Last Friday, we had a visit from An Garda Síochána to film their promotional video, a number of TY students were allowed to take part. Two members from the armed support unit along with a few other local guards, brought their equipment to show us how and when to use it.The armed support unit are the only department in the guards that are authorised to carry arms and ammunition. To differentiate between local guards and the armed support unit, you can see a red stripe on the armed squad cars. Their main priority is to support local garda officers in certain high risk operations.
The students got to hold the equipment as well as hearing what comes with being part of the Garda. The armed defence unit shared multiple stories from their experiences on duty. For example, they told us about the Dublin riots, disarming perpetrators and many more chronicles from their past. Students got to ask questions and inquire about the risks guards take each and every day.
We got to discuss the behind the scenes of the guards media department with the J.L.O and how they got to where they are now. The two press officers shared different sides of their roles in the media department. One dealt with the social media side including the official Instagram and TikTok accounts while the other answered journalists’ questions and wrote reports on behalf of An Garda Síochána.
Thank you to the all the member of the Garda forces who ensure our safety and many thanks to Elaine and Brendan for their support.
By Holly and Eimear, TY Journalism
