Minister for Justice Charlie Flanagan will unveil a memorial today to Detective Garda John Morley and Garda Henry Byrne, who were murdered in Ballaghaderreen, Co Roscommon 37 years ago.

The two men died after being shot as robbers tried to escape with IRL£35,000 in cash from the Bank of Ireland in Ballaghaderreen on July 7, 1980.

Mr Morley, a 37-year-old man married with three children, had been a star on the Mayo football team during the 1960s and early 1970s, playing centre half-back on the 1967 Connacht team which captured the Railway Cup. Two years later he lined out at right half-back as the western province won its second title of that decade.

He was considered one of the finest centre half-backs in the game, playing 112 games for Mayo between league and championship through the years 1961 to 1974.

In 1967, John was an instrumental figure of the Mayo side which defeated five-in-a-row chasing Galway by 11 points in the Connacht SFC semi-final before overcoming Leitrim by 20 points in the western province's decider. The win over the Tribesmen, then reigning All Ireland champions for three years running, saw Mayo fancied by many to collect the Sam Maguire Cup that September.

However, in an unfortunate turn of events, John was struck down with appendicitis in the weeks leading up to the All-Ireland semi-final against Meath. Answering his county's call, he came on with 15 minutes to go at Croke Park to try and save the game but, barely out of hospital, his injury was too severe and the Royal County won out by six points before going on to claim victory in September over Cork.

Mr Byrne was born in 1950 and his wife had been pregnant with is third child at the time of his death.

The unveiling of a stone memorial at Shannon's Cross in Loughglynn, Co Roscommon will take place today, while the Byrne and Morley families will plant trees in memory of the two men.

We remember brave & courageous Mayo Gardai John Morley & Henry Byrne brutally murdered 37 years ago on this day at Loughlynn, Roscommon. pic.twitter.com/OQplHh36CX

- Charlie Flanagan (@CharlieFlanagan) July 27, 2017

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