Garda Michael Clerkin, 24, was killed in a bomb that went off in a booby-trapped cottage in Garryhinch, Portarlington, on Friday 15 October, 1976. Although no one was ever convicted of the attack, it was widely believed to have been the work of the IRA.

The four survivors of the explosion . . . Tom Peters, Ben Thornton, Gerry Bohan and Jim Cannon . . . will be presented with the newlycommissioned Liddy medal, while a representative of the Clerkin family will get a special presentation to honour their late brother.

Jim Cannon, who was 42 at the time of the bombing and sergeant at Portarlington garda station, last week remembered the events of that night. A female caller contacted Portlaoise station saying that armed men would be staying in the cottage in Garryhinch in an attempt to do a job on the then Minister for Defence, Oliver J Flanagan. Cannon, along with Peters and Bohan, 22, set off for the cottage, meeting up with detectives Thornton and Peters.

"We arrived at the vacant house at 12.40am and cautiously approached the building, " recalled Cannon. "It was in total darkness and there was no sign of life."

Having positioned themselves around the two-storey cottage, Clerkin found an open window and let himself in, before walking through the house to admit Thornton. The two men searched through the house, while the three others remained outside.

"I was standing at the rear wall of the house with Bohan when there was a tremendous explosion and the whole building blew up, " said Cannon. "Myself and Bohan were up to our necks in rubble as rocks and debris rained down. We were bruised and bloodied and our uniforms were in shreds."

Bohan managed to extricate himself from the rubble, but couldn't free Cannon, whose legs were trapped in the debris. He ran to a local house to get assistance while Cannon slowly managed to free himself. As he did, he heard sounds coming from the centre of the rubble and he crawled towards it.

"It was a shocking sight, " recalled Cannon.

"A bloodied head that was hardly recognisable as human was sticking up from a mound of rubble. It was Detective Peters. He was at the front of the house and the roof slates hit him."

Farther into the centre of the rubble, Thornton was completely covered in rubble and, being unable to shift the rocks from him, Cannon stumbled through several fields to a nearby cottage to get help. That night, Thornton's life was saved by the work of local men who dug him out after an hour underneath the rubble. Clerkin, who had taken the full force of the blast, was identifiable only by his signet ring.

"The army bomb squad later established that 100 pounds of explosives had been used in the attack, similar to what was used in the killing of the British ambassador three months previously, " said Cannon. "In addition, a live hand grenade was left in the house."

Twelve suspects were arrested in the following days, but no one was ever charged with the bombing. The atrocity happened the same night that then president Cearbhall O Dalaigh signed the emergency powers bill that gave police extra powers in dealing with the IRA.

Of the four survivors, Peters never worked again. His face was disfigured, and despite extensive surgery, he is blind and almost totally deaf. Thornton sustained injuries to his head, ears and eyes. He retired from the force in 1999. Bohan is still in the gardai, stationed in Roscommon. He received serious injuries to his head, face, eye and chest and is due to retire this summer. Cannon suffered injuries to his head, back, eyes, hands and both legs.

"I had no power in my legs for two months, " Cannon recalled. "I hurled with Holy Cross in Tipperary and played golf. My injuries deprived me of all my sports. All of the families of the five victims suffered grievously.

My wife and children [one boy and two girls] all suffered. I never worked outdoors again."

Now 71, Cannon served 39 years in the gardai and remained as sergeant of Portlaoise station until his retirement in 1994.

"I'm very happy to be getting this award and it's very good of the GSRMA, " he said. "This medal really indicates that we have been recognised for our contribution. The significance of it is important for us who remember."