The Royal Ulster Constabulary (RUC), renamed the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) in 2001, is the direct descendants of that force, while a new police force — the Garda Síochána — was set up in the Irish Free State (Republic of Ireland since 1949).
Today, due to the sharing of a land border and legislation introduced to both countries after the Belfast Agreement of 1998, there is cooperation between the main police forces of jurisdictions.
The Republic of Ireland has a single national civilian police force, the Garda Síochána (Guardians of the Peace).
This force, one of the largest geographically in the UK, is responsible for all local policing in the province.
Additionally, the Royal Military Police has a presence in British Army barracks.