Connection to the community is a golden rule for a garda - Cahir Superintendent

Community and connection to the community has been the guiding principal of Superintendent Eddie Golden throughout his career in An Garda Síochána.
Superintendent Golden, one of four in a family of five sons to be serving in the force, believes the connection members of the gardaí have with people living in the community they serve is crucial and is at the very essence of what the role of a garda should be.
That fundamental belief has served Superintendent Golden well throughout a distinguished career. During that career he has held a number of high profile academic and frontline national roles in both the garda college in Templemore and the garda headquarters in the Phoenix Park, as well as serving in various posts of seniority throughout the country.
Before Christmas he was appointed Superintendent of the Cahir district, which encompasses the urban area of Cashel and a huge area touching borders with Waterford and Cork and a huge swathe of county Tipperary taking in up to the south of Thurles and into areas approaching Tipperary Town and Clonmel .
He has settled into his new role and is now busy making preparations for the royal visit of Prince Charles and his wife Camilla in March to both Cahir and Cashel.
Given the value with which he views policing in the community among his priorities when he took over was to ensure the garda presence in Ardfinnan was maintained following the passing of Sgt Niall O’ Halloran and he appointed Gda John Walsh to fill the post.
“It is very important for Ardfinnan and the surrounding areas. I value gardaí in the community. It is what people want and we listened to the people,” he said.
He also sees as crucial that the force should reflect the society we live in and he feels that the emphasis on the new garda recruitment drive regarding the desire to attract members of ethnic communities for the force is a positive.
“This is absolutely essential. Of course we should reflect the society we live in. Look at Cahir. There is a very significant ethnic mix here in the town and I would like to see them come forward and answer the call to join the force,” said Eddie.
Joining An Garda Síochána was a career move Eddie never regretted.

The eldest of five boys born to Joe, who worked in Barlo radiators in Clonmel, and Kitty (nee Hickey) in Carron, New Inn, Eddie was told he was twelve days too young when he first applied to join An Garda Síochána.
The setback did not deter Eddie from fulfilling the career path he wanted to take.
He accepted a job as the live-in Dean of Discipline in Rockwell College in 1990, where he had completed his Leaving Certificate, at a time when a lot of the positions in the school were being laicised.
He bided his time and stayed in Rockwell College gaining invaluable experience for four years before he joined An Garda Síochána twenty eight years ago earlier this month.
Over the next ten years his younger brothers Alan, Michael and Denis were to join him on the same career path while the remaining brother, David, works in the ETB.
“There was no great tradition in the family of joining the guards. I was the first to join. My mother was a huge influence on us all joining as she wanted us to have permanent, pensionable jobs,” he said.
Eddie said he immediately loved the student life in Templemore and received his first taste of the reality of policing when he was posted to Gurranabraher in Cork as a student.
“Having come from a quiet, rural area, this was the first time I was exposed to real crime. Joyriding and drugs were prevalent at the time. It was an eye opener for me,” he said.
After that he went to the Bridewell on his first garda posting and inner city policing in Dublin introduced him to another level of crime.
He learned valuable lessons while in the Bridewell that were to stand to him for the rest of his career.
“You are exposed to people and life in the Garda Síochána. When people call us they need help, it comes at a time when a lot of people are at low points in their lives and you are dealing with dramatic incidents including assault, drugs and anti-social behaviour. It gave me an appreciation of my own family background which I was very grateful for, and it gave me an understanding that not everybody was as fortunate as me. As a result throughout my career I have been conscious of the need to treat people with respect weather it was the biggest criminal around or somebody who just did not see Garda Síochána in the best light. I was always mindful of being professional at all times and that has stood to me. It is how you deal with people, that is so important , probably the most important part of the job, communication with people in the community is everything,” he said.
CAREER PATH
His career path involved a wide ranging academic and frontline experience. This included gaining experience in the gardaí motor cycle unit, in the IT department based in Dublin, lecturing in social studies in Templemore, in service training in Naas, becoming a gardaí driving instructor both in Templemore and in the Phoenix Park headquarters.
A pattern of promotion emerged and he was stationed in Cahir when promoted to Inspector in 2010 before moving to Mallow following a realignment of divisions.
In 2014 he arrived in Cahir as Inspector/Acting Superintendent up to 2012 before being transferred to the garda college for in service training for the country.
He was promoted to Superintendent in March 2019 taking on a specialist role with a national portfolio in charge of national road bureau in national headquarters.
CENTENARY YEAR
During that time as well he did a masters in DCU, went to Nenagh as Superintendent in October 2020 and moved back to his home district of Cahir in November 2021 where the regional response armed unit is based as is the road policing unit with responsibility for the south of the county.
“I am settled back in Tipperary now and delighted to be back in centenary year in charge of Cahir district, which is my home district,” said the proud Tipperary man.

MAGICAL MOMENTS SHARED IN TIPPERARY NURSING HOMES

Not many members of An Garda Síochána would have their own fan club all over the county but Superintendent Eddie Golden has a devoted following.
After years of playing music at senior citizen events, Christmas parties and numerous other community occasions, Eddie is a popular entertainer given a warm welcome wherever he goes.
JOE DOLAN
His viral videos, of a Joe Dolan special, Sweet Little Rock and Roller in a Tipperary nursing home and his take on Wagon Wheel in Hotel Minella, are legendary and Superintendent Golden takes it all in his stride.
He played his part creating some very special joyous moments at a time of great sadness for so many when musicians were called on to help the elderly cocooning in their nursing homes during the first Covid lockdown.
CROONING FOR COCOONERS
An incredible initiative, Crooning for Cocooners, was put in place by Clonmel hotelier John Nallen.
It resulted in musicians and sound technicians travelling the length and breadth of the county and far beyond to entertain the confined elderly.
Superintendent Eddie Golden has fond memories of that time when so many challenges presented themselves to An Garda Síochána and to the entire community.
PASSION
He enthusiastically joined Pat Doheny and his sound crew and other musicians as they visited numerous nursing homes.
His passion for music began at an early age and thanks to his parents who encouraged their five sons to learn music, Eddie and all of his brothers are talented musicians.
WONDERFUL TEACHER
Eddie went to Nuala, a wonderful teacher in Clonmel for lessons on a three button accordion, when he was four years old.
Eddie played in a wedding band for years called Gerry Walsh and Dallas. He then went on to form a family band in 1996 with his four brothers and they are still enjoying playing together whenever they can.
NURSING HOMES
Eddie said he was privileged to be able to play for the elderly in the nursing homes during that first lockdown.
“Everything came to a stop, it was a tough time for a lot of people. I was fortunate to be asked along with other musicians to sing for the elderly. We had a great time and it did bring joy, it created some magical and memorable moments,” he said.
GIFT
“When I was very young I was always encouraged to respect my elders. That has stayed with me and during the last twenty eight years you are always very mindful of the most vulnerable. It is important that people are not forgotten about, particularly people who have given great service to the country. I consider the music to be a gift that I was fortunate to receive and I am delighted to be able to use it for a good purpose,” said Eddie.

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