Top Garda officers ‘disappointed’ at ban on wearing uniforms at RIC commemoration event

Several gardai at superintendent level received a message from Garda headquarters at Phoenix Park in Dublin on the eve of the event, which was held in the Guards Chapel of Wellington Barracks, not to put on their uniforms.

The officers had travelled over from the Irish Republic with their Garda uniforms expecting to wear them during the religious service entitled: ‘Lives Lost In Service With The Royal Irish Constabulary 1836-1922’.

One source who was at the service said there was “deep disappointment” about the directive from Dublin that the Garda officers do not wear their uniforms in the Guards chapel.

“There was nothing political about this service, it was a purely religious event, respectful not controversial yet the Garda officers were banned from wearing their uniforms at it. The officers were able to put on their medals at the service so there was bewilderment as to why they couldn’t don their uniforms as well.”

Descendants of RIC officers were also in attendance at the service in memory of those who served in the police service up until its disbandment in 1922.

As well as serving and retired Gardai the commemoration was attended by Irish independent senator Patrick Craughwell who described the event as “a truly wonderful ceremony of remembrance for the officers and men of the Royal Irish Constabulary at the Guards Chapel in London”.

He continued: “These were the ordin ary police almost all Irish men. Many families travelled from all over the world.”

A spokesperson for the Department of Justice declined to comment and referred the News Letter to the Garda press office for a response.

A Garda spokesperson said the force did not issue any such directive and that the query should be referred to the Department of Justice.

It is understood that the commemoration was held in London after organisers decided that it would have been politically impossible to hold it in the Irish Republic.

Two years ago the Irish government was forced to cancel a commemoration for the RIC and the Dublin Metropolitan Police after politicians including Sinn Fein said it should not go ahead.

There was also an online campaign demanding the event’s cancellation which unionists saw as evidence that a large section of the Republic remains hostile to other traditions on this island.

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