At quarter past three on a freezing December morning, a call comes over the radio: people are in the River Liffey, swept away by a fast, dark current. Among the responding officers on patrol is Colm Finnerty—a 23-year-old student garda whose only official job that night is to watch and learn.

When the situation at the quay wall rapidly deteriorates, Finnerty is forced to make a split-second decision that tests the absolute limits of human endurance. What begins as a routine placement shift turns into a harrowing struggle against cold, panic, and time itself.

In this episode of Shadows of Éire we cover the story of a young trainee who went far beyond the call of duty before his career had even officially begun—and the rare honor that marked his place in Irish policing history.

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