Former Mayo garda was one of first enlisted in garda mounted unit
By Tom Shiel
CHILDHOOD experience of riding ponies proved useful in adulthood for Brian Murphy when he applied for a position as a member of the newly formed Garda Mounted Unit.
That was 1998. The Castlebar man was one of a handful of young garda officers hoisted from the beat onto the backs of muscular and spirited horses which became available following the disbandment of a mounted police unit in North Yorkshire.
Brian was to spend almost seven years with the unit before his transfer to Achill where he later was promoted to the rank of sergeant.
Now retired, he lives quietly with his family in Westport.
Brian happily took time out with The Connaught Telegraph to elaborate on his service as a mounted police officer, a role which took him the length and breadth of Ireland policing major events such as All-Ireland finals, the Puck Fair, Galway Races, the National Ploughing Championships and concerts in Slane, enforcing public order and crowd control.
Mounted gardaí sit several feet above the height of a crowd which means they have an elevated vantage point and can be immediately recognised by members of the public.
It is estimated that one mounted garda can be as effective as six or eight officers on the ground in potentially unruly situations.
Brian spent part of his childhood in Rosses Point, Sligo, before his family relocated to Castlebar.
A kind local lady had taught him how to ride a pony and it was a hobby he was happy to continue when he moved to Mayo.
Brian explains: “When we moved back to Castlebar I used to go up to Molloys in Knappaghbeg every Friday, Saturday and Sunday with a group of Castlebar lads. It was great fun. We thoroughly enjoyed ourselves.”
Horse-riding and horsemanship continued to interest the young garda recruit when he joined An Garda Síochána.
“I actually remember giving a speech in Templemore (training depot) saying I’d love to be involved if ever a mounted unit was established.
“Six years later it did happen. The posts were advertised internally. There were about 300 applicants.”
Brian stressed successful candidates weren’t picked because of a particular aptitude for riding horses.
“We were assessed on our aptitude for police duties. They didn’t want jockeys. They wanted policemen, individuals with a proven record of carrying out garda duties. They didn’t want you sitting high on a horse, looking grand but doing nothing.”
There’s much more to being a mounted policeman than just being a rider. “You don’t just ride the horses,” Brian explains. “You have to look out for them, muck them out, clean them, clean the tack as well before putting on your own gear, polishing your boots. Everything has to be spotless, including your uniform.”
Six horses brought from Yorkshire formed the nucleus of the Garda Mounted Unit when it was set up 25 years ago.
Each animal was re-christened after being relocated here, the idea being to give them a Gaelic sounding name.
Despite the passage of time, the names trip off Brian Murphy’s tongue - Cara, Fionn Rua, Culaidh, Cogadh.
Together these formidable animals, with skilled officers aboard, took on duties such as anti-war protests and fights between rival supporters at football matches.
The horses had to be fearless, unflinching in the face of smoke bombs, broken glass and exploding firecrackers.
The preferred breed nowadays is the Irish Draught, noted for its temperament and physical attributes.
One trick of the protestors was to roll marbles which would get stuck in the hooves of the advancing horses.
But the riders had a neat response to this tactic - smear gel between the hooves to prevent the marbles sticking.
Brian recalls one of the Slane concerts when his mount got 'a good thump' from an enraged concertgoer.
For his actions, the offender was arrested and got a week in custody.
From memories of occasional mayhem and chaos there emerges some slivers of humour.
Like the time, 25 years ago, when Brian maneuvered his horse to pin against a wall a man who was screaming abuse at him and his horse, Cara.
“Amongst the abuse he called Cara a donkey.
“I made him apologise to Cara, calling out the wording of the apology: ‘I’m sorry Mr. Cara for calling you a donkey’.
“My garda colleague nearly fell from his saddle laughing.”
There was another time, Brian chuckles as he recalls it, when his mount did a Braveheart impression, rearing up on its hind legs to frighten the daylights out of a group of soccer rioters.
The mounted gardaí were confronted, rear and front, by dozens of rival supporters.
Brian nudged his mount, Fionn Rua, onto the footpath to block supporters from attacking their rivals.
Fionn did his bit by rearing up theatrically 'like something out of a cartoon'.
The protagonists went quiet after that. “They realised the strength and power of our animals was not to be underestimated.”
Of all the animals he has worked with during his time with the mounted unit, Brian probably has a favourite - Cara.
“We used to say Cara was bomb-proof,” he recalls. “Nothing would bother her, no amount of crowds or traffic.”
There was one exception though. Cara hated helicopters.
Her boss Brian recalled one day during the boom when up to eight circling helicopters were landing and taking off at Ballybrit during the Galway Races.
Cara did not like it and got very upset. The only solution was to put Cara back in the horse box.
In his career, Brian has encountered a variety of individuals and challenges.
His relationships with his horses will always be cherished.
“The horses are so intelligent,” he recalls. “They learn to trust your signals, to enter spaces they might not want to enter.
“There is a special bond there between man and animal. I was sad leaving the mounted unit. It was a happy experience.”