Watch: An Garda Síochána bust out dance moves in viral video

The official Garda #JerusalemaChallenge is bringing a smile to thousands of faces

Socially-distanced dancing gardaí have taken over the internet today. Picture: Garda Info on Twitter

An Garda Síochána have been trending online for all the right reasons today, after pulling together an epic dance routine to help lift the spirits of the nation.

The Jerusalema dance challenge, popularised already around the country by social media stars such as Tadhg Fleming, was given new life by the Swiss police force who performed the routine in a video last month. 

The force urged other European police units to follow suit and Irish gardaí more than stepped up to the challenge, even featuring a garda stopping a Swiss car at the beginning of the video before the first group bust out their moves.

“We have stepped up to the Swiss police,” the Garda Info Twitter page posted earlier today. “Gardaí across Ireland answered the call to give the public we serve a lift in these challenging times.” 

The official video, which features the song Jerusalema by Master KG, splices together 13 different videos of our masked frontline heroes dancing everywhere from the Blennerville Windmill in Tralee and the Statue by the Sea in Co. Kerry to the McCann Barracks in Templemore.

There had been sightings of the socially-distanced dancers training for the video, with many Tralee residents wondering why their local gardaí were dancing on the station roof last month.

Even the Garda Mounted Unit took part in the challenge. Picture: Garda Info on Twitter

Some Irish dancing moves even featured, as well as a shot of two dancing horses from the Garda Mounted Unit. 

Garda Info responded to one tweet saying that Covid-19 regulations prevented them from showing off their real Riverdance moves.

The video has already been viewed nearly 200,000 times on Twitter in the last two hours and has already been picked up by various outlets.

Now, they want the public to join in on the fun, by learning the dance and posting videos online made at home in Covid-19 friendly bubbles.

Now that An Garda Síochána stepped up to the challenge, the public now have the floor. So making sure to stay home and in your bubbles. Post your challenge using #GardaJerusalema we want to see what you can do while staying safe. #GardaJerusalema #staysafe #HereToHelp

— Garda Info (@gardainfo) February 2, 2021

"Now that An Garda Síochána stepped up to the challenge, the public now have the floor. So making sure to stay home and in your bubbles. Post your challenge using #GardaJerusalema we want to see what you can do while staying safe," Garda Info said on Twitter.

“We hope it brought a smile in these dark times,” the end of their offical video reads.

For the quickly growing number of viewers, we’re sure it did.