Super good sport: Longford’s new Superintendent meets the kids
Superintendent Tomás Waters attended the annual Garda Sports Day for schoolchildren at Slashers GAA Club
Longford’s new Garda Superintendent, Tomás Waters, received a warm welcome from locals recently when he attended the annual Garda Sports Day at Slashers GAA Club, an event that brings together over 200 children from schools across the county.
Having transferred from the Galway division where he was a Detective Sergeant and Governance Manager of the Performance Assurance Functional Area, the new Superintendent has been getting to know the county since his arrival.
Following news of Superintendent Michael Dorrigan’s departure from the station last month, there was considerable concern that the county was being used as a stepping stone by members of the force anxious to be promoted.
Speaking to the Longford Leader, Superintendent Waters confirmed he was here to stay.
“No, I'm not going,” he said. “The Commissioner has transferred me here. I'm here to do a job and I'm delighted to be here to do it. I spent a lot of service around the country, Cavan, Monaghan, the Garda College; I've served in Galway and in governance as well. I look forward to my time here in Longford and I look forward to working with the people of Longford.”
The annual Garda Sports Day brought together community Gardaí and volunteers who supervised a range of fun activities for schoolchildren, such as high jumps, obstacle courses, long jumps, and a sprint challenge whereby pupils were timed with a speed camera.
Speaking about the event, Superintendent Waters said initiatives such as this were invaluable in helping to build trust with young people.
“It's very important for the kids to get to know the Gardaí in a different space and to be able to build up these relationships with trust and confidence as well.”
He added, “I've been heavily involved with sports all through my life, rugby and GAA and so on. I think sport is a great way of breaking down barriers between communities. It's great to see the kids all here today, it’s so positive and great for the community partnership. There's huge work done and all by volunteers in a lot of cases as well. It's great to see the numbers turn out for it; a lovely tradition to continue on. The smiles on the kids' faces says it all.”
Prior to being promoted, Superintendent Waters had been in the force for almost 20 years where throughout this career, he held the ranks of Inspector and Detective Sergeant. A highly qualified individual, Superintendent Waters holds a Bachelor of Laws degree from the University of Galway in addition to a professional certificate in governance, and previously, a qualification from Trinity College in science and property economics.