14 November 2025
By Tom Collins
tom@TheCork.ie
39 new Gardaí have been assigned to Cork City and County as part of the 194 recruits graduating from Templemore today – bringing the total number of new Gardaí this year to almost 600.
Fianna Fáil TD, Deputy Aindrias Moynihan, welcomes the attestation of the new Gardaí to Cork City and County, saying it marks another positive step in strengthening community policing and public safety.
Today’s passing out ceremony at Templemore saw 194 new Gardaí take up posts across the country with major allocations to Dublin and Cork.
This class is the largest since 2019 and includes 57 women and 137 men. 17 garda reserves have also graduated.
It follows previous graduations of 149 Gardaí in March and 154 in August, bringing the total to 619 new Gardaí for 2025.
Since his appointment as Minister for Justice, Minister O’Callaghan has placed a strong emphasis on Garda recruitment and increasing visibility in communities nationwide.
25 new recruits for Cork Garda Stations were announced in August. As part of Budget 2026, it was announced that construction of Macroom Garda Station would begin shortly. The station is also going to serve as a Garda HQ for the County, something that Deputy Aindrias Moynihan has long worked on, and that is now being delivered by Minister O’Callaghan.
Under his leadership, two successful Garda recruitment campaigns have been completed, attracting over 11,100 applications in total.
Following the announcement, Moynihan said:
“I’m delighted to see real momentum building when it comes to Garda recruitment and the allocation of new members to communities across the country. The Minister has made Garda recruitment a top priority since taking office, and we are now seeing the results of that focus.
“This is ultimately about restoring public confidence in our Garda force and ensuring they have the resources they need by getting more Gardaí on the beat in every community. The best way to strengthen public trust and ensure people feel safe is through greater Garda visibility and accessibility in our towns and villages.”
“Minister O’Callaghan has constantly engaged with me on Macroom Garda Station, and my concerns about Cork needing increased Garda presence. He is delivering on those two promises at present.
This year, for the first time, there were two Garda recruitment competitions. The February campaign attracted 6,784 applicants, while the October campaign received 4,334 applications. Notably, 57% of the October applicants were first-time candidates, demonstrating the growing appeal of a career with An Garda Síochána.
He continued:
“We are seeing increasing numbers of people choosing a career with An Garda Síochána, which means more Gardaí patrolling our towns and cities nationwide.
“Fianna Fáil in Government remains resolute in its support for An Garda Síochána. Our communities deserve to be safe and secure, and that requires a well-resourced and visible policing service.
“I want to thank Minister O’Callaghan for his ongoing commitment to delivering more Gardaí for communities across the country and for following through on his promises into 2026.”