The GuardiansĀ takes readers from the first generation of the Civic Guard/Garda SĆochĆ”na, through the 1950s and 1960s, and up to the modern policing service provided by An Garda SĆochĆ”na in 21st-century Ireland. Formed in the turbulent period between the War of Independence and the Civil War, An Garda SĆochĆ”na had been tasked with restoring law and order in the new Irish Free State. A century later, with the evolution of crime and following major societal changes, policing faces new challenges in a very different Ireland. Nevertheless, āthe guardians of the peaceā retain their commitment to serving the Irish people and keeping them safe. Garda Stephen Moore has collected individual and personal stories of GardaĆ past and present. Combined with accounts by historians and academics, they provide a unique insight into policing in Ireland over the past hundred years. Richly illustrated with historical and contemporary photographs, this is the official book of An Garda SĆochĆ”na in its centenary year.