Lord Mayor's Reception for An Garda Síochána marking the force's dedicated professionalism and contribution to the citizens of Cork City.

Photographed at the Lord Mayor's Reception for An Garda Síochána from left to right:
Joe Gavin, City Manager, Ray McAndrew, Chief Superintendent, The Lord Mayor, Cllr. Seán Martin, The Lady Mayoress, Ann Martin, and Adrian Culligan, Assistant Garda Commissioner.

Address by:
Ray McAndrew, Chief Superintendent, Cork City in response to Lord Mayor Cllr. Seán Martin

30 November 2004

Árdmhéara Chorcaí, Comhairleoir Séan O'Máirtín, Comhairleoirí Cathair Chorcaí, tá an athas orm bheith anseo um trathnóna don ocáid failtiú sibhialta seo in omós An Garda Síochána, in aitheantas cion an fórsa seo do saoranaigh Cathair Chorcaí.

Lord Mayor, Councillor Sean Martin, Councillors, Cork City Council, City Manager Joe Gavin, Civic Officials, Assistant Commissioner Culligan, Brigadier General Pat Nash, Commodore Frank Lynch, N.S., Community and Business Leaders, Special Guests, Colleagues, retired members of An Garda Síochána, Ladies and Gentlemen. As Divisional Officer I feel very privileged to be here representing my Divisional force this evening for this Civic Reception in honour of An Garda Síochána in this city marking the force's dedicated professionalism and contribution to the citizens of Cork City. In replying to your address on behalf of my Divisional force and indeed retired members and all our families, I will say that each and every one of us are all very conscious and appreciative of the great honour that is being accorded to An Garda Síochána here this evening and I thank you most sincerely on all our behalf for the gracious sentiments expressed and your acknowledgement as public representatives representing the citizens of Cork of the Garda contribution to the life of the City.

The office of Lord Mayor and Cork City Council has a long and distinguished association and working relationships with this police force. While the new Civic Guards were formed in Dublin at a meeting in the Gresham Hotel on the 22 February 1922, the Civil War continued to rage, with widespread burning and looting in Cork City by the irregulars, with all main roads to the City dynamited leaving the only available access to the City by sea. It is interesting to note that after the Free State Army under Major General Emmet Dalton occupied Cork City on the 12 August 1922, councillors from Cork City Corporation under the then Deputy Lord Mayor, Mr. W. Ellis, T.C. were to the forefront with business and Civic Leaders, in forming and controlling a temporary police force of approximately 100 personnel known as the Cork Civic Patrol and exhorted on citizens to support what was an unarmed police force. The advance party of the newly formed Garda Síochána sailed from Dublin to Cork on the 16 September and the then Deputy Commissioner of the day Patrick Walsh, set the standard for the force in Cork, when he wrote to Superintendents Cullen and Dwyer stressing that as pioneers of the Civic Guards a serious responsibility devolved to each officer and man and that the whole force would be judged by the impressions created by the advance guard in Cork. He stated, "You will not fail to impress this on all ranks". The civic committee in place under Deputy Lord Mayor Ellis greatly facilitated the initial acceptance of the Civic Guards into Cork and for a few months, the Cork Civic Patrol worked in tandem with them.

In the intervening decades, history has shown that the Garda force in Cork has served with great courage, commitment and personal pride in this City with its membership subscribing in good measure to almost every aspect of City life be it on or off duty.

Yesterday, we had three All-Ireland Cups and the County Championship trophy for football, hurling and Camogie on display in Anglesea Street accompanied by the Garda players from the winning teams. It was a great occasion attended by many young juveniles and also Garda sporting greats spanning several decades including Jim Clifford who played for Galway and Kerry during the 1940s and Jazz Murphy in the 1950s. I thank you Lord Mayor for gracing the occasion with your presence.

Relatives of Gardaí have served in Cork City Council over the decades and this has been a source of pride to us. On the present Council, the Lord Mayors uncle Chief Superintendent Tom Corbett served in Bandon, Councillor Jim Corr's father served in Togher. Councillor Mary Shields father in law, Hughie Shields, served in Shandon and her son Ciaran is now serving in Carlow, the same can be said for our valued civilian support staff. Our Staff Officer, Clare Whooley nee Cronin, is with us tonight and her father, Sean Cronin, served as Lord Mayor in 1944/45 and her grandfather, Richard, served as Lord Mayor in 1907/08.

Lord Mayor the present day Garda force here in Cork represents 82 years of development built on the solid foundation laid in 1922 reinforced and reconfigured along the way to meet changing needs and emerging challenges often in difficult and turbulent conditions. We acknowledge with pride the contributions of all members of the force and indeed their families and are delighted that representatives of retired members of different ranks have joined with us here tonight for this unique and auspicious occasion.

On this great occasion I believe that it is right and fitting that we especially remember and acknowledge members of the force that have made the ultimate sacrifice by laying down their lives in the service of the citizens of Cork City. Sergeant James Fitzsimmons, 23 years, shot dead defending St. Luke's Station on 14 November 1926, Garda John Roche, 34 years, mortally wounded arresting a wanted man on 4 January 1940 on McCurtain Street.

In more recent times, 2001, the force lost two esteemed colleagues Gardaí George Rice and Seamus McIntyre both responding to a call for urgent assistance to a burglary in the Blarney area, when they were killed in an accident. Family representatives are with us tonight and they are most welcome. Garda Brian Shanahan, exactly one year later was left fighting for his life after he was struck by a car at the exact same spot. Thankfully, Brian has made a reasonable recovery and is with us here tonight.

