Garda Commissioner tunes in to 'Love/Hate'

Garda Commissioner Martin Callinan has admitted he watches 'Love/Hate' - but has declined to comment on the appearance of an officer in the show.

Speaking in Templemore today at the beginning of a bi-annual policing conference, Commissioner Callinan says an investigation is underway into the appearance of a serving garda in the RTÉ programme.

Undercover detective, Garda Ciarán Madden, a member of the crack unit bent on taking down Nidge's crews, is played by Detective Garda Kieran O’Reilly — a serving member of the Garda National Drug Unit in Dublin Castle.

Commissioner Callinan today declined to pass judgement on Garda O'Reilly's sideline TV career - but said he watches the successful drama all the same.

"I'm no different than the million-plus viewers who look at Love/Hate; I might have a different reason, perhaps, for looking than others," he said.

"I have no difficulty at all with members of An Garda Síochána taking part in dramatic societies and things of that nature, but there are issues - as I have said previously - surrounding this particular show, and there's a Superintendent looking at those issues at the moment," he added.