Father of garda whistleblower Maurice McCabe passes away
The father of garda whistleblower Maurice McCabe has died.
Michael McCabe passed away peacefully at home in Mountnugent, Co Cavan surrounded by his family yesterday.
Sgt McCabe accused the force of widespread malpractice, including the quashing of penalty points, and later made a complaint against former Garda Commissioner Martin Callinan.
Mr McCabe ran the successful businesses Sheelin Shamrock Hotel and Sheelin Boats for several years in the county.
He is survived by his three sons Michael, Maurice and Declan and daughters Dominica, Rosemary, Patricia, 21 grandchildren, his great-grandson Cian and brother Patsy. He was predeceased by his wife Peggy.
Mourners have been asked to donate to Cavan-Monaghan Palliative Care in lieu of flowers.
Mr McCabe appeared in RTÉ’s recently screened documentary Whistleblower: The Maurice McCabe Story as a steady and reassuring influence to his son Maurice.
The documentary also revealed that the father-of-six was himself a whistleblower in his own working life.
The programme-makers traced Sergeant McCabe’s dogged sense of justice to the example of his father Michael, a vigorous man we see celebrating his 90th birthday last year in the middle of the Disclosures Tribunal.
He joined the force in 1985 and had more than 30 years of service. The father-of-five retired late last year and he had been on leave from the service since May 2016.
A substantial financial payment was made to the former sergeant over the smearing campaign and false accusations made against him.