Former Fair City actor among country's newest gardaí

A former Fair City actor, a law student who played rugby for Leinster, and a long-jump athlete with a background in behavioural science are among the country's newest gardaí.

Almost 200 people were sworn in as members of An Garda Síochána at a graduation ceremony at the Garda Training College in Templemore, Co Tipperary today.

Newly attested Garda Katelynn Doran has said she joined the force to keep active and her mind "mentally engaged."
She admits that her new career is unlike anything she has done before but hopes that she can bring her life experience with her into her new role.

"Before this I went to college.

I was in Maynooth University and I did a law degree, and then I went and got my masters in comparative criminology and criminal justice.

"I had a legal background, and then I worked two years in law and the civil side of law.

And then I played rugby on the side for the Leinster women’s rugby team.

So, it is a different mix of backgrounds," she added.

Asked if she thinks her hours on the rugby pitch will help her if required to 'tackle’ any criminals in the future, she replies: "Yeah, it made me physically tough."
She said: "The bond that you have with a team would be the very same as a (garda) unit.

There are huge benefits of having the experience in rugby and having that background and bringing it into this side of my career.

"With my law degree, I would love to be able to utilise it and use it.

But going into the guards, I am only new.

I would be open to anything at this stage.

I want to kind of experience all sides and all branches and all areas to see what is the best fit for me."
Simon O’Driscoll is no stranger to switching between roles but this time, he is changing from leaving a beat for dramatic effect during a performance to hitting the beat and policing the streets.

He said: "When I was six, I was actually in the Veronica Guerin film, I played her son, Cathal so I worked alongside Cate Blanchett, Brenda Fricker, Colin Farrell and then I went on to spend five or six years in Fair City playing Oisín, Paul and Nicola’s son," Garda O’Driscoll added.

"I went on to kind of study music in later years and did a degree in commercial modern music.

And then, I kind of found myself here.

I had family in the guards and saw how much they loved it."
"I’m 30 and I said, you know what, I really want the kind of change on a day-to-day basis, the security, and just the difference that this job can bring."
Based on his training since last August, what does the Dubliner think makes a good guard?

"I think somebody that just knows how to deal with people that’s at the forefront in my mind.

If you can deal with the community, deal with people correctly, that is 90% of the job."
Garda O'Driscoll hopes his previous acting experience will stand him well in that regard.

"I think that the confidence that it kind of gives you to talk in front of people with people in the community.

That is the main thing I would take from it."
In 2022, Garda Ciara Kearns from Donegal, while competing with Finn Valley AC, won gold in the W35 long jump at the European Masters Championships in Braga, Portugal.

She said she had always thought about joining the force but it wasn’t until her child was older that "allowed for it."
"I made the decision last year but I had missed the first competition so I had to wait until the August intake.

I think it is a vocation, it is a great career, and there is a lot of chance for progression.

But, I do think it is a calling.

It is very worthwhile and, you know, I am helping people."
Garda Kearns said her "long" and "diverse" background ultimately led her to becoming a member of An Garda Síochána.

She said: "I worked in athletics for a good number of years with a beautiful club up in Donegal, Finn Valley, and then I moved on to working as an academic technology manager in a college down in Dublin under Marcella Finnerty.

It was a counselling and psychotherapy college."
"I have a diverse background.

I came out of college, I went into behavioural science and psychology, so I kind of always had the helping [nature] and that initiative behind me.

So, it has just all led me to here," Garda Kearns said.

She said her 15-year-old son is "well proud" of his mother becoming a guard and asked about what he said about today’s graduation ceremony, Garda Kearns replies: "Good luck, Ma and thanks for the day off school."
The new 193 probationer gardaí bring the total number in the force to 14,661 sworn members.

Gardaí born in England, Italy, Poland and Spain were also among those who graduated today.

The newly-sworn gardaí will now take on operational responsibilities in divisions across the country as they undergo a two-year probationary period.