Minister for Justice, Helen McEntee TD, joined Garda Commissioner Drew Harris at Kevin Street Garda Station to present the first of commemorative centenary items to Garda personnel working in the Dublin Metropolitan Region.

Over the coming month, eligible serving Garda members and staff across the country will receive commemorative medals and coins respectively to mark the centenary of An Garda Síochána.

The commemorative items will be accompanied by a certificate of appreciation signed by both the Minister for Justice and the Garda Commissioner.

Retired Gardaí are also due to receive commemorative items, with medals to be presented to the next of kin of Gardaí who were killed in the line of duty and to the widow/widower of deceased retired Gardaí. Similarly, commemorative coins will be presented to retired Garda staff and to the widow/widower of a deceased retired staff member.

The presentation of these items are part of a wider justice programme of initiatives nationally under the Decade of Centenaries Programme, to commemorate the establishment of An Garda Síochána in its centenary year.

Speaking at the presentation, Minister McEntee said, “1922 was a particularly significant year in terms of the formative events of the history of State. It saw the foundation of our national police service, An Garda Síochána which has developed into the organisation that we know today, 100 years later.”

“As Minister for Justice, I take great pride in the important work that Garda members and staff undertake throughout this country each and every day. I want to take this opportunity to thank you, and your predecessors, for the vital work that you have done, and will continue to do, to keep this country safe.”