Strong discussions between the organisers of final month’s JP McManus Professional-Am golf spectacle in Adare, Co Limerick, and An Garda Síochána resulted in a decreased garda presence of simply 12 officers policing contained in the high-profile occasion.
Senior sources informed the Sunday Unbiased there have been a collection of discussions on how gardaí would defend the golfers and celebrities from any potential threats. It’s understood gardaí wished a “excessive quantity” of officers — uniform and plain-clothes — however confronted opposition from the organisers.
The variety of gardaí on obligation on the occasion, on July 4-5, was ultimately agreed at simply 12.
Two of those officers had been in uniform in a selected garda safety field, whereas 10 plain-clothes officers mingled among the many 40,000 spectators.
Nonetheless, one other 80 gardaí supplied safety alongside the path to Adare Manor, guaranteeing the star members, lots of whom arrived by non-public jet, reached the venue with out incident.
It’s understood the organisers of the Professional-Am didn’t need uniformed gardaí to be seen.
“There are optics concerned. There was a view that it won’t look nice to have a number of gardaí in uniforms. There have been discussions, and settlement was reached,” a supply mentioned.
Separate sources additionally say there have been “issues raised” in regards to the professionalism of a small variety of gardaí at earlier Professional-Ams, by way of “having fun with the occasion” moderately than treating it as “a day’s work”.
A spokesperson for the occasion was contacted however declined to remark.
All large-scale public occasions, corresponding to music festivals and nationwide sports activities occasions, have a police presence. The organisers are often charged a payment for this, because it is carried out outdoors of rostered garda working hours.
Nonetheless, because the JP McManus Professional-Am was a charity occasion, the garda safety prices had been lined by An Garda Síochána.
