Inside the Garda Armed Support Unit: ‘You see things no one should ever see – shootings, murders and stabbings’

In the Garda Armed Support Unit (ASU), firing a gun is the very last option for us. Last year, we used a lethal firearm just twice. We have to remember we are servants of the people to protect the people – and we should never forget how powerful words can be.

I’ve fired a gun in training, but I’ve never shot anyone in the field. If I go throughout my service not having to shoot anyone, I will be very thankful for that.

John O’Reilly is my name. I’m 37 and I’m a sergeant in the ASU. I always wanted to be a guard. My next-door neighbour was a guard and I saw how he could help the community. It might have been small issues such as parking on streets or public order incidents, but he was a role model to me.

I entered Templemore Garda College on February 5th, 2007, when I was about 19 or 20 years old. It is intimidating coming out as a young person to a world where my first training centre was in Dublin’s K District [which has one of the highest crime levels in the State]. My first call was a sudden death and my first time to see a dead body. It can take the wind out of you.

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Over the years I’ve worked in Cabra, Bray, Finglas and Monaghan, across regular duties, community policing, a crime taskforce, detective unit and drugs unit. I’ve been in the ASU for three years now. We went through a selection process, and, although the initial training lasted a few months, we receive training all the time. We are trained in the use of a handgun, machine gun and a taser; how to deal with firearms incidents; hostage situations; advanced driving training; and medical training.

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The medical training has stood to us where we have arrived to a stabbing – in particular up in the country when you may be the first on the scene. I’ve had to treat stab wounds, bullet wounds and I can’t speak more highly of defibrillators. Throughout the 12-hour shifts – day or night – you could be dispatched to anything with regards to a weapon, but it tends to be a knife.

“We were deployed to an incident recently where a premises was robbed, a vehicle was intercepted by ASU personnel and a large sum of cash was retrieved along with the weapon used in that robbery. Then, within two to three hours, we were dispatched to a very serious stabbing incident in the city centre.

A lot of the time we’re waiting by the radio for calls and patrol in areas being targeted by organised criminals or that have seen an uptick in crime. Fitness is to our forefront. We would try to use the on-site gym every day and that has a knock-on effect so we’re physically fit to deal with calls.

You’d be seeing things in life that perhaps no person should ever see. Shootings, murders and stabbings, vehicle collisions – there are horrific scenes that you come across. It’s very important to detach yourself and remember that this is an occupation. In your private life you have to be there for your family.

My wife is extremely supportive of my career. There was one incident where I was on patrol one night, before I joined the ASU, and I was quite badly assaulted. I ended up in hospital with broken bones. When you’re lying in hospital and your family see you with nasty injuries – even on your face – it’s not nice.

The mental wellbeing of our members is something that has come to the forefront. I’m very lucky personally, but there was one incident I dealt with in Bray and it was a horrific scene which involved loss of life. I don’t know how much I can go into it, but it certainly sticks with me to this day. Support mechanisms were put in place for us to speak our feelings. That helped.

When you’re dealing with firearms, I think it’s very important we do look after each other. There’s a much better culture than when I first joined the force. If we deal with a traumatic incident, we always go through a debrief. That’s a very honest and open time for everyone to talk. Whatever’s on their mind, they’re not going to be judged.

Covid had a huge effect on society with regards to mental health issues, and I’ve seen a lot more incidents with regards to that since the pandemic.

Ireland is a changed society. I find knife crime is on the rise too. There are a lot of knives out there.

But I love the job. I’ve met some of the finest people through the organisation – friends for life. Just because in the ASU we wear a different style of uniform, just because we have firearms hanging off us, so to speak, it doesn’t mean that we joined for different reasons than the next person. As a job, I couldn’t see myself doing anything else.

– In conversation with Conor Capplis