Garda Síochána

There's an enormous security operation here and it's across County Clare.

Like I was driving towards Doonbeg yesterday and there appeared to be Gardaí stations along the roadside at almost every turn.

I passed dozens of Gardaí vehicles as well as checkpoints and temporary posts on the approaches to the village.

Thousands of Gardaí have been applied for what has been described as an extraordinary event.

Guarded divers, water cannon, anti-drone technology and signal jamming equipment are all being deployed, while hundreds of US Secret Service personnel are also understood to be involved here.

The scale of the American military deployment is remarkable.

I'm aware of one Garda who paid €1,800 for accommodation.

only to be told afterwards that they would be stationed an hour away from where he was staying.

And there is a huge Garda presence here as well today.

There's a lot of Gardaí patrolling, making sure that the protest is kept at bay, that the protest remains peaceful, because the commissioner had said that the Gardaí will facilitate peaceful protest, but there will be no tolerance for public disorder or attempts to impact critical infrastructure or movements with the President of the United States.

I believe, Florence, you had a word with some of the protesters today.

Yes, I did.

So what's happening at the moment is I'm just opposite the landing area, which is in a field just in front of me, about 50 yards in front of me.

And that's where we expect Marine One to land in the next few minutes.

Every corner of that field, every area is covered by Secret Service agents and Gardaí.

And in fact, to the Gardaí in front of me at the moment, they very kindly allowed me to just stand here for a couple of minutes while I talk to you because they've pushed everybody back here.

So there's another element to it too, Shane, that really hasn't been touched on.

This isn't the first rodeo for the Defence Force in An Garda Síochána in securing the territory for a US presidential visit.

But it is the first time that we have seen, certainly that I've seen, an increased level of sophistication at the joint planning level, particularly between the Defence Forces and An Garda Síochána.

We see that manifested through the Joint Task Force, which is a new operational entity commanded by Colonel Noel Marr, which supports the Gardaí with the military taskings, which means things get identified and done faster and responded to faster.

It also is the first time that the state has had a first multi-domain awareness factor, so air, land, sea and cyber being looked at from a threat perspective, and that that has enabled us to better plan and seek resources where needed, whether they're on island or or whether they're from external partners.

If you need a big order, go talk to them.

On post or, like, the Gardaí have taken a couple of PB5s.

They actually look pretty cool in the silver and the green and blue.

Yeah, I've seen them.

And it's acknowledged and it's never forgotten.

I mean, the number of Irish fire stations, you know, the Gardaí, the efforts that people went to here to commemorate, you know, fallen officers or fallen comrades in the 9-11 tragedy.

And that mattered because I think At its weakest moment and at its most vulnerable moment, I think New York remembers those who stood by them.

And what happened that day has never been forgotten.

That's in place from this evening.

There's restrictions on traffic and movement right across the weekend as well.

And then on Garda Síochána has said... ...the police and security operation... ...will also involve front line uniform... ...playing close Gardaí... ...supported by specialist units... ...from the Special Tactics and Operations Command...

...including armed support, counter drone units...

I've been talking to Clonmel Mayor Siobhan Ambrose about the significance of the new station for the town and how it fits into the ongoing investment and construction projects on the former Kickham Barracks site and elsewhere.

But first, I think it's important to hear from the guards themselves and see what it is they need in a modern Garda station, how the facilities or lack of them impede or improve their work and their reaction to the works that are ongoing at the moment.

So I spoke with Garda Representative Association rep for Tipperary, Richard Kennedy, and I started by asking him to explain just how badly needed the new station in Clonmel is and just how bad the old one is.

It's an old building.

It's very decrepit at this stage.

I suppose a new station was muted first in the Dáil by a local TD, Sean Tracy, back in the late 60s.

So we're 60 years down along the line and the station is finally coming to fruition.

Over the years there's been they threatened walkouts by members because of how bad the station was there was issues with rodents sewage problems the cells have are totally outdated office space there's oh there's a myriad of of problems with it fire escapes everything anything you possibly find wrong was wrong with it and to finally have a purpose-built station it's a lift for the people working there and look For the people of Llamel, they deserve to have a Garda station that they can go into and if they want a bit of privacy talk to the Garda, it's available.

They've a number of fouls, three or four assaults.

The Gardaí will definitely be investigating a couple of those incidents already as...

Morris Sheridan here now from BAL he'll be hoping that it'll be third time lucky from a free taking point of view he's going to have another punt at it he's got a bit

of a wind down the

Uh, thank you, John.

Um, [applause] Ɣ Chaigh leig, uh, Councillor Mulvey, um, Chief Superintendent Glackin, um, distinguished members of the clergy, uh, of the defense forces, both serving and retired, of An Garda Síochána, and of the local fire service, ladies and gentlemen.

Is, um, an óra speisialta dom a bheith anseo, a bheith anseo inniu chun, chun freastal ar an gcomóradh seo, comóradh ar na rudaí thubaisteacha a tharla féiche bliana ó shin i gcathair Nua-Eabhrac, cathair Washington agus i stát Pennsylvania, uh, nuair a cailleadh b'fhéidir, um, trí mhíle duine agus b'fhéidir gur, go raibh aireacht, uh, as an tír seo ag b'fhéidir míle de na daoine a, a, a fuair bás, um, ar an lá thubaisteach sin.

So, um, there are not many times i- in your life when you can remember exactly where you were when something happened internationally.