What I do
Inspector David Cryan (An Garda Síochána)
Tell us a bit about yourself….
I’m originally from Tulsk and I’m married with two children. I have been a member of An Garda Síochána for the past twenty years and have spent most of that time stationed in Dublin. I recently transferred to begin my duties as an Inspector in the Roscommon-Longford Division. I was also a leader on RTÉ’s Operation Transformation in 2017!
What time does your day start?
At the moment, my day starts at 7 am when I get up. I help out with the kids and then I’m in work for 8 am. It’s the nature of the job that my work hours are changeable, however, and with shift work I work from 7 am to 7 pm two days a week and 7 pm to 7 am for two days on a four days on, four days off basis.
What’s the first thing you have to do?
When I arrive at work I check all incidents that have happened in the previous 24 hours and check in with the Sergeant. This is a gorgeous town and the people are lovely but I am the only Inspector in Roscommon, so that means it’s a different kind of busy to what I was used to in Dublin!
What do you do for lunch?
What I learned from Operation Transformation is to bring a packed lunch with you to work! When you’re busy or stressed you tend to go for the quick, unhealthy option so I like to do a bit of planning and preparation.
There’s also the lovely Loughnaneane Park beside Roscommon Castle and I try to go for a run there on my break whenever I can.
What’s the best thing about your job?
I have to say I love every second of my job. I love helping people and building relationships in the community and being there for people. It’s not all about catching the bad guys!
What’s the worst thing about your job?
I suppose the frustrating thing about the job is when you try to help someone but it just doesn’t work out for whatever reason. Sometimes it’s just beyond your powers or you don’t have the resources or maybe the person you’re trying to help is unreachable. Shift work can also be hard in general.
Who’s at home?
My wife Siobhán, my daughter Zoe and my son Dylan.
How do you wind down in the evening?
I try to do a bit of exercise if I haven’t managed to do it on my break. I’ve built a bit of a gym in the house, so that helps. We live close to Roscommon town too so I’m usually home in twenty minutes and that means I can put the kids to bed, which is also a nice way to finish off the day.
