Brothers extend family’s 150 years of Garda service to public

The Bell family have been serving and protecting the public for 150 years, and yesterday two more members of the family’s fourth generation graduated as gardaí.

Brothers, Brian, 26, and Joseph, 22, marched proudly around the Garda Training College along with 97 of their fellow graduates before throwing their Garda hats into the spring air. It was a custom their sister Jennifer, 31, performed four years previously, and their uncle Chris Burdock took part in 34 years ago to the day.

Yesterday will also stick in the minds of the Tallaght brothers for other reasons too. “Thursday in the guards is pay day. We get our cheques on a Wednesday but they don’t go through to the bank account until a Thursday,” Chris remarked with a smirk.

Brian and Joseph’s mother Liz, and their father David, wearing the Dublin Fire Brigade uniform he donned for 33 years before retiring five years ago, watched with pride as their boys marched out in their new blue uniforms.

David said: “I’m very proud. My father Joseph, my grandfather Thomas, and my great grandfather Thomas Mullen, have 150 years unbroken service in the fire brigade, and my daughter decided to join the guards, and the two lads both have engineering degrees and then they went into the gardaí.”

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Mother Liz, not to be outdone, was part of the first ever batch of women who were allowed into the army.

She added: “I’m very proud, absolutely delighted. I did apply for the army when I was very one, the first batch. It was the very first time the ladies were brought into the barracks. I had a brother in the army and my dad was in the army too.”

Joseph and Brian are to be stationed in Dun Laoghaire and Waterford respectively.

“I’m really looking forward to the challenge. It’s all about the challenge. There’s a lot of history on our shoulders though,” Joseph said.

Brian added: “I can’t wait to start. There’s a mixture of apprehension and nerves. It’s a proud day.”

Meanwhile, Garda Commissioner Nóirín O’Sullivan said she was “absolutely” confident that the force in Limerick would continue to keep a lid on any new threat from serious criminals.

The Treaty City has enjoyed three years of peace without a gangland murder, however gardaí remain on constant alert.

Speaking at the graduation ceremony in Templemore, Ms O’Sullivan added: “I think it’s very appropriate that on a day like today, particularly with new gardaí going out into the community, that I would pay tribute to the work done between the community and the gardaí in Limerick.”

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