The range and complexity of the tasks of modern day policing in this present decade are clearly far removed from the duties of a Garda, 80 years ago. Nevertheless, two fundamentals of policing remain constant

1. A police force exists to serve the community in which it operates
2. A police force cannot serve the community effectively unless it enjoys the help, support and confidence of the community.

In common with many other organisations seeking to deliver a quality public service today we find ourselves operating in a fast moving rapidly changing more multicultural society with a tendency to shift from communal loyalties to individualism, one that is much more global in attitude and outlook, willing to question authority and increasingly seeking fairness, performance and accountability from its public services. As a consequence all public agencies including the Garda Síochána at all levels have had to work hard and display their own commitment, competence and confidence in order to secure in turn the trust, confidence, respect and support of the public.

Gardaí stationed in Cork have thankfully always shown a strong sense of public service and have quickly identified with the City and its people. Very few members ever looked for transfer out of Cork and take great pride in their work here. They seem to connect easily with the public that they serve. The Gardaí here in Cork are indeed very fortunate to be working in a City where the population, by in large, is very law-abiding, basically policing themselves and at the same time are willing to work and contribute towards maintaining and improving quality of life issues with stakeholders such as the Gardaí. They are to be congratulated for their responsible approach.

As a result, Cork City more than most places has very positive policing systems and structures in place based on community and inter agency interfacing and cooperation.

Consequently there is very strong cooperation between our community Gardaí and the public in Community Alert, Neighbourhood Watch, Business Watch, Hospital Watch, Campus Watch, Coastal Watch and also schools and youth initiatives including our annual youth awards scheme, with the result they continue to develop and thrive.

Social and inclusive partnerships are also working very well.

• Government funded schemes 
• Drugs task forces 
• Justice Projects 
• Community intervention schemes 
• Community Buses

Substantial funding €620,000 from the Garda vote this year into Cork projects.

In policing we receive great cooperation from the Army, Navy and Customs Services and Civil Defence from time to time when circumstances require it.

Cork City Council has often sought contribution and solutions from its Garda force in facing different challenges. From a Garda perspective you have provided great support and encouragement over the years for Garda policing initiatives. I would like to acknowledge the lead role Cork City Council gave in developing the land use and transportation study, which greatly improved the policing environment in this city and I would also acknowledge the importance of your major contributions for very big events such as the Tall Ships Race, the Tour de France and indeed Winning Team homecomings, where you bring serious resources and planning to such ventures.

A wit has declared that the only place success comes before work is in the dictionary.

While the scale of serious crime in Cork is lower than in other cities we nevertheless have experienced several murders, manslaughters, major drug activities, subversive activities, and illegal immigration in recent years. We have thankfully in this City through dedicated teamwork and application of best investigative practices, greatly aided by assistance from a supportive community, achieved very substantive and positive results.

In Scotland when they speak about teamwork they often tend to describe an experiment that was conducted in Glasgow with Clydesdale horses. Each horse on its own could draw a cart with 9,000 lbs weight of barrels of beer, but yet when the two were harnessed together they were capable of drawing 26,000 lbs. The very same principle worked extremely well in Cork City when we faced very serious public order problems in 2002. Initially the Garda force is a visible 24 hour, 7 day a week service, became the focus of intense media and public concern. As a result they led to an initiative whereby all possible stakeholders in the City that could potentially have an impact in improving public order were brought together and they readily subscribed to introducing best practices. This allied to robust policing brought about substantial improvement, quickly seeing a 33% reduction in serious assaults in 2003 and the downward trend continues. I wish to put on record on behalf of the force the outstanding contribution of so many stakeholders — Cork City Council, its officials, Cork City Challenge, Business Associations, Brewers, Vintners, Club owners, transport companies, student unions, third level college authorities, health board, medical experts, security personnel and many others that joined with the Gardaí in tackling many serious issues involved. It has been an outstanding success story down to everybody pulling together for the good of the city and its reputation. In July of this year, the Cork City public order policing model received a national award for public service excellence and innovation from An Taoiseach Bertie Ahern, TD, in Dublin Castle, so well done to each and every stakeholder and indeed operational Gardaí who deal with the brunt of street disorder on a nightly basis. The Cork public order model is now being studied and applied in Cities and Towns inside and outside the country.

When people speak about Cork today the one word that constantly crops up is transformation. Lord Mayor, the elected representatives of Cork and civic officials are to be commended for the exemplary leadership that they have given in bringing about this transformation. You have enhanced this City's infrastructure and general environment by proactively supporting the many diverse stakeholders to advance a range of developments aimed at propelling the City into the ranks of 21st Century urban centres. On behalf of An Garda Síochána I congratulate the City Council and all its partners in the achievement of recent prestigious national awards in respect of Patrick Street, Grand Parade and Crawford Gallery. The Divisional force is very much looking forward to 2005 and to playing our full part in policing our city as the European Capital of Culture.

As the Garda force we are becoming increasingly conscious of the importance of striving to meet customers changing needs, being more flexible in implementing change, identifying relevant stakeholders to achieve strategic goals and objectives in a coherent manner. With the ethos of service and teamwork prevailing here in Cork I would be confident that the closer collaboration planned for the City Council, local community fora, and the Gardaí in the forthcoming policing bill will be productive and can only further enhance the policing service in this City.

Thank you once again, Lord Mayor and City Councillors for the great honour accorded to An Garda Síochána, Cork City here this evening.

Ray McAndrew, Chief Superintendent, Cork City

30 November 2004

Cork Garda Superintendents photographed at the Lord Mayor's Reception for An Garda Síochána with Joe Gavin, City Manager, Ray McAndrew, Chief Superintendent, The Lord Mayor, Cllr. Seán Martin, The Lady Mayoress, Ann Martin, and Adrian Culligan, Assistant Garda Commissioner.

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