Limerick native now one of the highest ranking gardai in Ireland

THE LIMERICK hurlers headed to Dublin at the weekend to lay down the law and they are not the only ones.

Aileen Magner, from Kilfinane, has been promoted from superintendent to chief superintendent in the Dublin Metropolitan Region.

The former superintendent in Newcastle West and Henry Street will take with her the values she was brought up with on the family farm in south east Limerick.

The daughter of proud parents Donie, from Kilfinane, and Bridget, Ardpatrick, grew up with four siblings - Tina, Donal, Rose and Jim.

Chief Supt Magner attended the local primary school and then Scoil Pól.

She can remember wanting to explore a number of career options but from around 16 she only ever wanted to be a guard. Her parents weren’t as keen!

“We had a wonderful upbringing in rural Kilfinane, where all of us were offered fabulous opportunities by our parents. My mam’s first cousin was a garda sergeant, Denis Corkery, sadly deceased, and he was always very supportive of my ambition to join.

“My parents weren’t as anxious for me to join initially as they were fearful of the potential dangers, so they packed me off to what was known then as University College Galway, where I achieved a BA in History and English. The week I graduated from UCG, I started in Templemore and turned 21 years of age.”

Chief Supt Magner’s first post was to the pretty town of Westport in Mayo, which was a shock to the system.

“Firstly, I couldn’t even drive at the time, so I had to get the bus up and this was pre-mobile phones! As a 21-year-old, you think you have all the answers and know everything, but a few months into a career in An Garda Síochana, I soon realised that I knew little about life or the traumas experienced by others in the course of their lives or the strength and courage of others.

“I was privileged to work with wonderful gardaí in my nine years in Mayo, all who helped me navigate the trials and tribulations of the job, but also enjoy the many, many good days.”

Chief Supt Magner gives special mention to a mentor - Garda Mick Treacy.

“He was decent, honourable, tough but fair and I learned so much from him and my other colleagues up there about the importance of community and treating people with respect if you wanted to succeed as a garda - attributes that I would have learned growing up at home in Kilfinane.

“The community is at the heart of everything we do as gardaí. Without the assistance of the community and relevant invested stakeholders, our job as gardaí would be impossible. Often, gardaí are present at the worst periods of people’s lives and also the best times in their lives. A lot of work that is done by gardaí on the ground goes unseen but those who have been helped know the importance of those gardaí in their lives.”

After nine years in Mayo she was privileged to have the opportunity to work with the United Police Force in Cyprus for a year before returning to Mallow where she was promoted to sergeant.

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Cobh and Fermoy followed before taking up the position as sergeant in charge of Charleville in late 2009. Chief Supt Magner was promoted to inspector and transferred to Killarney, before returning to the Mallow District where she was promoted to superintendent. Her career in the Limerick Division commenced with a transfer to the former NCW District in March 2019 and then Henry Street last September.

Day-to-day policing was combined with night-time study as she achieved a Postgrad in Serious Crime Investigation, Master of Arts in Serious Crime Investigations, qualifications in Human Rights Law, as well as a Postgrad in Leadership in Policing.

But family comes first - her husband and their two children Zara and Max.

“Without their support and resilience I would certainly not have been able to go for promotion throughout the years, but they have always taken it in their stride. I feel very privileged to have achieved the rank of chief superintendent. I am naturally delighted and am already enjoying the new challenges that the new rank and role are bringing.

“I love being a garda and I love my career but family will always come first. As a family we have fabulous support from family, friends and neighbours (and a very special childminder Niamh!). They say it takes a community to raise a child; well my two kids are an example of that. Sport plays a huge part in our lives, so I will definitely have to make sure that I am still standing on the sidelines roaring the kids on!" smiled Chief Supt Magner.

She leaves the Limerick Garda Division with many happy memories but also many sad ones such is the nature of the job.

“One thing I would implore of people is that they please take care on the roads. I and my colleagues will continue to be unapologetic about carrying out checkpoints, conducting roadside tests and prosecuting people for road traffic offences.

"I have attended dozens and dozens of fatal road traffic collisions in my career, as have many of my colleagues and the devastation we and other emergency service workers witness on the side of the road, is nothing in comparison to the devastation caused to families and friends on the loss of their loved ones. Please use our roads responsibly,” said Supt Magner, who spoke of the dark period the Newcastle West District went through with a significant number of road fatalities.

The dark days of Covid won’t be forgotten either when gardai worked diligently throughout the pandemic and regularly brought the coronavirus home to their families.

While she missed Newcastle West, the challenge in Henry Street was taken on and Chief Supt Magner wished to thank all of those both inside and outside of the organisation who assisted her in her roles in the Limerick Division.

“Together so much more can be achieved,” she said.

The current problem of attracting new recruits is well documented but Chief Supt Magner has always and will continue to encourage young people to consider An Garda Síochana as a career choice.

“Every day is different. Every day brings new challenges and new experiences. It is a career that has afforded me huge opportunities, including opportunities for further education and travel. There are definitely difficult days and to say otherwise would be misleading, but ultimately, it is a career that I love and wouldn’t change.”
And that includes her promotion to Dublin.

“I am currently embracing my new role. I would of course hope, in time, to return to the Southern Region, but at the moment am looking forward to my time in the Dublin Metropolitan Region,” concludes Chief Supt Magner.

She is heading off to the capital with a return down south after being successful on the cards - again just like the hurlers.