Garda recruitment sees rise in black and Asian applicants as ‘white Irish’ share falls to 70%

Some 154 new recruits graduated at the Garda College in Templemore in August. Picture: Brian Lawless/PA 

Some 154 new recruits graduated at the Garda College in Templemore in August. Picture: Brian Lawless/PA 

Fri, 05 Sep, 2025 - 01:00
Cormac O'Keeffe Security Correspondent

The percentage of people applying to be a garda who are “white Irish” has dropped from 88% in 2019 to 70% in 2025, figures show.

In the same period, the percentage of applicants describing themselves as “black” or “Asian” has increased from 2% to 7.2%.

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