Gardaí
The Irish police. Singular 'a Garda'; plural 'the Gardaí'. The full title is 'Garda Síochána' - 'Guardians of the Peace'. Distinct from the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI), which covers the six counties.
Etymology
From Irish 'Garda Síochána', literally 'Guardian of the Peace'. The institution dates from 1923; the title was modelled on the French Third Republic's civilian police, the 'gardiens de la paix'. The word 'garda' shares an ultimate Indo-European root with English 'guard', 'guardian', and 'warden'. The singular 'a Garda' is the standard term in Republic-of-Ireland English; the plural 'Gardaí' (sometimes spelled 'Gardai' without the fada) is universally used.
In a sentence
"The Gardaí stopped him at the checkpoint outside Mullingar."
Historical notes
Gardaí is the Hiberno-English word that replaces 'the police' across the Republic. In Northern Ireland, the same speakers will say 'the PSNI' or 'the cops' but never 'the Gardaí' - the division is institutional, not linguistic. The unarmed status of the Garda Síochána (the regular force does not routinely carry firearms) is a point of cultural pride and is part of what 'a Garda' means in the social register.
Alternate spellings
Garda (singular) · Gardai
Sources
- Foclóir Gaeilge-Béarla (Ó Dónaill), entry garda. · dictionary