The Garda Podcast

Our National Escort Unit consists of highly skilled Garda motorcyclists who provide escorts for various reasons, including for the transport of VIPs and critically ill patents. In this episode, you'll go inside this specialist unit and hear about their training, more about who they escort and why.

This episode features an interview with Superintendent Niall Featherstone, Chief Bureau Officer with the Garda National Vetting Bureau. Last year, our Garda Vetting Bureau processed over 588,000 vetting applications from 28,000 relevant organisations. Find out why vetting takes place, what information is looked for during the vetting process, what is disclosed to an organisation, tips on how to carry out your vetting application and lots more.

Ireland and England went head to head in a UEFA Nations League soccer game at the Aviva Stadium, Dublin on September 7th 2024. Due to the high risk nature of this fixture, the Garda Commissioner declared it an extraordinary event, meaning that leave could be cancelled for Gardaí to ensure enough resources were in place. In this episode, we follow those charged with policing this event in the days leading up to kick off and during and after the match. You'll get an insight in to the detailed pre planning that takes place, the many different specialist units involved, the wide reaching policing plan and we bring you inside the control rooms in Dublin city and the Aviva Stadium.

Find out how we played a key role in dismantling a major global communication platform known as Ghost. This platform is used by dangerous criminals and Organised Crime Groups (OCGs) in Ireland and around the world. We carried out 33 coordinated searches across the country on Monday 16 September and gathered significant evidence. Séamus Boland, Detective Chief Superintendent with the Garda National Drugs and Organised Crime Bureau and Justin Kelly, An Garda Síochána’s Assistant Commissioner, Organised and Serious Crime feature in this episode and explain more about this significant operation.

The Garda Síochána Analysis Service (GSAS) is a national, operational support service that turns internal and externally sourced data into information and insight that supports investigations and management decisions within An Garda Síochána. In this episode, GSAS Director Sara Parsons details the highly specialist work undertaken by analysts in the service, including involvement in some of Ireland's most high profile cases.

We have a skilled public order capacity in An Garda Síochána. Our National Public Order Units are constantly trained and assessed to the highest standards in tactics, equipment and fitness. In this episode, Garda Karl Burton, a Public Order Training Coordinator explains the function of the Garda National Public Order Unit.

Assistant Commissioner Angela Willis has responsibility for the policing of the DMR - the Dublin Metropolitan Region. In this episode, recorded in August 2024, she sits down with Patrice Harrington to discuss the many challenges and high points that come with policing a capital city.

Our National Mounted Unit provides very specialised policing on horseback support within An Garda Síochána. Gardaí and their beautiful horses undertake community relations activities, high-visibility patrols, crowd control at major events, searches for missing persons over difficult terrain, assisting at incidents of public disorder and more. In this episode, Garda Nives Caplice takes us behind the scenes at their base in Áras an Uachtaráin, Phoenix Park, Dublin.

The Garda National Cyber Crime Bureau (GNCCB) is tasked with the forensic examination of electronic devices seized during the course of any criminal investigation. The bureau also has responsibility for investigating significant and complex cybercrimes that target computer systems and provides cyber-prevention advice to the public. In this episode, GNCCB Detective Chief Superintendent Barry Walsh brings us behind the scenes of this fascinating bureau.

The Garda Water Unit provides operational support and search capability in marine environments and hazardous locations. In this episode, we take you behind the scenes of this highly specialised unit.

The aim of the Criminal Assets Bureau (CAB) is to deny and deprive people of the proceeds of criminal conduct. Chief CAB Bureau Officer, Garda Chief Superintendent Michael Gubbins takes us inside this multi agency body. Find out about some of the most common and valuable items seized, how CAB's process works and how you can help.

Based at Casement Aerodrome, Baldonnel, Dublin, the Garda Air Support Unit was established in 1997 and has since become a vital operational support in An Garda Síochána. In this episode, Sergeant Mark Campbell takes us behind the scenes of this highly specialised unit.

Sinéad Greene is a Detective Superintendent with the Garda National Protective Services Bureau (GNPSB). Detective Superintendent Greene gives a fascinating and powerful insight in to the important work carried out by her Bureau, including the tackling of domestic, sexual and gender-based violence. In an emergency, please call 999 / 112

Detective Chief Superintendent Séamus Boland heads up the Garda National Drugs and Organised Crime Bureau. In this exclusive interview, he talks to Patrice Harrington about the important work carried out by his team to disrupt, dismantle and prosecute organised crime groups. He talks about his own career path in An Garda Síochána, how the illegal drugs and organised crime landscape has dramatically changed in recent times, the importance of international collaboration and much more.

The Garda Podcast is an official An Garda Síochána podcast.