Det Garda Lahiffe - Togher Garda Station - In Memorium

This article looks back now at the career of Morgan Lahiffe , a Togher based Garda who in 2024 became the first person in Ireland to be awarded 2 Scott Medals for Bravery. He also served in 3 separate Garda Stations all in Togher!

 

Morgan Lahiffe , born in 1940 , joined An Garda Siochana in April 1961. Originally from Co. Clare ,  he spent the 1960s based at the Bridewell in Cork City where he became a Detective. At the start of the 1970s , he was posted to Togher Garda Station ( where he would remain for the rest of his career ) on Togher Road. His career in Togher would see him move into three separate Stations ; the old Garda Station which was originally located in front of the Ardmanning House which was demolished soon after circa 1971  , the bungalow across the road at the corner of Ardmanning Ave and the new Garda Station ( the former O'Sullivan House ) on Tramore Road when it opened in 1985.

 

Original Togher Garda Stn. 1971

Old Togher Garda Stn.
1971 - 1985

New Togher Garda Stn.
1985 - Present

Morgan outside of his career was known for his great sense of humour and his passion for set dancing. He and his wife Jean raised their family initially in Westside Estate in the 1970s before relocating to nearby Bishopstown in the 1980s but Togher was his centre of operations until his retirement in January 1993. Sadly , he passed away peacefully at his home on 6th December 2023. His career can be best marked out as centering on 5 important events which took place in 1971 , 1978 , 1985 , 2023 and ultimately 2024 respectively. 

1971

Five Star - 1971

On 20th August 1971 , Morgan along with his colleague Gerry O'Sullivan responded to a phone call saying 3 armed raiders had entered the Five Star supermarket. The gunmen forced the Manager and staff to hand over £772 ( just under €15,000 in today's market value ). When they arrived masked gunmen ordered them out which they initially refused to do until a gun was pointed at their heads. As the gunmen made off in a car , the two officers pursued them. Gerry was dropped at a phonebox on Clashduv Road where he requested back up while Morgan drove after the raiders where they were intercepted soon after on the College Road. The whole incident was then quietly forgotten about for over 50 years until 2024 ( see below )

1978

Gold Scott Medal - 1st Class

Jean Lahiffe in 2024 with photograph
of Morgan's Scott Medal in 1978
( * Echolive.ie )

Site of former C.M.P. Dairies , Tramore Road

In 1978 he successfully tackled armed gunmen during a raid on the old C.M.P. Dairies on Kinsale Road in Cork. He gave no thought to his own safety and because of this was awarded the Gold Scott Medal ( see above ) for Bravery. Tragically , the wages clerk , Maura Collins , whom the raiders had forced to hand over IR£10,000 , was shot in the back because she wasn't quick enough. Thankfully she survived.

1985 

Cork Airport 1985

Following the Air India Disaster on 23rd June 1985 ( in which a bomb exploded on board Flight 182 which had left Montreal , Canada for Dehli , India , causing it to crash in the Atlantic Ocean about 120 Miles south west of County Cork ) , Morgan headed up a special unit responsible for logistics and joint operations with Royal Canadian Mounted Police ( the majority of passengers were Canadian citizens ). Togher Garda Station's area of operations included Cork Airport , where they conducted crisis response , forensic recovery and logistical support , heavily aided by the Irish Naval Service , Irish Army and Emergency Medical Support from the Cork Regional Hospital ( now C.U.H. ). International media praised the Gardai for their exceptional support and empathy with the families of the victims. R.C.M.P. presented the Gardai with a special placue at Anglesea Street on the 20th Anniversary in 2005.

2023

Nora Sheehan R.I.P. from 1981

Even though he was by 2023 , fully retired at the grand old age of 82 , he was historically called back to give evidence in July of that year , in a cold case he had been involved in way back in 1981 - that of the murder of Nora Sheehan , ironically also from his home turf of Bishopstown. Her bruised and battered body had been found dumped in a woods near Innishannon , Co. Cork in June 1981. Using the meticulously preserved forensic evidence and the original files gathered by Detective Lahiffe and his colleagues all those years ago , the State was finally able to build a modern case using DNA technology which betrayed one Noel Long , 74 ( then 32 ) also from Bishopstown of the rape and murder of Nora Sheehan , 54. This was Morgan's final act of service and he passed away peacefully a few short months later at his home in Bishopstown on 6th December 2023 at the age of 83.

