Gardaí commemorate arrival of Civic Guard into Cork in 1922

COMMEMORATIONS to mark the centenary of An Garda Síochána began this afternoon with members of the force arriving at Kennedy Quay on board the LE James Joyce.

Assistant Garda Commissioner Eileen Foster led 16 gardaí, representing all ranks, down to the quay, re-enacting the arrival by boat in Cork, 100 years ago, of the first contingent of the Civic Guard.

Those first guards had been forced to travel by water as anti-Treaty IRA had destroyed several rail bridges along the route to Cork, and they arrived in dangerous and uncertain times.

On the quay this afternoon was Garda Tom Daly, wearing a replica of the formal dress uniform unique to Cork and worn by gardaí here between 1926 and 1954.

There was warm applause as a centenary parade made up of the Garda Band, the Garda Ceremonial Unit, the Garda Mounted Unit, members of An Garda Síochána, garda staff, and retired members of An Garda Síochána then marched up the quay toward the city.

In the crowd was Mary McLean, from Ballincollig, whose father Charles McCarthy had been a founding member of what was then the Civic Guard, initially posted to the Midlands and later serving in Dublin, Cork, and Wicklow.

Ms McLean told The Echo it was a very emotional day for her.

“I’m fighting back the tears, thinking about my father and all of those young men who were the first guards,” she said.

“They were phenomenal men, and they did this country proud, and the men and women who serve today do too, day in, day out.”

The parade made its way to Union Quay, where a plaque was unveiled by Assistant Commissioner Foster, marking the first location of the Civic Guard in Cork City in 1922.

The first contingent of the Civic Guard to arrive in Cork had to be billeted at the School of Music, because the former RIC barracks on Union Quay had been burnt out by anti-Treaty IRA forces.

The parade then continued on to Anglesea St Garda Station, where a plaque to the memory of the six Cork gardaí who lost their lives in the line of duty was unveiled by Superintendent John Deasy.

The ‘Last Post’ was played to the memory of the six fallen gardaí, and the ceremony concluded with the national anthem.

Among the honoured guests at the unveiling were Mary Doody and her daughter Carmel. Mary’s husband, 28-year-old Garda James Doody, died in the early hours of January 7, 1973, when the Garda car in which he was a passenger collided with another car at the junction of Glasheen Rd and Wilton Rd. The youngest of James and Mary’s four children, Carmel, was only 11 weeks old.

Also among the guests was Eilish Rice, whose husband Garda George Rice, aged 44, died alongside his colleague, Garda Seamus McIntyre, aged 29, in the early hours of Sunday, April 22, 2001, when their patrol car collided with another vehicle.

Assistant Commissioner Foster told The Echo that today was a proud day for An Garda Síochána.

“In 1922, the 60 guards that came to Cork weren’t sure what they were facing, and as we were getting off the boat today, I just thought how times have changed,” said Assistant Commissioner Foster.

“It’s just wonderful to see so many people out watching us passing by, it’s very emotional for members of An Garda Síochána, and recognising the people we’ve lost is very poignant.”

Chief Superintendent Tom Myers quoted the first commissioner, Michael Staines, who had said, “the Garda Síochána will succeed not by force of arms or numbers, but on their moral authority as servants of the people”.

“That vision has served us well for a century, and I hope it does for another century,” said Chief Supt Myers.

After the unveiling of the plaque at Anglesea St Garda Station, the Lord Mayor of Cork, Deirdre Forde, welcomed members of An Garda Síochána to Cork City Hall for a civic reception.