Will the new Garda boss be allowed to do his job?

Drew Harris may have to contend with a defend-the-citadel culture among some some senior serving members of the force

Ever since he became RTÉ’s go-to-man on Garda controversies, I have been influenced by the commentary of retired chief superintendent John O’Brien. I like his bluff commonsense and authoritative-sounding analysis.

However, I have been taken aback by his trenchant resistance to the appointment of former PSNI Assistant Chief Constable Drew Harris as Commissioner of An Garda Síochána.

I hesitate to conclude that there is a campaign underway to undermine Harris, but there has ...