for and derived such enjoyment out of life that his death feels like such an appalling and illogical event. The grim reality however is that the “Bear”, as he was so affectionately called, is no more. His quality and sheer class will forever remain intact as his kindness, modesty and heroism will stay etched in our memories and consciousness for many a long day. There must be a place for him at the top table in that great house in the sky and our loss is most definitely heaven’s gain.
One thing is for sure; he leaves a legacy of wonderful memories that his family and the wider community will cherish and hold dear in their hearts forever as we remember a giant in the true sense of the word. He brought such joy and happiness to us all for 49 fantastic years and shone brightly like a diamond.
Rest in peace good buddy. You were a champion!