Mark O’Meara, the President of the GRA (Garda Representative Association), has encouraged others to live openly with their sexuality after coming out.

O’Meara, who is halfway through his two-year term as president of the over 11 thousand strong union, has opened up about his former marriage and coming out process in an interview with Garda Review (as reported by Cork Beo)

In the interview, which is the official publication of the Garda Síochána – the national police and security service of Ireland – O’Meara said, “Be yourself and be proud of your sexuality, don’t shy away from it.”

The chief of the Union told GRA Communications Director Des Gibson that even though he was married to a woman, with two children, the toll became too much for him: “I was married with two kids when I knew that I had to be true to myself and those around me. The not being able to be you is hugely damaging, not only physically, mentally and emotionally, but it also affects your confidence massively.”

His marriage ended in 2014, with the Garda explaining, “Things just started to fragment over time, and the marriage began to suffer, and we took the difficult decision to separate. I think at that point, I just knew I would have to walk away; the pressures were affecting me both physically and mentally.

“We tried counselling, but it couldn’t work, so we sat down together and had a conversation. I was just honest and came out to her and subsequently the kids, who were in their mid and late teens at the time.

“That was the most difficult part, but funnily enough, it was the news of the breakdown of the marriage that hurt them most, whereby the news of my sexuality seemed to be insignificant in comparison for them.”

O’Meara, who is based in Tipperary, a town in the Republic of Ireland to the South-East of Limerick, explained that he felt “compelled” to be open with his sexuality while in his position of influence as Union president.

“I hold and hope to get across my experience of being a gay man within An Garda Síochána and perhaps inspire others to know it is okay to be open and honest about who they are.

“I just feel that if I didn’t speak out, it would have been disingenuous to my colleagues who may feel the same way and have any fears about being who they want to be. I think it would have been a missed opportunity if I let slip the chance to speak out while still holding the Presidency.

“I just wanted to be open and honest, and if this interview even helps one member of the GRA and indeed, of An Garda Síochána, then it will have been worth it to share my story and my experiences of being in the job as a gay man.”

O’Meara, who married his husband Rory in 2018 in a ceremony that was attended by his ex-wife and children, added, “Having hidden my sexuality most of my life, I think now that I can be open and honest on how that difficult time of my life was, and I have no doubt so too do many other gay people who can’t, or who are afraid to come out, and so might suffer damaging mental and physical health.

“It’s the not being the real you, the complete you, that affects your relationships with others, in my case it was with my ex-wife and our two children.”

O’Meara added that he “never once witnessed any homophobic or machoistic attitudes [in the Garda]” and that they were “hugely supportive”.

Ireland this year celebrated ten years since marriage equality was passed in the country. 62 per cent of the public voted in favour of amending the constitution to allow same-sex couples the right to marry in 2015.

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