In 2011, Queen Elizabeth II made history as the first British monarch to visit Ireland.

The visit has gone down in history as a high-water mark in Anglo-Irish relations, during which the Queen astonished Irish dignitaries, politicians, journalists and the public alike, when she spoke in the Irish language at a state banquet in Dublin Castle.

It all could have been very different.

While these remarkable events unfolded, four senior Gardai were facing the biggest challenge of their careers. Assistant Commissioner Pat Leahy was tasked with ensuring public order during the visit. He and his team had just nine weeks to secure every building, rooftop, and rubbish bin along the Queen’s route around Dublin city. But as the Queen entered the capital, hundreds of Gardai suddenly found themselves under attack from public protesters. Pat led the battle to restore order so that the historic events could unfold peacefully.

Meanwhile, a viable improvised explosive device was found on a bus heading for Dublin. Garda intelligence revealed a capable lone wolf bomber who posed a real and credible threat to the safety of the royal party. Assistant Commissioner John O’Mahony led the investigation as detectives raced to track down the bomber before he could strike the state banquet at Dublin Castle. Show less