Illegal Search ?

At Thurles earlier this afternoon, all passengers on the Dublin-bound train ex-Cork were ordered out to the platform and subjected to a personal search by the police. Searches were performed by plain-clothes officers.

On enquiry, one passenger told that it was a "random search".

I cannot remember a precedent and I cannot imagine that there is a power to do this. It seems a "diabolical liberty" to me.

Anyone suggest a reason that I might be wrong ?

My original belief is that this was NOT random. However, the search was so perfunctory that it was impossible to believe that it was made in the honest belief that there might be something to be found.

Comments

[Ambrand Dot Com]

>Searches were performed by plain-clothes officers.
do they have to show their badges? otherwise how do we know this wasn't a group of private organised criminals who wanted to "search" everyone and steal anything worth taking

[Fergus O'Rourke]

Uniformed gardai with badges were also present, I am told.

[Ambrand Dot Com]

All Gardai are issued with badge wallets, however I cannot find any legislation that requires them to produce such badges either routinely or on request. We are all familiar with American TV programmes where when a detective says "Hi I'm Detective John Smith" he automatically shows his badge.

[Fergus Cassidy]

I checked with the Garda Press Office and was informed that:
"as a result of a security alert the train traveling from Cork to Dublin in the afternoon of Tuesday, 10th April, 2007, was indeed halted at Thurles Railway Station where both the train and its passengers were subject to search by Gardai".

The 'Irish Independent' website (sub only) of the same day reported: "The Limerick to Dublin train has been involved in a bomb scare.

"The lunchtime service to Heuston was halted in Co. Kildare this afternoon after a phone call was received by the Samaritans."

It could be the same incident.

In such incidences, I imagine the Gardai have powers to stop and search but as the cliche goes: I am not a lawyer.