I was on vacation in Westport, Co Mayo in 1973 enjoying evening dinner with my wife after a tour of Scenic Achill Island. As coffee was served I casually exchanged words with a gentleman at an adjoining table, this led to a most enjoyable conversation while our spouses engaged, no doubt, in chatter about their wonderful men. We, as serving members of An Garda Siochana, had much in common, people we admired or scorned, current affairs, history and day to day experience, we were as described by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow 'Ships that pass in the night.' We did not meet again for many years until I became aware of Eamonn Gunn, the author of a fascinating story of anecdotal history a guide for posterity. Frequently police meet people who are curious about what goes on behind the scenes, they are enthralled by stories of danger, investigations of serious crime, court room dramas and of course humorous incidents. This biography is not a Joseph Wambaugh's 'The Blue Knights', or 'The New Centurions', or 'The Choirboys' but nevertheless when you start to read 'Sit Down, Guard!' you will be reluctant to leave it down. Eamonn Gunn was born in Pomeroy, Co Tyrone where two polarised communities kept an uneasy peace, Orange traditions and parades dominated society. His childhood in a divided 'Border' Society was a curious mixture of acceptance and rejection. His father, who died at an early age, was in the Royal Irish Constabulary and later a founder-member of An Garda Siochana. His mother, a nurse, was unjustly deprived of her livelihood. As the story unfolds, we see the triumph of survival against all odds in times of poverty and alienation. Eventually, Eamonn joined An Garda Siochana. He gave a dedicated service to the State, which included diplomacy through the labyrinth of strained relations between poorly paid police as well as the intrigues of the Department of Justice and lordly Church dignitaries. He lifts the veil on aspects of Garda service and reveals the nature of police administration in its most vital role. His story outlines the difficulties experienced by the men on the beat to establish an independent organisation, with the help of Dr Garrett Fitzgerald, later Taoiseach and the Taoiseach in Office, Mr Sean Lemass TD. The story is laced with humour, mystery, nostalgia and impossible characters that really existed. You travel to places rarely visited, and are introduced to the charms of location and the inhabitants. The humorous and sensitive recollection of 'life on the beat' in suburban Dublin in the 1940s - 1950s encapsulate fading shadows of another time and place, as reflections on the changed scene brought about by passing years weave nostalgic patter of times past. Let Eamonn guide you through an age that should not be forgotten. His orderly lifestyle is apparent in the manner in which he begins his memoirs by returning to the scenes of his childhood, this sentimental journey into quietude sets the scene for progress into an era that called for courage, resourcefulness and endurance. As Eamonn says, 'The past may be another country but for me it is also a precious place which I am happy to share.' Brendon K Colvert
