A 38-year-old man from Blessington, Co. Wicklow, who has spent nearly two decades trying to join An Garda Síochána, is among 167 new recruits to graduate from the Garda College in Templemore today.
Conor Finan’s journey to becoming a garda was far from straightforward. Before finally being accepted, he worked as an undertaker, a firefighter, and in public relations, and faced repeated setbacks in passing the fitness test and medical examinations.
“I’ve always wanted to become a garda,” Finan said. “That was the backbone, the motivation that got me through the whole process.”
Over the past three years, he lost ten-and-a-half stone, crediting a strict 1,800-calorie daily diet and training for the Dublin City Marathon as key factors in his transformation. “It’s been an incredible journey,” he said. “The natural progression of the training led to the weight drop.”
Garda Finan is set to begin his career at Tallaght Garda Station, bringing with him a wealth of life experience he hopes will serve him well in policing.
More than 100 of the newly attested gardaí will be allocated to Dublin, with 31 assigned to the Eastern Region. The class includes 67 women, and 23 recruits were born outside Ireland, from countries including Australia, Brazil, Croatia, Guatemala, Mauritius, and Italy.
The new recruits bring the total number of sworn gardaí to 14,564. Recruitment has surged in recent years, with more than 11,100 applicants across two campaigns last year. Another recruitment drive is expected later this year.
Speaking at the ceremony, Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration, Jim O’Callaghan, praised the new cohort. “They join a tradition that stretches back over a century, one built on trust, integrity, and a steadfast commitment to the public they serve,” he said.
Minister O’Callaghan also confirmed that the next intake of up to 215 trainees will begin training at the Garda College next Monday, 9 February.
Of today’s graduates, 104 probationers will be deployed across the Dublin Metropolitan Region, 21 to the Southern Region, 31 to the Eastern Region, and 11 to the North-Western Region. The newly attested gardaí will now begin serving communities nationwide, continuing the long-standing tradition of public service in An Garda Síochána.
