ABOUT 20 gardai attended a hockey match in Dublin on Saturday to monitor a Sinn Fein protest against the appearance of an RUC team.
The RUC's second XI had travelled south for the first time in over a decade to meet Corinthians in the Irish Junior Cup fixture at St Columba's College, Rathfarnham.
The RUC's participation was disrupted by the Troubles but this season, following the paramilitary ceasefires, the force decided to resume playing in all-Ireland competitions.
About 15 protesters, including some children holding anti-RUC posters, stood at the college gate during the match. Sinn Fein said the match was an "attempted rehabilitation" of the RUC which, it said, was not acceptable as a police force in Northern Ireland and should not be acceptable in the Republic.
Gardai said there was no trouble at the match, which Corinthians won 1-0.