Public urged to bring police memorabilia to Cork historical event

Members of the public have been invited to bring any police memorabilia they might have at home to a special event at Cork City Hall on Friday.

The Garda Historical Society will hold a Police Memorabilia Event this Friday at the Millenium Hall in Cork City Hall as part of the 2014 Heritage Festival.

Paul Maher of the Garda Historical Society says the organisation held a similar event at the Bedford Tower in Dublin Castle last year which proved highly successful.

“We’re inviting the public to come along to the event in Cork and bring their police photos and artefacts that are lying in drawers and shoe boxes around the house,” said Mr Maher.

"We want to see the old items that they have and we want them to tell us about their relative in The Royal Irish Constabulary, the Dublin Metropolitan Police or An Garda Síochána. "

The group will scan and photograph any items of memorabilia which people bring to the event so that they can retain them and take them home with them at the end of the day.

The event, which is on foot of an invitation from Lord Mayor of Cork, Cllr Mary Shields, will also feature lectures by two leading historians of Irish police forces.

Ryle Dwyer will talk about'Michael Collins and the Dublin Metropolitan Police and RIC' and Jim Herlihy will give a lecture entitled 'Royal Irish Constabulary Auxiliary Division, Cork'.

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