PROMINENT GARDA REPRESENTATIVE group leader Antoinette Cunningham has announced she is to retire. 

The Association of Garda Sergeants and Inspectors (AGSI) announced this morning that Cunningham was retiring after 33 Years in An Garda Síochána.    

Before becoming AGSI General Secretary she had held a number of posts including President of the representative body. 

In her garda service she had worked for 10 years as a training Sergeant at the Garda College in Templemore as well as policing.

Cunningham is from Knocklong, Co Limerick. Today she thanked her family, friends and colleagues stating, “it has been a privilege and an honour to serve you all.”

In 2021 she was honoured with the University of Galway’s Alumni Award for Law, Public Policy and Government in recognition of her significant contribution in the field of policing.

A statement from AGSI said that Cunningham’s “proudest achievement” was securing a change in the legislation to allow Gardaí access to the Workplace Relations Commission and the Labour Court.

She came to public prominence in 2016 when she “led her members to the brink of unprecedented strike action over pay and conditions in late 2016 before the issues were sorted out at talks”.

The National Executive of the AGSI paid tribute to their General Secretary saying that today “is a very fitting day for Antoinette to announce her retirement – St. Bridget’s Day is a day to reflect on the achievements of Irish women and Antoinette has achieved so much on behalf of the Association.”

It is understood she will step down in April.