Retired superintendent warns ‘culture of fear’ is crippling An Garda Síochána – ‘It can’t just be brushed under the carpet’

When he retired from An Garda Síochána in January of this year, former Superintendent Denis Whelan cut a frustrated figure as he hung his uniform up for the final time. It’s a frustration that has become common among retiring gardaí and one which has been bubbling below the surface in the force for the best part of a decade now.