And… it’s out there – a video of the arresting dance performances of Ireland’s police force, An Garda Síochána, is lighting up social media.
The dancing Gardaí have taken to scenic locations around the country to show off their moves in response to the Jerusalema Challenge craze currently sweeping the Internet.
The challenge involves people around the world uploading videos dancing to the tune of Jerusalema by South African DJ and record producer Master KG.
After posting a video last month the Swiss police dared their Irish counterparts to match their level of “precision, discipline and perfectionism” – if they could.
And of course, An Garda Síochána stepped up and stepped out, going the extra mile to spread some joy and bring smiles to faces across the island of Ireland and beyond during the pandemic.
With a line-up that includes officers from across the country, the video shows the Irish police right on the beat as they dance together in small groups keeping their social distance and wearing masks.
Their choreographed moves take place on police station roof-tops, in front of castles and historic stately homes, in remote countryside bogs and barefoot on scenic beaches.
Look out for some shapes being thrown on Ireland’s famous Wild Atlantic Way, including the historic Woodstock House and Gardens in County Kilkenny and the picturesque seaside village of Rosses Point in County Sligo. Officers also get down at Blennerville Windmill in Tralee on the Ring of Kerry and Parke’s Castle, County Leitrim.
Even some of the force’s four-legged officers are involved.
Arguably, the two white horses from the Garda Mounted Unit steal the show by pulling off some slick dressage movement in front of Áras an Uachtaráin, the official home of the President of Ireland, located in Dublin’s vast Phoenix Park.
And it wouldn’t be Ireland unless a few steps of Irish dancing were thrown in, which happens in front of the Garda College in Templemore, County Tipperary.
Epitomising the friendly and fun welcome that travellers will receive on the island of Ireland when the world is up and running again, the epic dance routine went viral immediately, racking up over 600,000 views on Twitter alone in its first few hours online.
The video has also had a huge and positive response from lots of people thanking this important strand of Ireland’s frontline workers for giving them a smile in these difficult times.
But which police force will An Garda Síochána challenge next in the international dance off? It’s going to be somebody else’s move soon.