2024

Walter Scott house , Dublin

Bronze Scott Medal - 3rd Class

Just  months after his passing , Morgan was finally recognised for his actions in Togher way back in 1971. 53 years after the raid at the Five Star supermarket he was posthumously awarded the Bronze Scott Medal for Bravery , becoming the first person in Ireland to achieve a second Scott Medal!

Jean with daughter Avril
Scott Medal award 2024

Cork Airport - The Togher Connection

Cork Airport Terminal 2

On 14th November 1959 , the gates of Cottrell's farm in Lehenaghmore opened to admit the bulldozers onto the land. Less than 2 years later on 16th October 1961 , Cork Airport opened for business. This article highlights what happened BEFORE , DURING and AFTER this historic event all those years ago. And so much more!

 BEFORE

Future Airport land 1951

Not many people may be aware , but the majority of Cork Airport is actually in Togher! The main area of the Airport , including its terminal , control tower , apron and much of its runway as originally built in 1960/61 was constructed on Cottrell's Farm in Lehenaghmore , a townland of Togher ( see map below ) with the remainder of the runway extending into the neighboring townland of Ballygarvan.

Map from 19th Century showing Lehenaghmore boundary

Lehenaghmore boundary on modern aerial map

Following independence in 1922 , the possibility of an Airport for Cork was mentioned in the halls of power. However its history is convoluted and would take almost 40 years to become a reality! At the time Ireland had no National Airports of its own which shall be discussed below.

 

William McSweeney (left) and Charles Russell
Ex-R.A.F , later I.R.A. and Irish Air Corps

The Big Fella at Baldonnell 1923

The history of Cork Airport is forever entwined in its association with Aer Lingus ( named by Richard F. O'Connor , Cork County Surveyor ) its first National Airline carrier in use when it eventually opened in 1961. It is necessary then to look back briefly at the airlines own genesis. When the Irish Government first looked at the possibility of an Airport for Cork in 1928 , it took on board the advice of Colonel Charles Russell. That same year he was asked by the Cork Harbour Commissioners to address them on the subject. He had flown as a pilot for the R.A.F. during World War I , joining the I.R.A. when the war ended and along with William McSweeney ( shown above ) headed up the newly formed National Army Air Service in 1922 later renamed the Irish Army Air Corps in 1924. Going off on a tangent , Charles Russell was the pilot of an aircraft secretly located in England during the Treaty talks appropriately enough dubbed The Big Fella which was purchased as an escape craft should the talks break down and Michael Collins and his team needed to be evacuated. A price of £10,000 was on Collins head which was suspended for the duration of the talks. However , the Delegation accepted the terms of the Treaty and returned by sea and the aircraft was flown to Baldonnel by Charles Russell where it stayed until being scrapped in 1937. It was Charles who advocated for a National Airline which came into existence as Aer Lingus in 1936 operating out of Baldonnel ( Ex-R.A.F. base ) until Dublin airport was built in 1940 at Collinstown ( Ex. R.A.F. base ). Several sites were suggested for the location of Cork Airport over the course of the next few decades as will be shown below. 

Belvelly ( shown in red border )

The first site suggested by Richard O'Connor in 1933 was at Belvelly ( east of the current Marino Point ) with a seaplane base at Cork Harbour. At the time land airports were deemed inferior to seaplane bases as these types of craft only required water for landing and takeoff and no infrastructure was needed. As mentioned earlier , Ireland post Independence already had some private airfields and ex-R.A.F. bases. Amazingly , a national airline of sorts did emerge on 8th June 1931 - Iona National Airways. This was a privately owned airline and operated out of Kildonan Aerodrome and Collinstown Dublin. A smaller operation than the future national carriers it only ceased operations on 14th December 1994!

