Garda Christmas party for senior citizens returns to Annebrook House Hotel
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Betty Sleator from Mullingar with Garda Fiona Walsh. Thomas GibbonsImage 2 of 14
Ger Dalton from Patrick Street with Superintendent Bláithín Moran. Thomas GibbonsImage 3 of 14
Peter Kirby (Mullingar) and Jim Walsh (Kinnegad). Thomas GibbonsImage 4 of 14
Maud Long, Brendan O’Mahony and Siobhan Mahony at the Christmas party. Thomas GibbonsImage 5 of 14
Maureen McManamon from Cullionbeg and Florence Nash from Collinstown. Thomas GibbonsImage 6 of 14
Julia Burke from Milltownpass. Thomas GibbonsImage 7 of 14
Garda Neill Donnelan (centre) with Mick O’Neill and Lily Cassidy from the 1428 Club in Mullingar. Thomas GibbonsImage 8 of 14
Marie McNamee, Garda Carmela Corbett and Catherine Scally at the Annebrook House Hotel. Thomas GibbonsImage 9 of 14
Garda Martina Walsh with Catherine Dempsey from Rochfortbridge and Eileen Evans from Ballynacargy. Thomas GibbonsImage 10 of 14
Brian Jones, Sgt Martin Long and Patricia Watts at the party last Tuesday afternoon. Thomas GibbonsImage 11 of 14
Robert Heath, Geraldine Niven and Declan Murphy from Mullingar. Thomas GibbonsImage 12 of 14
Lily Kavanagh and Celine O’Reilly at the garda Christmas party. Thomas GibbonsImage 13 of 14
Evelyn Reilly, Dolores Gaffney and Christine Glennon in Mullingar for the garda party. Thomas GibbonsImage 14 of 14
Noel Briody provided the entertainment. Thomas GibbonsThere were many happy customers leaving the Annebrook House Hotel on Tuesday last, December 8 as the Mullingar Community Policing Unit hosted their Older Person’s annual Christmas party.
The Community Policing Unit were pleased with the large turnout to the annual festive shindig: “An Garda Síochána in Westmeath held the senior citizens’ party in the Annebrook Hotel last week. There was a meal and live music that was really enjoyed by the guests,” Sergeant Martin Long said of the event.
“We missed out last year, so we were just eager to get it back up and running because it had been a success in the previous years. This is the ninth time it’s been run. It was a great success. We sold 280 tickets and it was attended by about 260 guests,” Sgt Long said.
The Older Person’s annual Christmas party is an important part of the garda community outreach programme: “During Covid, we built up a great relationship with the public. It gave us an opportunity to get out and about a bit more. This is an opportunity to re-engage with the older people within the community. It allows our senior citizens to put names and faces to their gardaí. They know who they can contact here in the community policing office,” he said.
A raffle also took place throughout the day, for items donated by a number of local businesses, community groups, and charities.
Sergeant Long said it was a successful day: “It’s a great event for An Garda Síochána to host and it really shows the commitment we have to the older persons, the elderly, and the vulnerable in our community.
“Everybody left with a party bag. There were Terry’s Chocolate Oranges that were sponsored and a few other goodies.”
Sergeant Long said the success of the day was down to the many people who worked on the event: “I just want to thank the Annebrook Hotel, the staff and management, they’re excellent and they always have been a great support. To everyone who sponsored the event, it would have been impossible without that support, and there were quite a number of gardaí who worked on making the day possible.”