Four trainee gardaí who had their contracts ended by An Garda Síochána after handcuffing a fellow student at the Garda College in Templemore last year have secured permission from the High Court to challenge their dismissals.
At the High Court this week, Judge Mary Rose Gearty approved the application from the four trainees – Rory Callaghan, David Hanley, Alan Kenny and Darragh O’Connell – all of whom are seeking an order to overturn the December 2025 decision by the Garda Commissioner to terminate their contracts over the incident, reports Breaking News.
O’Connell, Callaghan, Hanley and Kenny, who were resident trainees at Templemore Garda College at the time of the incident on June 5th, 2025, have initiated proceedings against the Commissioner and are also seeking a declaration from the High Court that their dismissals breached principles of natural justice.
The four trainees state that they took part in what they describe as a consensual handcuffing exercise involving another student in his room on the night in question, claiming it followed encouragement from an instructor to practice handcuffing outside scheduled training sessions, reports Breaking News.
Three of the trainees – Callaghan, Hanley and Kenny – represented by Mark Harty, argue that the incident involved “a number of trainees engaged in almost entirely consensual and jovial horseplay which involved the consensual handcuffing of another trainee for a time in general light-hearted horseplay”.
They maintain that the episode was “a minor one in which no harm came to any individual”, reports Breaking News.
All four trainees say they were later directed to attend a meeting with Garda Inspectors without being informed beforehand of its purpose.
It is alleged that the trainees believed the inspectors had already formed the view that they were guilty of misconduct, with one inspector reportedly describing the incident as “the most egregious act she had ever seen in her 30 years at the college”, reports Breaking News.
They further claim they were not advised of any right to appeal and that conclusions about their guilt had been reached before they had an opportunity to present their side.
The trainees argue they were not given the chance to cross-examine their accuser or contest the decision to suspend their training in late June 2025, reports Breaking News.
Trainee Darragh O’Connell, represented by Garnet Orange, states that the group had been encouraged by superiors to practice using handcuffs outside formal classes, adding that “at no stage was there any attempt to embarrass or bully any other trainee, and the prevailing atmosphere was one of the group having good fun relating to the use of handcuffs”.
The applicants also claim they were not provided with a copy of a complaint issued on June 19th, 2025, nor given full details of the allegations against them, reports Breaking News.
Following a suitability assessment, a decision dated December 11th, 2025, from the Garda Commissioner resulted in the termination of all four trainees’ contracts.
The trainees contend that An Garda Síochána acted unlawfully, with bias and beyond its authority during the disciplinary process, and failed to follow fair procedures, reports Breaking News.
They also argue that insufficient consideration was given to their overall time in training and the positive aspects of their performance when deciding to terminate their contracts.
The trainees reject claims by the interviewing inspectors that the handcuffed student “put up a resistance”, reports Breaking News.
They say the group was discussing and demonstrating how to restrain a resisting suspect in “a real-life scenario”, and that the fellow trainee agreed to act this out while “joking” during the exercise.
They maintain that the handcuffing was consensual and that no “inappropriate force”, as alleged by Garda superiors, was used, reports Breaking News.
After granting permission for a judicial review, Judge Gearty adjourned the case until May, reports Breaking News.
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