Meet Longford Garda Station's new recruit: Cyclist who took on Tour de France stages
Garda Donal Harrington will take up his position in Longford Garda Station in the coming days
Longford Garda Station has been allocated one new Garda recruit.
Following a series of recruitment drives that resulted in no new Gardaí for the county, hopes were high that today's allocation would buck the trend.
Fortunately it did. It was confirmed today during the passing-out ceremony at Templemore Garda College that Garda Donal Harrington would be assigned to the town.
Garda Harrington, who joined the force following a change of career at age 50, stated in a previous interview with Templemore Garda College that he had originally wanted to join the force at the age of 25.
Opting to go travelling, he applied upon his return but was unsuccessful.
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His hopes of reapplying were interrupted when the 2008 recession put a halt to Garda recruitment drives and sadly, by the time recruitment resumed, he was no longer eligible due to the age limit.
Once it was announced the age limit for applicants had increased to 49 however, he decided to apply again, this time with success.
During the interview, Garda Harrington also revealed a previous achievement in which he tackled the gruelling Tour de France stages as part of a charity cycle.
In 2010, while working as a truck driver and wanting to lose weight and get fit, he took up cycling after his father bought him a bike.
Sadly his father passed away the week he began training.
Determined to keep his commitment, he enlisted the help of a coach, former Clare hurler and cycling enthusiast, Tony Griffin.
The following year, Garda Harrington was fit enough to take on all stages of the Tour de France route for charity.
He would subsequently go on to compete in Rás, as, he says himself, “a 37 year old amateur up against some of the young professionals from Europe.”
“I got beat up a little bit but I finished it” he laughs as a picture of his bloodied face in a newspaper article is shown.
Garda Harrington’s remarkable story also featured on the cover of a British cycling magazine.
He will take up his post in Longford Garda Station in the coming days.