Hard fight in the ring ahead for Garda Commissioner

For someone with a talent in deflecting incoming blows, the Garda boss yesterday admitted recent events had made her question herself.

It started with the O’Higgins report, exploded with the revelations about her instructions regarding Sergeant Maurice McCabe to her lawyers, before taking an unexpected turn with the stinging attack from the Policing Authority.

Asked whether her, and the force’s, reputation on the line — not least with the first of two public meetings with the Policing Authority next Monday — she said: “If I was to be honest about this... what did the last couple of weeks do for me?