Community gardaí on Dominick Street welcoming children

Simonas Kausilas from Mullingar was delighted to get the chance to jump in a garda van and try on a hat and jacket as part of the fleadh celebrations.

His mother Deimante Kausile is originally from Lithuania but living in Ireland for nearly 10 years. She told the Westmeath Examiner that Simonas was “so excited” to meet the guards and wear the hat and jacket.

Simonas who is almost four years old, was waiting “for nearly half an hour to get a picture”.

Deimante and Simonas are both enjoying the fleadh “so much”. “We are coming here every day,” said Deimante.

The community gardaí have been on Dominick Street all week, giving and children and adults the opportunity to “get into the van and try on a garda uniform”.

Community Garda Paul Martin told our reporter: “A lot of it is children so it’s taking the whole… if they have fear or anything like that [away]. And letting them know if they want to chat to a guard they can. And it’s fun – fun for everybody involved and for the adults if the adults want to get involved too.”