AN IRISH garda came face to face with his American cop cousin for the first time in 40 years on St Patrick’s Day this weekend.
Inspector Pat Dowd of the DMR Roads Policing was over in New York, taking in the city’s annual St. Patrick’s Day Parade.
It was there that he came face to face with his American cousin, NYPD traffic sergeant Kevin Geoghegan, some four decades on from when they last met.
The encounter serves as the perfect showcase of the unique bond that exists between Ireland and the United States, with families and relatives spread across both sides of the Atlantic.
Keen to capture the heart-warming encounter, the pair posed for a picture which was subsequently uploaded to Twitter.
“Inspector Pat Dowd, DMR Roads Policing meeting with first cousin NYPD Traffic Sgt Kevin Geoghegan at this year's NYC St Patrick’s day parade,” the caption reads.
“The two haven't met for 40 years.”
The tweet prompted a variety of positive responses from followers online, captivated by this simple yet powerful story.
Inspector Pat Dowd, DMR Roads Policing meeting with first cousin NYPD Traffic Sgt Kevin Geoghegan at this year's NYC St Patricks day parade. The two haven't met for 40 years. pic.twitter.com/nMWJTbLgb0
— Garda Info (@gardainfo) March 17, 2019
“Crackin’ pic,” one wrote. “Pretty much just two cops from neighbouring jurisdictions.”
“Tremendous,” a second commented.
Kevin, or another Twitter user bearing the same name, also got involved in the comments writing: “Cousins by birth. Brothers by profession.”
At one point, someone asked: “I would love to know how the Americans pronounce Geoghegan! Happy St Patrick's day!” to which Kevin replied: “They don’t!”
The reunion came as part of a parade that included An Garda Síochána.
An Garda Síochána in St Patrick's parade in New York pic.twitter.com/P9P3S03qLg
— Garda Info (@gardainfo) March 16, 2019
The reunion came as party of a busy day of St. Patrick’s Day celebrations all over the world.
In London, Mayor Sadiq Khan spoke of his desire to maintain the capital’s “open-minded” approach to the Irish despite ongoing worries surrounding Brexit.
“The colour of your passport and the colours of your flag does not affect our response to you. We welcome you. We value the contribution you make,” he said.
“The three words that I have been saying again and again and again are ‘London is open’. London is open to our Irish friends, London is open to talent and London is open to the contribution that the Irish community has made and will carry on making.”
