Divided loyalties: the Royal Irish Constabulary in county Tipperary, 1919-22 By John Reynolds Thesis completed under the supervision of Dr. John Logan in fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy, University of Limerick April 2013 i Declaration This thesis is written to meet the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy. It is entirely my own work and has not been submitted to any other university or higher institution. Where the work of other people has been used it has been fully referenced and acknowledged. ______________________ John Reynolds April, 2013 ii Abstract The period from 1913 to 1921 in Ireland saw the rise of militant nationalism, the 1916 Rising, the Anglo-Irish conflict and the Civil War. Integral to these events were the men of the Royal Irish Constabulary. The force had already policed Ireland for over a century when the IRA campaign against it began in January 1919 with the Soloheadbeg ambush. During that time the RIC had evolved into an indigenous civil police force which routinely patrolled without arms. Between 1919 and 1922, 493 members of the RIC were killed and hundreds more injured as the force bore the brunt of the IRA campaign. Forty six policemen died in county Tipperary alone, making it one of most violent counties in Ireland, within the most violent province, Munster. When the conflict ended, the RIC was completely disbanded at its own insistence, and thousands of former policemen faced uncertain futures. Many chose assisted emigration while others opted to remain in Ireland, living in relative anonymity. Nationalist historiography has been overwhelmingly negative about the RIC, portraying the force as the ‘eyes and ears of Dublin Castle’, an oppressive colonial police force subjugating the citizens of Ireland. Atrocities were committed by both sides however, and the grim reality of the conflict frequently differed from the heroic struggle for self-determination subsequently portrayed in historiography.This work is a detailed study of the Royal Irish Constabulary in Tipperary from 1919 to 1922. The IRA operation directed against the police in that county resulted in the deaths of forty-six policemen, the wounding of many more and the destruction of, or abandonment of dozens of barracks. It is intended in this study that the RIC will be placed in an appropriate historical context as a force iii comprised primarily of indigenous Irishmen who found themselves in an almost impossible position when the conflict began. Given the critical importance of the RIC in Irish history of this period, it is intended that this work will appreciably add to the historiography of the topic. By contrasting the perception of the RIC against the reality of the guerrilla campaign waged against them, this thesis will critically assess the role of the RIC in Tipperary during this time, and examine the experiences of ordinary members of the constabulary. iv Acknowledgements It would not have been possible to complete this work without the assistance, support and generosity of many people. Firstly I wish to thank my wife Anne and my children, Lauren, Michael and Amy who supported me in every way possible. I am especially indebted to my tutor and supervisor Dr. John Logan. His advice, guidance and patience were of invaluable assistance to me. I also wish to thank the other academic staff of the Department of History, in particular Dr. Bernadette Whelan and my fellow students who took part in graduate research seminars. Finally, special thanks must also go to the staff of the Glucksman library and Special Collections department, and also Mary Guinan-Darmody from the Tipperary Studies at Thurles Library for her invaluable help and advice during my many research visits. John Reynolds, 2013 v Table of Contents Declaration ii Abstract iii Acknowledgements v Table of Contents vi Glossary viii List of plates ix List of tables xi List of charts xi List of Appendices xi Chapter One – Introduction 1 Chapter two – The outbreak of conflict - December 41 1918 – March 1920 Chapter three – The escalation of violence - March 1920 83 - December 1920 Chapter four – The storm before the calm - January 120 1921 – July 1921 vi Chapter five – Truce, treaty and disbandment - July 158 1921 - August 1922 Chapter Six – Aftermath 178 Conclusion 190 Bibliography 202 vii Glossary IRA Irish Republican Army RIC Royal Irish Constabulary IRB Irish Republican Brotherhood IV Irish Volunteers DMP Dublin Metropolitan Police ADRIC Auxiliary Division, Royal Irish Constabulary ROIA Restoration of Order in Ireland Act, 1920 CI County Inspector DI District Inspector IG Inspector General (RIC) TN Tipperary North RIC District TS Tipperary South RIC District USC Ulster Special Constabulary UVF Ulster Volunteer Force viii List of plates 1.1 Satirical cartoon depicting the perceived role of 15 the RIC in Irish society 2.1 Reward poster issued for Dan Breen following 51 the Soloheadbeg ambush, February 1919. 