Iona National Airways
8th June 1931 - 14th December 1994

 

Aer Lingus ( 15th April 1936 - Present ) 
original logo introduced in 1960
Previously it was the Irish Triclour

Ahanesk , Midleton ( shown by red marker )

The second proposed site in 1934 was at Ahanesk ( shown above ) in Midleton , Co. Cork. However  , the looming Second World War in 1939 put paid to all plans. It was at that point that the Government had already approved plans for a land airport. By 1943 , Ahanesk and Lehenaghmore were now the top two contenders. Togher would soon be on the map in more ways than one!

Draft sketch of terminal & control tower submitted 1936

 

Bizarrely , during The Emergency , even though Cork was put on hold , the Government managed to erect its first ever 2 Airports one at Dublin and the other at Shannon! 1940 saw the completion of Dublin Airport , formally Collinstown R.A.F. base. Aer Lingus , the national airline had been founded 4 years earlier in 1936 operating out of Baldonnell , an Army Air Corps base with 2 aircraft. In 1945 , Ireland saw the completion of its second airport at Shannon. It was also here that the first Duty Free shop in the world was opened! Cork meanwhile was still almost 2 decades off achieving its very own. It would appear that the war had not prevented other locations from gaining an airport.

Capt. Darby Kennedy

 
While no airport was yet on the horizon for Cork , an ad hoc airfield did open near Farmers Cross in 1934 and was used by the Cork Aero Club which was used by small private aircraft. This ceased operations in 1942. Thereafter during The Emergency - 1939 - 1945 ( World War 2 ) the Irish Army would place barrels on the flat ground to prevent the possibility of German planes from landing. After the War it was reopened as a licensed airfield to much fanfare by the under secretary to the Taoiseach Liam Cosgrove , in 1948. It was effectively a couple of cow fields with the hedges removed. It was used for charter and private flying until the opening of Cork Airport in 1961. Darby Kennedy ( shown below ) was one of the pilots who used the airfield at the time and was also present at the official opening in 1948. He went on to become Chief Pilot of Aer Lingus and even founded his own Aerodrome in Weston , Dublin in 1931. He lived until the grand age of 101 in 2016! Incredibly he had been the pilot of the same plane ( a week earlier ) which crashed off Tuskar Rock in 1968!  

DH Rapide which would have landed at Farmers Cross
One of the planes flown by Darby Kennedy

Location of Cork Aero Club 
east of Cork Airport at Farmers Cross

DURING

In 1957 , the Government finally relented and agreed to the construction of an Airport in Cork. The site chosen was land in Lehenaghmore extending south into Ballygarvan. Compulsory Purchase Orders were placed on several farms but most notably that of Cottrell's Farm off Farmer's Cross. Over 420 Acres of land was acquired and in March 1959 site preparation works were begun. This involved moving over a million cubic feet of earth to level off the land to facilitate the construction of the runways. The results of leveling off the land can be seen today from the Kinsale Road where two massive high ridges show just how much earth was moved! Hundreds of ditches were infilled and countless trees were felled. Although primarily agricultural land , much of it was marshy and undeveloped. Once the runways were finished , work began on the terminal building and control tower. The complete Airport covers 500 statute acres and cost a Million Pounds to build. Its main runway was 6000 ft long , 50 yards wide and all the concrete covers a million square yards.

Cottrell's farmhouse 1963
inside entrance to Cork Airport

Note angular ridges near runway
Bottom ditchline denotes boundary of Lehenaghmore
on Kinsale Road side

Laying down of the runway

Aerial view of runways 1960
Note no Terminal or Control Tower as yet

Terminal and Control Tower under construction

Constructing Terminal and Control Tower
Note Cottrells house in background

In tandem with the works for the new Airport , work also commenced on widening the old Kinsale Road from the City in order to support public travel to and from the Airport. Lorries and diggers arrived with earth and rubble to elevate the ditches on both sides to support two way traffic. Originally the road wound its way uphill in a serpentine fashion. A whole new section of road had to be built from the bridge near the current Pegasus sculpture to align with the entrance at Farmers Cross ( see below ). Over 1,670 feet of new road had to be laid to align the Old Kinsale Road with the future Airport roundabout as the original road looped around by the old stone bridge which is sited near the rising of the Glenmore River. The old road originally looped again before joining Farmer's Cross and amazingly this can still be seen today. It is now scrub land gated at both ends and can be accessed by the roundabout.

