Mullingar Garda Station host annual Garda open day

Mullingar Garda Station opened its doors to the public on Saturday, July 12 for their annual Garda open day, giving visitors a look into the behind-the-scenes.

The event began at 11am with a designated sensory-friendly hour, during this hour, visitors were welcomed in a calm environment free from any loud noises or sirens.

“We’ve been running these open days for over 10 years now,” Community Garda and organiser Neil Donellan told the Examiner, “We introduced the sensory-friendly hour a few years ago and were one of the first Garda stations in the country to do so. It’s been a huge success and has now been replicated across the country.”

With 30°C weather on the day, the station welcomed a large crowd in to explore the building, vehicles and more, there was also face painting and refreshments.

“People are enjoying the tours and getting to see new tools like the body cameras, which will be introduced to people in the eastern region soon,” Garda Donellan said.

Visitors had the opportunity to meet officers from a range of specialist divisions, including the Mounted Unit, Armed Support Unit, Air Support, Roads Policing, Public Order, and Scenes of Crime teams.

Younger guests enjoyed trying on Garda hats, getting their fingerprints taken, and having their faces painted. People also enjoyed petting and taking pictures with the mounted unit horse and the air supports Helicopter fly over.

Throughout the event, Community Gardaí spoke with attendees about crime prevention, road safety, and the importance of community cooperation in policing. The event had complimentary refreshments that kept everyone cool and refreshed, adding to the inviting and inclusive feel of the day.