2.2 Contemporary IRA sketch of the Lorrha 67 ambush, 2 September 1919 3.1 Constable Daniel McCarthy, RIC Rearcross 88 3.2 Notice from the Police Gazette or Hue and Cry 90 seeking information on the whereabouts of suspects John Ryan and Edmond Reilly, 11 May 1920 3.3 Cartoon from Punch magazine 30 June 1920, ‘The 94 blameless accomplice’. 3.4 Ruins of Templemore Town Hall, 17 August 102 1920 3.5 Pilgrims visiting the ‘bleeding statues’, 108 Templemore, 22 August 1920. 3.6 Party of Royal Irish Constabulary members at 113 Main Street, Templemore, August 1920 ix 4.1 Shevry RIC barracks following its’ destruction by 131 the IRA in April 1921 4.2 ‘Black and Tan’ Constable Harold Redvers 134 Danton Browne, RIC Castlefogarty 4.3 Graphic from the Illustrated London News, 1921. 142 ‘Death of an officer in Ireland’ 4.4 Templemore Abbey, 1920 144 4.5 Mural from the mess wall of ‘B’ Company 145 Auxiliary Division, Templemore Abbey, 1920 4.6 Constable James Briggs, MM, DCM 148 4.7 Fortification plan of Borrisoleigh RIC barracks, 149 Tipperary 5 October 1920 4.8 Graphic from Punch magazine 19 May 1920, 157 ‘Homage from the brave’ 5.1 Disbandment parade of the Royal Irish 173 Constabulary, Phoenix Park Depot, 4 April 1922 5.2 Graphic from Punch magazine 10 May 1922 – 177 ‘Exiled’ x List of tables 2.1 Nationalist organisations in county Tipperary, 46 December 1919 3.1 Outrage and intimidation statistics, April – 118 December 1920 List of charts 6.1 RIC barracks destroyed or damaged, 1919- 182 22 6.2 Number of RIC deaths by county, Munster 184 1919-22 6.3 RIC deaths 1919-22 in Munster per 186 thousand of population List of Appendices Appendix A, RIC Barracks in North Tipperary, 1919 195 Appendix B, RIC Barracks in South Tipperary, 1919 196 Appendix C, RIC deaths in Tipperary, 1919-21 197 Appendix D, design of the RIC station badge, 1910 199 xi Appendix E, Sinn Fein circular on the RIC boycott, 1919 200 Appendix F, Sinn Fein circular re employment of ex-RIC 201 members who have resigned, 1920 Appendix G, County map of Tipperary the showing the 214 locations of RIC fatalities, 1919 – 21 xii ‘It is far more profitable to kill for Ireland than to die for her’1 1An t-Óglach, the journal of the Irish Volunteers 15 August 1920. xiii Chapter One – Introduction ‘The Royal Irish Constabulary resembles a noble mansion of the Victorian era, still occupied but showing visible signs of decay’.1 Throughout the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries the Royal Irish Constabulary (RIC) performed a key role in maintaining the social order of Ireland. For almost a century, from its earliest manifestation as the Peace Preservation Force (PPF) of 1814 until its complete disbandment in 1922 the men of the RIC and the institution itself were intricately woven into the fabric of Irish society. In excess of 85,200 men served in various incarnations of the Irish constabulary between 1814 and 1922.2 Through the tragic years of the Famine (1845-53), rebellion against British rule, agrarian disputes and the gradual escalation of militant nationalism in the early twentieth century, the RIC was pervasive and omnipresent. Anglo-Irish tensions escalated following the 1916 Rising, erupting into open conflict in 1919. The struggle for moral authority and military supremacy between the RIC and the Irish Republican Army (IRA) became a key factor in determining the eventual outcome. In the IRA campaign which took place from 1919 to 1922, attacks on policemen and their barracks became the primary objective of militant nationalists and almost 500 members of the force were killed. Apart from military operations carried out by the IRA against the police, a parallel campaign of intimidation and boycotting was directed at policemen, their families and others associated with the force such as landlords, suppliers and shopkeepers. Such measures proved effective and harked back to similar tactics used by previous generations of Irish revolutionaries. This work is a detailed study of the Royal Irish Constabulary in Tipperary from 1919 to 1922. The IRA operation directed against the police in that county resulted in the deaths of forty-six policemen, the wounding of many more and the destruction of, or 1 Royal Irish Constabulary Gazette, September 1916. 2 James Herlihy, Royal Irish Constabulary officers, a biographical dictionary and genealogical guide, 1816-1922 (Dublin, 2050), p. 24. 1 abandonment of dozens of barracks. It is intended in this study that the RIC will be placed in an appropriate historical context as a force comprised primarily of indigenous Irishmen who found themselves in an almost impossible position when the conflict began. Given the critical importance of the RIC in Irish history of this period, it is intended that this work will appreciably add to the historiography of the topic.