Donegal publican Frank Shortt, wrongly jailed when two gardaí claimed he gave drug dealers a free rein at his premises, has received a personal letter of apology from Garda Commissioner Noel Conroy.
The 72-year-old, who spent 27 months in prison after perjured evidence was given against him by officers, said it proved his name was finally cleared.
Nine days ago the father-of-five was awarded more than €4.5 million in compensation when the Supreme Court more than doubled his award for damages.
However Mr Shortt, only heard of the ruling last night when he called his family from Heathrow Airport as he travelled home from a holiday in a remote area of Mexico.
But it was only when going through the post today he discovered a personal letter from Garda Commissioner unreservedly apologising on behalf of the force for failing to adhere to professional investigative standards and procedures.
"That's quite an admission of an apology and I'm delighted to get it. It's signed in person by Noel Conroy, Commissioner of An Garda Siochana," said Mr Shortt.
"My wife and I and our family are very delighted to receive that. "My name is finally cleared." Mr Shortt said he appreciated the apology that came with urgency, respect and honour, but was now demanding one from Taoiseach Bertie Ahern who he claimed could have influenced those concerned some time ago.
"I wrote to him many many times and was totally ignored," said Mr Shortt. "I did keep a fair bit of pressure on the Department of Justice and the Garda Commissioner but it looked like a loosing battle. But I was determined to keep going and going and eventually it cracked with the second appeal. "I was delighted that the award had come out," he continued.
"But in regard to the size I did expect the award to be between €4 million and €5 million bearing in mind the damage I suffered."
In 1995 Mr Shortt was sentenced to three years after being wrongly convicted of letting drug dealers sell Ecstasy to clubbers in the Point Inn on Donegal's Inishowen Peninsula in 1992.
The officers who gave evidence against him were former Supt Kevin Lennon, who has since been dismissed, while former Det Garda Noel McMahon resigned.
He served 27 months of the sentence in Mountjoy Prison, was put on anti-depressants and lost two-and-a-half stone in a few months.