All serving, retired gardaí to receive medals marking centenary of An Garda Síochána

All serving and retired gardaí are to receive medals marking the centenary of the force, with a series of events set to begin next week to mark the contribution it has made to the Republic since its foundation.

The "flagship national centenary commemorative event" for An Garda Síochána will take place at Dublin Castle on Saturday, August 27th. It will mark the day Commissioner Michael Staines led 380 civic guards through the Palace Street gates into Dublin Castle following its evacuation by the British army and the RIC.

The march of the Civic Guard, which subsequently became An Garda Síochána in 1923, will be recreated during the commemoration in August.

Historic first meeting

However, a series of events is planned before then, starting next Wednesday, which will mark 100 years to the day since an historic first meeting organised by Michael Collins in the Gresham Hotel in Dublin's north inner city towards the establishment of the Garda.

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Next Wednesday’s event had been planned to take place in the hotel, but it was moved online after the Omicron surge late last year and remains online despite the recent easing of Covid-19 restrictions.

Minister for Justice Helen McEntee said the Garda was a cornerstone of the State, adding that “as its first commissioner Michael Staines predicted”, the force had “succeeded because it is a servant the people”.

“The bond between An Garda Síochána and the communities it serves is the envy of police services across the world and it is my hope that as many of us as possible can join in the celebrations of the Garda centenary in 2022,” she said.

“It is one of the key institutions of our State. It underpinned our foundation as an independent country, as well our development and success over the past 100 years.”

Ms McEntee and Garda Commissioner Drew Harris will lead the series of events planned through the year.

Special commemorative medals will be presented to all serving and retired members. Garda staff, or civilian workers, will receive a commemorative coin, while both staff and sworn members of the force will also receive a "certificate of appreciation" signed by Ms McEntee and Mr Harris.

Special initiatives

A number of special initiatives are also planned to preserve the history of the force including: renovation of the memorial cenotaph in Garda Headquarters, Phoenix Park, Dublin; the publication of book on the development of the force over the past 100 years; the publication of a Day In the Life project on the Garda's social media channels on February 21st; the publication of a large volume of historic Garda photos online as well as records from the Garda Museum and Archives.

A number of classic Garda cars and motorbikes are also being restored and these will create an “historic fleet” for ceremonial purposes and other special events. Exhibitions about Garda history and heritage will also take place in the last quarter of the year in association with local authorities across the country.