On the Beat

by Mary T. O'Connor

It became obvious that this woman was not going to break for these men. Even when they showed her pictures of her child, with his head swollen the size of a football, she blank-walled them. She ignored the allegations that she had anything to do with his injuries, as if they weren't talking to her. All the while her little child was lying on a surgeon's table fighting for his life. Apparently the surgeon had said it was the worst case of child abuse he had witnessed in his entire 25 years dealing with children. 'Eight hours it took - eight hours of probing into her own personal life of being abused while growing up, of turning to drugs and living in a daze, of suffering cruelty constantly at the hands of callous men. Her father, her brothers and all her lovers had beaten her throughout her lifetime. That's all she knew. "I understand," I lied. With that, she threw herself down at my knees and cried. "Will my son die? When I came back I found him stuck between the bed and the radiator. It was on full blast," she said. "I was out getting a score. I was gone a long time."' This unsentimental, yet sensitive, account of the work of a Ban Garda is a unique book.
In raw and gritty language, coupled with her vividly described experiences, Mary T. O'Connor gives the reader a bird's-eye view of life on the other side of the badge. She tells what life is like in the force for women, the problems and prejudices they face, and the harrowing and dangerous human situations with which they have to deal.

• ISBN10: 0717139522
• ISBN13: 9780717139521
• Publish Date: 1 December 2005
• Publish Status: Active
• Publish Country: IE
• Publisher: Gill
• Imprint: Gill & Macmillan Ltd
• Format: Paperback
• Pages: 205
• Language: English

Reviews

[wyvernfriend]

This is the story of Mary T O'Connor who decides that her mother's application for her to join the Gardai Siochana might be an interesting impulse and who goes for it. She finds it interesting but in some ways heartbreaking (while the book closes with her still in the gardai, the back cover states that she's a former member of the force) she asks the questions that many people should ask, like why we aren't caring for those who are desperate and why it is that society doesn't regard domestic abuse as seriously as it should.

She's an interesting writer, drawing from her life experiences as well as her experience on the beat. Amusingly enough she and I possibly passed each other while she was on her beat around the city centre.

An interesting insight into the life and times of a female Garda in Ireland. Also has some insight into the Irish attitude to authority, both from Gardai and women. If you were looking to write something about the rougher end of things in Ireland this would be a good read for some insights.