Red-letter day for Tipperary as sod is turned on a new long awaited Garda station

After decades of waiting, the construction of a new Clonmel Garda Station is now underway with the official sod turning ceremony taking place this morning.

Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration, Jim O’Callaghan T.D., accompanied by Minister of State Kevin “Boxer” Moran, carried out the ceremony on a red-letter day for the town of Clonmel and south Tipperary.

Completion date for the project is expected in late 2027.

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Minister for Justice Jim O’Callaghan, speaking about a video of drug users injecting in the Main Guard in Clonmel that went viral, said it was his policy to ensure greater visibility for An Garda Síochána in the town and other towns, villages, and rural areas.

“If we get that visibility in Clonmel and the other towns and villages, it will become apparent to people who want to get involved in criminal activity that they cannot do that. We need to be less tolerant of that type of behaviour,” said Minister O’Callaghan.

Mayor of Clonmel Cllr Pat English,said the new station was finally going to become a reality.

“We have been waiting for 25 years, and now it is going to become a reality, and it is great to see the builders turn the sod here today. There have been far too many false dawns, and we can forget about all of them now. The existing station was antiquated and not fit for modern-day policing,” he said.

Superintendent Niall O’Connell said the sod turning ceremony was long-awaited and it was a great day for Clonmel and south Tipperary. He said the new station would provide fit-for-purpose accommodation for Garda personnel delivering policing services for the area.

He announced two new policing initiatives for Clonmel. A new community policing unit has been set up in Clonmel , comprising two gardai who will engage with young people in the community in a positive way.A high-visibility foot patrol started on Monday and will continue up to Christmas Eve.

“The high-visibility foot patrol introduced last year in the weeks before Christmas was a success, and I have decided to do it again this year because we received strong feedback from it,” said Superintendent O’Connell.

The new development—located adjacent to the Kickham Barracks regeneration project—includes a modern, purpose-built headquarters for the Tipperary South Area, designed to the highest architectural, sustainability, and accessibility standards.

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“Today is a landmark day for Clonmel and for the entire south Tipperary community. This state-of-the-art facility will dramatically enhance the working environment for Garda members while improving operational capacity, public engagement, and community safety. It is a vote of confidence in our town and in the broader region,” said Deputy Michael Murphy.