Commissioner’s Medal for garda graduate

FLAGMOUNT woman and recent garda graduate, Nora Brady was presented with the Commissioner’s Medal last Friday at the Garda College in Templemore for her outstanding academic achievement while studying for the force.

Nora has been stationed in Mill Street Garda Station in Galway where she is responsible for community policing in the Cladagh and Shantalla areas of the city. She was presented with the prestigious medal at her graduation ceremony. The Commissioner’s Medal is awarded to the student achieving the highest aggregate marks of the graduates.
The Flagmount woman told The Clare Champion how she decided to change career path following the lifting of the height restriction for An Garda Síochána.
“I’m five foot two so when the height restriction was lifted, the guards became open to getting in people that were of different heights and age groups and I thought it was a great opportunity. I qualified as a general nurse 16 years ago. I trained from 1992 to 1995 in St James’s Hospital in Dublin, then I trained as a midwife in the Rotunda Hospital from 1999 to 2000 and then I went on to qualify as a public health nurse in 2007, so I had 16 years nursing before joining the guards. I wanted to do both jobs when I first thought about a career. I didn’t have the height requirement for the gardaí, so that’s why I didn’t go for it. I loved both jobs but I hate to have regrets in life, so when the height came down and I just went for it,” she explained.
Nora revealed she always enjoyed studying and having put down 16 years in another career she felt as though she had something to prove and therefore got stuck in when she arrived in Templemore.
“Between the nursing and going for my masters in public health, I am used to studying and I believe in continuous learning. We do different studies throughout the course, such as legal studies, organisation, social studies, Irish, languages, I did German, and we also have case studies, court practicals and a 10,000 word dissertation. The Commissioner’s Medal is based on the top aggregated marks over all these studies, so you are really pushing yourself throughout. It is great to get it and it is nice to have it there as a goal and it keeps you pushing for it. I find the law very interesting and it is constantly changing, so I felt that if I could get into good habits that would help me,” Nora said.
Garda Brady was stationed at Tralee Garda Station on Phase 2 of her education/training, where she received a commendation for excellent police work. She was stationed at Galway Garda Station on Phase 4, where she was instrumental in starting a number of initiatives, including a register of elderly and vulnerable people who live on their own and visits them frequently. In conjunction with St Vincent De Paul, she has organised music and dance sessions for elderly people in the local community centre. She has re-activated a number of Neighbourhood Watch Schemes in areas where elderly and vulnerable people live and has organised meetings where the crime prevention officer gives them advice.
Of the lifting of the height restriction, the Flagmount woman said it has meant An Garda Síochána is attracting a variety of people to the job from different backgrounds each with a lot of qualities to offer the job.
“It’s a great thing because they have given people more choices and opportunities,” she added.
Nora feels there is a lot of scope within the job and hopes to use her nursing abilities in her new post. It has already stood to her, as the focus of her final dissertation for the garda college was on first aid.
The garda was presented with her medal at Friday’s graduation ceremony in Templemore, where the Minister for Justice Equality and Law Reform, Dermot Ahern presented the 109 gardaí with their graduation certificates.