Clare

Enhancing Community Safety in County Clare: The Work of An Garda Síochána in 2025
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In 2025, the Clare/Tipperary Division of An Garda Síochána has been actively engaged across a broad range of policing and community-safety tasks — from wildlife and road policing to major operations and staffing challenges. Below is a more detailed look at what the Gardaí in County Clare have been doing (and are contending with) this year.

Protecting Wildlife, Farmland & Rural Communities
In January 2025, Gardaí in the Clare-Tipperary Division, working with the National Parks & Wildlife Service (NPWS) and the Clare County Dog Warden-Service, launched a crackdown on illegal hunting operations. Checkpoints were put in place to deter trespass, the use of infrared scanners, lurcher-dog hunting and intimidation of farmers.

The operation responded to reports of farmland being entered illegally, livestock being driven off cliffs, and threats of violence to landowners.

These rural-focused operations highlight how policing in Clare isn’t just urban crime and roads, but includes the very distinct challenges of coastline, farmland, livestock, remote terrain and wildlife protection.

Day-of-Action Raids & Multi-Agency Enforcement
On 11 June 2025, Gardaí from Clare’s Community Engagement Unit, Divisional Drugs Unit, Crime Functional Area and allied agencies (including the Road Safety Authority, Revenue, and Social Protection) conducted a Day of Action around Ennis.

The results included:
Seizure of suspected cannabis (value over €2,400) and €1,300 in cash at a domestic residence.A quantity of ammunition discovered in another residence.

Seven vehicles seized for offences such as uninsured driving, driving without tax, learner unaccompanied driving.

One driver arrested after failing a roadside drug-test for cocaine.

Eight people arrested on live bench warrants.

Inspector Brian O’Connor praised the operation as an example of “professional teamwork” and said it would help restrict criminal activity and boost community confidence.

This demonstrates the Division’s proactive approach: combining crime, traffic, drugs and community units in a coordinated push, rather than isolated actions.

Road Safety & Special Campaigns
Ahead of the first bank-holiday weekend of 2025, Clare Gardaí increased traffic-policing activity and issued public appeals to reduce speed and avoid driving under the influence of intoxicants.

Superintendent Eddie Golden (Head of Roads Policing Unit) specifically highlighted young drivers (age 17–20) as being at higher risk.

While detailed 2025 road-traffic statistical summaries for Clare are not fully published, these efforts signal that road-safety remains a major operational priority for Clare Gardaí.

Staffing, Morale & Operating Model Pressures
Regarding staffing: As of July 2025, new figures show that Garda numbers in County Clare have fallen by over 8% since 2020 — from 314 to 287 officers. In Ennis alone numbers dropped from 190 to 167; Kilrush similarly saw a decline.

In July 2024 the County Clare Garda numbers had dropped nearly 7% compared to five years prior.

The introduction of the new national “Operating Policing Model” (which merged Clare with Tipperary into one functional division) has been heavily criticised locally. Officers say they’re stretched, morale is impacted, and community policing links are weakened.

Local representatives note that seven stations in Clare recorded increases in reported crimes in 2024, calling for more Garda allocation in the county.

These factors — reduced staffing, high demand, structural changes — are important context for understanding both the achievements and the ongoing challenges in Clare policing.

Strategic Alignment with the Policing Plan
The 2024 Divisional Policing Plan for Clare/Tipperary underscores the focus areas: community policing, prevention, detection, roads policing, crime-reduction, and local engagement.

Many of the 2025 activities align with these themes: wildlife enforcement (community/rural safety), multi-agency raids (crime detection & disruption), road policing (visibility & prevention), and the staffing/resourcing push (infrastructure of policing).

The dual nature of Clare — with significant rural, coastal, and farming environments alongside towns and tourism traffic — means the policing plan must adapt beyond a “one size fits all” urban model.

Looking Ahead: Opportunities & Challenges
Opportunities:The multi-agency “Day of Action” model can be replicated more widely to tackle hidden or complex crime (drugs, vehicle theft, rural intrusion).

Continued road safety focus, especially among younger drivers and rural routes, can yield public-safety gains.

Strengthening community links and policing presence (despite resource constraints) may help counter the decline in Garda numbers and morale.

Challenges:Staff reductions and long response times threaten visible policing and may erode public confidence.

The new policing model’s fit for Clare’s geography and community structure remains contested; this could hamper local engagement.Rural crime, illegal hunting, cross-border / coastal offences and resource-intensive investigations will continue to stretch the Division’s capacity.

Crime increases in certain stations, and the public’s perception of risk in remote or farming areas, demand tailored responses.

The message is: while major operations and targeted campaigns demonstrate positive momentum, sustained investment in personnel, infrastructure, and community policing is essential.

Conclusion
For the people of County Clare, the role of An Garda Síochána in 2025 can be summarised in three key words: active, visible and adaptable.
From securing rural lands, protecting livestock, conducting complex raids, to campaigning for road-safety and managing structural change — the Clare/Tipperary Division is balancing tradition and modern policing against the backdrop of unique challenges in a largely rural and coastal county. With resources and structure under pressure, the continued commitment of Garda members on the ground is the foundation on which further progress will depend.