More than 2,000 people over the age of 35 applied to become a Garda after the age limit was changed at the end of last year.

Over 6,300 people applied to join the force in the latest round of recruitment – with around 2,300 of those over the age of 35.

It is just ten months since the last Garda recruitment campaign, which attracted around 5,000 applications.

A Garda spokesperson said: “This level of applications coming less than a year since the last competition coupled with the fact that more than 2,000 applicants were aged over 35 confirms that interest in becoming a Garda is still high and it’s a job worth doing.”

The 2024 competition was the first to be held since the age limit to apply to become a Garda trainee was raised from 35 to 50-years-old.

At the time, Garda Commissioner Drew Harris said the age increase offered a chance for people who thought they had missed their chance to join the force to get on board.

The recruitment competition closed at 3pm last Thursday.

Applicants will now enter a three-stage selection process before the final group is chosen to enter Templemore.