Civilian duo have over eight decades of service between them

Marie Murray thought she would be “long retired” before Athlone Garda Station was refurbished, but 44 years later she is still going strong as the long-serving member of staff in the station – and she has never changed offices since joining the administration team in 1978!

Having worked for the past 44 years in the office of the Sergeant in Charge, Marie has worked with 16 different Sergeants, and admits to having worked with the current Superintendent, Michelle Baker, right up through the four ranks of Garda, Sergeant, Inspector and now Superintendent!

“I know Michelle from the first day she arrived in the station,” says the Dysart, county Roscommon native, who is married to an Offaly man, Jim Murray and lives outside Shannonbridge. She has overseen “many changes” in both personnel and work practices within Athlone Garda Station over the past four decades, but says it has always been “a lovely place to work.”

While she was delighted to be able to attend the official opening of the newly-revamped station, she was sad that her great friend and work colleague whom she worked alongside for many years, Catriona Quirke (née Ganly), from Arcadia in Athlone, was not there to witness the official opening. “Catriona passed away in 2016, and we are all sad that she didn’t live to see this day as she would have enjoyed it so much,” says Marie.

Asked if she had any memorable stories from her time working at the coalface of law and order in Athlone, Marie Murray admits that she could tell a few stories but quickly added that she would stay mum! "I could tell a few stories, but I won't," she says.

Also present was her friend and work colleague, and fellow Dysart native, Della Dolan, who spent a very happy 18 years working as part of the administration team at Athlone Garda Station before moving to Moate Station in 2008 where she is currently based, and where the Roads Policing Unit is also based.

Della is due to retire this Friday, July 31, having completed a combined total of 40 years on the administration team of An Garda Siochana. “I started in Garda HQ in July 1982 and came down to Athlone in 1990 where I worked alongside Catriona Quirke and Mary,” says Della. “We had the best of times and made great friends.”

Della has “no plans” for her retirement as of yet, other than to “relax, chill out and see where it takes me” while Marie Murray plans to continue working until she reaches retirement age. “I could have gone at 60 but I decided to keep going,” she says, adding that she has “loved every minute” of working in Athlone station.

When Marie Murray joined the administration team on October 16, 1982, she was one of only two staff, and that has grown to a team of 13 now. “We are part of a gang now” she jokes “we gradually began to get a few more team members every few years, so the workload is a bit more evenly spread out now than when I joined first.”

With a combined total of over eight decades of service to An Garda Siochana under their belts, Marie Murray and Della Dolan have contributed more than most to keeping the wheels of law and order in motion in Athlone!