Limerick gardai and Scoil Pól, Kilfinane, combine for first Garda Schools Court Module

A GARDA Schools Court Module has had possible life-changing effects on young students.

It has made some of the participating 100 transition year students from Scoil Pól, Kilfinane consider careers in An Garda Siochana, as well as bringing home to all of them they don’t want to be in a court for real.

The new educational initiative between Garda Dino Wilkinson, based in Bruff, and teacher Catriona O’Dea commenced with Garda Wilkinson, Garda Edel Moloney and Garda Lisa Barry visiting the school to give a presentation.

The second part was processing an accused person in Bruff garda station – entering their details into the custody record, photographing them, interviewing them and even putting them in a cell! The third aspect of the project was a visit to Kilmallock Courthouse where a number of teenagers were prosecuted in mock court cases.

Anybody wandering into the court would have been forgiven for thinking it was a real sitting. There was the usual hushed silence and “all rise” said as the judge emerged from his chambers. Garda Inspector Barry Manton took on that role and was ably assisted by two court registrars - student Cormac Maguire and Garda Elaine O’Donovan.

The cases were prosecuted by Garda Claire O’Mahony while trainee solicitor Sarah Heavenor, of Maurice Power Solicitors LLP, represented the teenagers in “trouble”.

The court cases were run exactly like they would at a regular sitting with students facing mock motoring, drugs and public order charges. There wasn’t as much as a murmur from the teenagers in the body of the court as they watched the proceedings play out and some of their friends in the “dock”.

Following the conclusion of matters at 1pm, Insp Manton and Ms Heavenor answered a number of questions from the youngsters about law enforcement and legal matters.

Speaking to the Limerick Leader afterwards, Ms O’Dea thanked Garda Wilkinson and all the gardaí in Bruff.

“The students have got a real life perspective of how the gardaí work, and of the court system. For us, the onus was on preventing our students getting in trouble with the law and with the gardaí. Now they have a real life experience of how the court system works and we're delighted with that,” said Ms O’Dea.

Garda Wilkinson said a couple of students have said they would now consider An Garda Síochána as a career going forward, which was “a very nice thing to hear after the project”.