Garda Outriders - When is there a need?

Preset No.3

This is one question that ive been thinking about for a while. Ive been to a number of funerals and there has been no garda presence. Then I have been to funerals where there has been 1 or 2 traffic corp guys on bikes and then the most recent funeral which was quite large had a land cruiser, a patrol car and six bikes.

Who decides the use for outriders? Do families request them or is the funeral directors?

timmywex

I have no idea who requests them etc etc, but i would imagine its decided on who the person is, former garda, connection to garda etc, or what kind of a crowd is expected at the funeral, big, small, known for violence, i know my dad went to a hell of a lot of funerals for people he didnt know when he was a detective aswell

TheNog

There can be a need for a certain level of presence at some funerals especially when the deceased is well known person and it is expected a large crowd of mourners are expected. The level of presence would depend on the type of person (say a dignatory) or the route the procession will take (busy road may need a couple of cars).

Garda motorbikes or outriders were very common in the 1980's for transport of terrorist prisoners from Portlaoise Prison to court in Dublin. Not sure if they are still used. Outriders are still used for escorting foreign diplomats and high emergency ambulance transfers of crtical patients.

Holsten

My uncle was a retired Garda, and any funerals that I have been to where he has known the person, he always got two Garda bikes to escort the whole convoy of people.

He just knew the guys in the Traffic Corp and asked them.

Bang Bang

TheNog wrote: »

and high emergency ambulance transfers of crtical patients.

Yes, I've had the pleasure of these highly skilled riders on a numbers of occasions. The most recent with a very ill baby on the outskirts of Dublin with gridlock traffic ahead. I didn't get an exact count of motorcycles but when the call went in we were met by one bike within a couple of minutes, the rider assured me more bikes were just ahead already clearing traffic. When we came towards the very heavy traffic the Garda motorcyclists had a clear opening and we flowed freely through every junction, this saved many precious minutes vital to this childs survival.
I never did get the chance to thank those motorcycle lads properly as I usualy do as we were tied up for some time in resus. So if any of you are on here, Thanks a million, you played a major part in assuring that baby is alive today.

sunnyjim

The Artane Boys Band were known to have them on important match days :pac:

Never felt more important :cool:

bearded1

Back just after 9/11 there were a number of anthrax scares around the place, I remember seeing two Bikes clearing a path through Dame St followed by the Army Bomb Disposal truck at a ridiculous speed.

Bang Bang

bearded1 wrote: »

Back just after 9/11 there were a number of anthrax scares around the place, I remember seeing two Bikes clearing a path through Dame St followed by the Army Bomb Disposal truck at a ridiculous speed.

The Anthrax decontamination was carried out by trained teams from the Ambulance service and Dublin Fire Brigade and assisted by Gardai
The Bomb Disposal team were most likely responding to a bomb scare along with the Gardai. If you were caught up in a bomb scare I don't think you'd believe then it was ridiculous speed, you'd want the experts there as quick as possible to alleviate your fear/terror.

I worked on the anthrax and bomb scares and seen the terror on peoples faces when we arrived on scene, this was soon replaced by the feeling and look of relief when we removed them from the danger, or removed the danger from them.

Something that may not appear urgent to one is usually mirrored by one or more in great need of that assistance/help/rescue.

foxtrot-oscar

Got a garda escort off three bikers in the mabulance one day with a criticaly ill pt in the back. Top class job one sat infront of us and the other 2 kept leap frogging clearing junctions and clearing the traffic for us. We did not stop once, great service, that lads knew exactly what they were doing and made it look easy. Fair dues