Hello everyone this is my first post so please dont be to harsh if I mess anything up.
I am getting a tatto and I want a Gaelic phrase to frame it. I like the phrase Garda Síochána. I am a rookie police officer and love the sound of "Guardian of peace." But this is the phrase that is used for the Irish police force. Is this phrase only used by the police force?Would it be disrespectfull to use this phrase? Are there any other phrases I could use?


Thanks to everyone.

As far as I know, this phrase is only used for the Irish police force. I don't think it would be disrespectful to use it, but it might be a bit strange.

Wait for other people's opinions.

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Welcome to the forum, by the way!

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Is there any other phrases that you know realted to guardian,protector, etc. That you could recommend?

Thanks for the welcome to the forum.

As generic terms for a protector or guardian, you could use cosantóir or coimeádaí.

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I'm not a native (or entirely fluent) speaker, so be sure to wait for confirmations/corrections, especially for tattoos.

Wouldnt this be the equivilant of getting police tattoed on you in english. It literally means guardian of the peace but would be translated by most Irish speakers or Irish people as simply police.

I agree with Caoimhín and Cytex.

Caomhnóir is another option for 'keeper'.

rún a chaomhnú is to 'keep a secret' and the verb caomhnaigh means 'to conserve/preserve'.

All Irish people, I would think. And not just police, but specifically the Irish police force. Even English speakers here do not talk about the police if they mean our own ones - they refer to them as the Guards or the Gardaí or an Garda Síochána.

OT: I recommend watching the film 'The Guard' with Brendan Gleeson - great fun!

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Garda Síochána isn't a general word for police. It refers to a specific police force. This would be a bit like an Irish cop getting an "NYPD" or "Gendarmerie" tattoo.

Police in other countries are called póilíní or péas. Or if your own police department has a motto, someone here should be able to translate it for you.

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Táim ag foghlaim fós. Fáilte roimh gach aon cheartúchán.

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