Widening of old Kinsale Road

 

Widening of old Kinsale Road

Loop showing direction of original Kinsale Road

Entrance into original Old Kinsale Road over bridge
Note new section of road straight ahead

Pegasus sculpture at entrance to original Old Kinsale Road

Exit from Old Kinsale Road onto Kinsale Road 

Gated northern end of Old Kinsale Road
near Farmers Cross

Gated southern end of Old Kinsale Road
at Framer's Cross

AFTER 

Once the construction phase of the new Airport had been completed it was time to test the runways and all of the equipment in the Control Tower. The very first plane to land on the runway at Cork Airport was an Aer Lingus Fokker Friendship on 12th October 1961 followed by Cambrian Airways from the U.K.
The Airport was now ready for business. It was officially opened on 16th October by Sean Lemass , the then Taoiseach. Also in attendance was Erskine Childers , the Minister for Transport & Power. He would go on to become President of Ireland ( June 1973 ) , being the only incumbent to die in office on November 1974. Also present was the Lord Mayor , Anthony Barry. The Airport handled over 10,000 passengers in its first year of operations which rose to 40,000 by the end of 1962. Today , that number is nearer to 3 Million!

Original signage 1961

Entrance to Cork Airport 1961

First plane to land at Cork Airport
Aer Lingus Fokker Friendship 

 

Second plane to land at Cork Airport
Cambrian Airways Viscount 700

 

Sean Lemass , Lord Mayor Anthony Barry and Erskine Childers
First passengers to land at Cork Airport

Passengers arriving at Terminal 1963
Note mode of dress

Passengers entering aircraft
Note mode of dress

Control Tower operators 1963

Aerial view of Terminal and Control Tower 1967

Hand signals used to guide plane

However , from a social perspective , flying was still the reserve of wealthy businessmen and individuals. The typical cost of a plane ticket in 1961 was circa £20 - £30 or roughly 3 weeks wages based on the average industrial wage back then of £10. So flying in the early days was for the most part confined to wealthy people while working class had to content themselves with the Innisfallen ( a ferry which ceased operations in 1983 due to lack of numbers ). A visit to the viewing stand was a day out for most working class who would go up on Sundays to view incoming aircraft. However for security reasons this was removed in the late 1970s.

waving from the viewing platform 1963

Plane spotting from the viewing platform

MV Innisfallen at Cork

Throughout the 1960s and 1970s , many famous Actors and Musicians passed through Cork Airport , including Charlie Chaplin , The Bee Gees ( who played their first Irish gig at the Savoy Cinema , Cork City on 1st May 1967) , Paul McCartney and Corks homegrown hero Rory Gallagher , shown below as a youngster who would go on to be honoured by the Airport ( see later ). Another world famous visitor to Cork Airport was Cork born Danny La Rue , whose first cousin John Dennehy from Togher was Lord Mayor the previous year in 1983!

Charlie Chaplin 1964

Rory Gallagher 1965

 

The Bee Gees 1967

Fred Astaire 1969
with hostess Margaret Kelly

Paul & Linda McCartney 1971
with daughters Heather and Mary

Danny La Rue 1984
with Lord Mayor Liam Burke and his wife Noreen

 
Cork Airport has played host to some International movies such as The Blue Max in 1966 starring George Peppard ( later of The A Team fame in the 1980s ) which saw the aircraft used in the movie flown in there and The Purple Taxi in 1977 starring Fred Astaire which shot some scenes at the Airport.

The Blue Max 1966

The Purple Taxi 1977

Sadly , Cork Airport has played host to two of the greatest aviation disasters of the 20th Century. The Tuskar Rock Air Crash of 1968 and the Air India Disaster of 1985. It is beyond the scope of this article to delve into the circumstances surrounding both tragedies. However , following the Tuskar Air Crash on 24th March 1968 , its flight number EI 712 was still in use up 22nd March , 2025! Following a request from a relative of one of the passengers of the plane it was finally removed. On board that fateful day were 57 passengers which included 33 Irish ( some from Togher ) , 9 Swiss , 6 Belgian , 5 British , 2 Swedes , and 2 US citizens. The Air India Disaster of 1985 broke international headlines when it crashed off the south west coast of Ireland. Irish Navy , R.A.F. and U.S. Air Force were involved in the search and recovery of bodies which were brought back to Cork Airport.

