185 new gardaí graduated from Templemore college in Tipperary today, with the new Garda Commissioner urging the new members of the force to 'act with integrity'.
The recruits have spent the past 34 weeks preparing for life in the force, and will now be deployed to stations around the country.
Today marks the fifteenth intake of the new programme, with a total of 18 different countries represented among the 130 men and 55 women graduating.
Haeligh Reilly was among them, and she explained: "I've always wanted to be a guard, so I've finally made it thank god - I'm delighted about that.
There was also a special graduate - Haeligh's 9-year-old brother Lewis Reilly, who is battling a brain tumour.
Haeligh said: "He loves the guards, so he wants to be like his sister."
Little blue hero 9 year old Lewis Reilly is joining his big sister Haeligh graduating from #Garda college today. Lewis has been battling a brain tumour since he was 2 @GardaTraffic pic.twitter.com/Svio0JIiJX
— Nicole Gernon (@nicole_gernon) September 7, 2018
During the ceremony, Garda Commissioner Drew Harris - who took up the role on Monday - spoke about the necessity of earning support from the community.
He said: "How we individually and collectively work with the victims of crime, the vulnerable, members of minority communities and the general public determines that level of support.
"To maintain that support we must at all times act with integrity... we must show operational honesty in all that we do."
The Justice Minister, meanwhile, insisted there will be less of a need to rely on Garda overtime due to the success of the recent recruitment campaign.
The newly graduated gardaí will now finish their training at stations across the country, while 200 more recruits are set to join the force in November.
