2025-06-15T10:11:00Z

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Mark O’Meara, the elected president of the Garda Representative Association (GRA), recently shared his personal journey regarding his sexuality in a candid interview with the Garda Review, the association's official magazine. This brave revelation comes as O’Meara hopes his openness will inspire and assist his colleagues within An Garda Síochána, Ireland's national police service.

O’Meara's journey began in the 1980s when he first joined the Metropolitan Police in London after leaving his hometown of Thurles in County Tipperary. Eventually, he returned to Ireland, embarking on a dedicated career as a garda. Reflecting on his decision to share his experiences, O’Meara expressed a desire to foster understanding regarding the complexities he faced in coming to terms with his identity. He emphasized, “I am now in the final year of my presidency, and I felt it was important to talk about this while I still had the platform of the position that I hold.” His hope is that by sharing his story, he can inspire others in the force to embrace their true selves.

During the interview, O’Meara candidly addressed the challenges he faced, noting that it would have been “disingenuous” not to articulate his struggles. He remarked, “I just wanted to be open and honest, and if this interview even helps one member of the GRA and indeed, An Garda Síochána, then it will have been worth it.” This expression of solidarity coincides with the upcoming Dublin Pride Parade on June 28, which also marks the tenth anniversary of Ireland's marriage equality referendum.

In his personal life, O’Meara is currently married to his partner Rory, but he has previously been married. He reflected on how difficult it was to navigate his earlier relationship while grappling with his sexual identity. “Having hidden my sexuality most of my life, I think now that I can be open and honest about how difficult that time of my life was,” he explained. O’Meara emphasized that many others in similar situations might suffer from mental and physical health issues due to the pressure of concealing their true selves. “It’s not being the real you, the complete you, that affects your relationships with others,” he added, referring to his past relationship with his ex-wife and their two children.

O’Meara described his experience within An Garda Síochána as largely positive. He recounted the moment he came out to his colleagues while working in the driving school at Templemore Garda College, recalling the anxiety he felt about being outed at work and how keeping his sexuality a secret had been a significant struggle. “There were times when my daily prevailing thought was, ‘will someone look at me and say, he looks gay?’” he shared. However, he noted that once he came out, it quickly became the least significant aspect of his identity.

Despite the challenges he faced, O’Meara expressed no regrets about his journey, adding, “If I came out sooner, or even been conscious of how I really felt, I wouldn’t have married or had my children.” He acknowledged the complexity of his feelings, stating, “So I have no regrets as such, just perhaps guilt, some justifiable, some unjustified.” Ultimately, he emphasized the importance of returning to authenticity, sharing that his relationship with his children has greatly improved since he embraced his true self. “They now see a much happier dad, and we have a brilliant relationship,” O’Meara concluded.