Newspaper coverage of Tuskar Rock tragedy 1968

Scene at Cork Airport 1985
Air India Disaster


ORK

There is a 3 letter code assigned to all International Airports around the world but there is a reason why Cork has such an odd one! The rapid expansion in the number of international airports in the 1950s meant that some places got in first. Cordoba in Argentina which opened in 1958 got the code "COR" which meant that when Cork airport opened in October 1961 - it had to settle for "ORK". The two boarding passes shown below illustrate the oddity of the code!

Cordoba COR in Argentina
Operational since 1958

Cork ORK in Ireland
Operational since 1961

Parishes

As discussed earlier Cork Airport is in the Togher townland of Lehenaghmore. However the Catholic Bishop of Cork appointed the Catholic Parish Priest of Ballyphehane as Chaplain there. However this is merely an Eccesiastical appointment and it is not politically , geographically , historically or legally binding. It is simply an R.C. administration. Confusion can arise because of this ; especially when it must be considered that Togher itself spans many Parishes , both Catholic ( R.C. Parishes of The Lough , Togher , Ballyphehane & Ballinhassig ) and Protestant ( Church of Ireland Parish of Lehenagh in 19th Century and more recently Protestant Parish of Frankfield ). They are all very distinct from territorial Districts and bear no relation to them.

Kilmurriheen townland ( Togher )
Part of Ballinhassig Parish

Terminals

Throughout the decades , Cork Airport has continued to modernise and expand. In 2006 , it opened its new Terminal. Plans are underway to demolish the old Terminal to make way for more aircraft parking. People will recall the open glass elevator , fish pond and statue of Jack Charlton. The statue has now been moved to the new Terminal.

Fish pond and glass elevator
Old Terminal

Jack Charlton statue 
Installed 1994

Old Terminal

New Terminal


Cork Airport Business Park

In 1996 , Cork Airport expanded northwards to create a new Airport Campus -Cork Airport Business Park. It is home to over 50 businesses both local and International. These include Cork International Hotel , Amazon , Volvo and many others. As recently as 2023 , it completely repaved its entire runway as well as other works.

1995 - Pre - Campus construction

1996 - Work well underway

2001 - Campus completed

 

Cork International Hotel

Pegasus Sculpture

In 1999 , Cork County Council commissioned a sculpture from Renn Associates in the form of a Pegasus , the Winged Horse. Its three copper and steel pieces mounted on stone masonry come together at a certain angle to form the centrepiece. At night fibre optic lights show the constellation of Pegasus. It is located on the southwestern approach to Cork Airport not far from Farmer's Cross.

Pegasus sculpture erected 1999

 

Rory Gallagher Road

When the Cork Business Park was completed in 2001 , its myriad road network was given the title of Avenue with nondescript numeral makers such as 2000 , 3000 , 4000 and so on. However the main entrance to Cork Airport was about to get a major renaming to honour one of Cork's legends of music both local and internationally.  It was fittingly renamed as Rory Gallagher Avenue on June 2025. His family and friends were there in celebration of his 30th Anniversary. The 1.39 km road which passes through 4 roundabouts and runs alongside the new Terminal stands as a lasting legacy to the legendary Corkman.

 

Rory Gallagher's brother Donal
at the unveiling of Rory Gallagher Road

 

Additional signage along the route

Lord Mayor
Fergal Dennehy ( Togher ) 

The Togher connection came full circle after 64 years when local Togher man Fergal Dennehy visited the airport as Lord Mayor with his partner Karen Brennan , Lady Mayoress to discuss expansion plans with the airport manager Niall MacCarthy in June 2025. 

Niall MacCarthy , Fergal Dennehy & Karen Brennan

________________________________________________________

 

 

Acknowledgements :

 
www.key.aero

flyinginireland.com
Gabriel Desmond

Echolive.ie
Corkairport.com 
Wearecork
shipsnostalgia.com