Tipperary’s largest town fights drug problems with enforcement and prevention

Drug-related offences are escalating across Ireland at an alarming rate, shaping much of the crime that destabilises communities from villages, to towns, to cities. 

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Drugs act as a corrosive force in society and often lie at the root of offences ranging from domestic abuse to armed robberies and car fatalities.

Clonmel is no exception, where the use and sale of illicit substances are becoming an increasingly visible blight on the streets.

The scale of the problem was brought into sharp focus recently by a video circulated on social media showing an individual injecting drugs at the Main Guard in the town centre. 

While Gardaí have long confronted drug-related crime, Superintendent Niall O’Connell stresses that Clonmel’s response must combine enforcement with wider support services to contend with the social and public safety fallout of pervasive drug use.

Speaking to the Tipperary Star, Superintendent O’Connell outlined the challenges the town faces. 

“Clonmel is no different to any other large town or village in the country. There are drugs issues, and there are people in the town who are suffering with addiction. 

We need to help and support these people, and this cannot all be done through enforcement alone. So, An Garda Síochána are looking to work collaboratively and positively with many other agencies to try and address the issue of addiction and support these vulnerable people.”

Superintendent O’Connell says his primary focus is on disrupting the supply of drugs, an effort achieved through the coordinated work of specialised units within An Garda Síochána. 

This is carried out through the Crime Functional Area and the Dedicated Drugs Unit, with support from the Community Engagement Functional Area, which falls under his responsibility. 

Speaking about the Dedicated Drugs Unit, he said: “They are very effective at what they do, and the public do not often see the work that goes on because much of it is covert. They are working in plain clothes and unmarked cars, but they are out there, and they are working very hard.”

“The courts are full of prosecutions for drug offences, and there are operations going on on an almost daily basis. They are working covertly and overtly to gather evidence, to try and secure and strengthen prosecutions that are meaningful and can be brought before the courts, where stiff penalties can be assigned by the local judges,” he added.

When asked about the source of these substances and how gardaí are tackling supply, he outlined: 

“They are coming from a number of different areas. An Garda Síochána are carrying out investigations into the supply of those drugs, and we are looking to develop really secure cases that we can bring before not only the District Court but also the Circuit and higher courts, to secure strong convictions and stiff sentences. We base our investigations primarily on intelligence gathering and information from members of the public. 

We really depend on the public to contact An Garda Síochána when they see such incidents. That information can then be used as evidential material to build a case for the prosecution of drug dealers.” 

Recognising that enforcement alone cannot reshape the culture of casual drug use, Superintendent O’Connell has launched Clonmel’s very first Community Policing Unit. 

The unit, consisting of one sergeant and two gardaí, will work closely with the community and youth groups, promoting positive social norms while educating young people about the dangers of drugs. 

They will engage with schools and the wider public to develop awareness programs, reflecting a wider strategy within Clonmel gardaí that combines enforcement with prevention. 

The focus on prevention is complemented by a multi-agency approach.

“We are working with the council on a weekly basis, we are working with the HSE and other voluntary youth groups. 

It is about educating the public and educating the youth in relation to the dangers around drugs. 

From my time here, I have only seen positive interactions from the agencies that we work with—everybody wants to go in the same direction and assist and help the people out there who find themselves in this position,” Superintendent O’Connell said.

In his final message to the public, Superintendent O’Connell reiterated the importance of community support for those struggling with addiction, urging people to engage with the HSE, local youth groups, and An Garda Síochána to help loved ones caught in the grip of drugs.

“Some people find themselves in situations where they do not want to be, and circumstances have gone against them. We want to support these individuals, to assist the vulnerable who find themselves caught up in a world of addiction,” he said. 

Superintendent O’Connell is also conscious of the need to tackle anti-social behaviour in Clonmel. Following positive feedback from local residents, businesses, and public representatives, high-visibility Christmas patrols were introduced last year and will recommence this year. 

They continued monthly since March, with additional foot patrols, including Gardaí on overtime, now also covering Cahir and Cashel. He emphasised that the presence of Gardaí on the streets is intended to reassure the public and support local commerce, social life, and community safety.

On recruitment, Superintendent O’Connell highlighted the strong intake of new gardaí. “I think it is very encouraging to see the large intake of trainees in the Garda College last week. We have trained 800 gardaí through the gates of Templemore this year, and that is all very encouraging.” 

On retention, he added that An Garda Síochána competes for talent like any other organisation and that the large intake demonstrates that people want to join and remain in the force. 

On December 1, Superintendent O’Connell welcomed the official sod-turning of Clonmel’s new Garda Station, attended by Minister Jim O’Callaghan from the Department of Justice and Minister of State Kevin ‘Boxer’ Moran, who has responsibility for the OPW. Work on the state-of-the-art facility, located behind the Plaza on Kickham Street, is expected to start imminently. 

The new station will bring all functional areas—Crime, Community Engagement, and Roads Policing—under one roof, enabling more effective coordination to support Clonmel. 

Tipperary contractor Duggan Brothers will begin moving in machinery this week, with the project expected to take 27 months to complete. Minister O’Callaghan said that moving into the fully equipped station in 2028 will be a major boost for local policing and the wider community.

Clonmel now finds itself at a pivotal moment. The town is confronting a drug problem that mirrors national challenges, yet the response emerging here is becoming more coordinated, measured, and community-focused. 

Under Superintendent Niall O’Connell’s direction, Gardaí are working to balance enforcement with prevention, pairing day-to-day policing with education, early intervention, and closer cooperation with local agencies.

Clonmel is a microcosm of a larger picture, facing an entrenched and complex challenge. The problem the town faces is an interconnected drugs network that stretches far beyond the town’s borders. 

There are no quick fixes—only coping strategies, small interventions, and the faint hope that the next generation will heed the warnings about the dangers of becoming involved in the drugs trade and the ever-present risk of addiction. 

Across Clonmel, as in many Irish towns, the fight against drugs continues, sustained by the slow, steady work of managing a problem that shows no sign of a  lasting resolution and by the painstaking effort to pull communities back from the shadows, piece by piece.

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