Capt. AJD Simey District Inspector RIC

feeds@kickapps.com (Peter Mc RIC) — Thu, 15 Jul 2010 22:29:28 PST

The grave of Capt. AJD Simey, D.I. R.I.C. Served in the ASC during the 1914-18 war, Assistant Provost Marshal VI Division; in command of the firing party on at least 3 occasions (including that of Harry Farr) for those 'shot at dawn'. Later DI, Kenmare County Kerry until 1922.

The inscription reads:

"In Very Loving Memory Of / ALFRED JAMES DOWNES SIMEY / D.I., R.I.C. / Who Died December 8th 1931, From The / Effects Of Gas While On Service In / France During The War 1914-1918"

"And In Very Loving Memory Of / His Wife / Hilda Katherine Simey nee Stillingfleet / 1875 - 1970 / A Much Loved Mother And ..../ R.I.P."

His mortal remains lie in the churchyard at Fontmell Magna, Dorset.

Photos of new Garda/DMP/RIC Memorial Garden in Dublin.

feeds@kickapps.com (DesW) — Sat, 05 Jun 2010 02:19:25 PST

These pictures will hopefully give some impression of the new Garden. It's nice and peaceful, you can't even hear any traffic noise. But you might hear a Garda helicopter overhead now and then........

Above: Detail at centre entrance.

Above: Main sculpture.

Above: In the shadow of the Castle - not, cos the Garden is south of it....

Above: View from the Dubhlinn Garden.

Constable Luke Finnegan 65234

feeds@kickapps.com (Peter Mc RIC) — Sat, 29 May 2010 20:52:19 PST

On Tuesday 20th January 1920, around 10.15pm, Constable Finnegan was making his way home from the police barracks in Thurles to his home on The Mall. As he approached his front door he was fired on by three men in fawn overcoats who had been standing some 10-15 yards from his house, the street lamp having been extinguished. Shot in the stomach, he staggered home crying " Oh Mary, I'm shot!" to his wife whose screams could be heard throughout the street. As he collapsed at his door some neighbours came to his assistance. He said again "Mary, I am done. What will you and the babies do?"

Word was brought to the police and military of the shooting and a party of Sherwood Foresters, together with members of the local constabulary, appeared on the streets armed with rifles. The windows of the houses of twelve prominent Sinn Feiners were smashed as well as the windows in the nearby Sinn Fein Hall, and the Crown Forces fired a number of volleys down the street. No-one was...

The Dowd family, Aghadoe

feeds@kickapps.com (Peter Mc RIC) — Sat, 22 May 2010 23:28:43 PST

I spotted this interesting grave at Aghadoe, Killarney, County Kerry. Obviously an old RIC family.

John Dowd RIC, died 3 September 1898 aged 26 years
Jeremiah Dowd 2 July 1931, aged 65
Thomas Dowd 14 May 1932 aged 73

Detective Constable Daniel Hoey, G Division, DMP

feeds@kickapps.com (Peter Mc RIC) — Sat, 22 May 2010 22:33:49 PST

DC Hoey was a member of the Dublin Metropolitan Police 'G' Division, tasked with investigating political unrest. An active policeman, he came to the attention of Michael Collins at an early stage and was marked for assassination. The order was given on 12 September 1919, and Tom Ennis, Mick McDonnell and Jim Slattery set off around 10 pm when they knew Hoey would be coming off duty. DC Hoey crossed over from College St towards the police HQ in Brunswick St, then turned down Townsend St nearly as far as Tara St where he stopped at a dairy for a glass of milk. There he was shot dead.

The men who killed him would soon be founder members of 'The Squad', Michael Collin's picked team of gunmen. Responsible for many shootings and killings during the 1919-1921 period, they would later bring their deadly skills to bear upon their own countrymen; when they brought their own form of terror to Kerry and Cork.

Thomas J Curran RIC

feeds@kickapps.com (Peter Mc RIC) — Sat, 22 May 2010 22:28:33 PST

With thanks to Klifton Snow

Constable John Dunne, killed in the Kinnity Ambush

feeds@kickapps.com (Peter Mc RIC) — Sat, 22 May 2010 22:23:57 PST

The grave of Constable John Dunne 69354 in Kilconly Churchyard, Tuam, Co. Galway. Constable Dunne was part of a small patrol serving jury summonses in the village of Kinnity, seven miles from Birr. The patrol was ambushed near the abandoned police barracks and he was killed instantly, Constable Edward Doran 69438 dying of wounds a few days later. I was reported that his grave was desecrated only a day after his burial.

Kind thanks to Klifton Snow and acknowledgements to Richard Abbott.

D.I. Peter Burke, killed in Balbriggan

feeds@kickapps.com (Peter Mc RIC) — Thu, 06 May 2010 23:30:11 PST

On the 20th September 1920 Head Constable Peter Burke and his brother, Sergeant Michael Burke, both from West Galway, stopped for refreshments in a bar in Balbriggan. Accounts vary as to why they were there, but one story is that Peter Burke was celebrating his promotion to District Inspector.

Again accounts differ, but the most likely story is that a commotion was made in the bar, the local IRA turned up, and a firefight then developed. Whatever the cause, the end result was that Peter Burke lay dead and his brother seriously wounded.

Auxiliary police then turned up from nearby Gormanston Camp and, incensed at the death of what had been a popular instructor in the force, took out their fury on a number of premises in Balbriggan, two local men being killed. This became known as the 'Sack of Balbriggan' and was widely reported in the papers.

Head Constable Burke had won the Constabulary Medal for gallantry when defending his isolated police hut in...

Some Roscommon RIC graves

feeds@kickapps.com (Peter Mc RIC) — Tue, 15 Dec 2009 17:38:14 PST

This link is to the Co. Roscommon History site (see 'Promote your web site here' on this forum for the splash page ) - "Their Last Resting Place"

The Macroom Ambush - Graves of Auxiliary Cadets

feeds@kickapps.com (Peter Mc RIC) — Sat, 28 Nov 2009 11:51:41 PST

On the 28th November 1920 a patrol of 17 Auxiliary police and one temporary Constable was ambushed at Kilmichael, not far from Macroom in County Cork. By that evening 16 were lying dead in the road, one was in a coma and the remaining survivor was being interrogated by the IRA.
The Macroom Ambush, as it was called, caused a sensation at the time. It was the greatest loss of life suffered by Crown Forces in 1919-1921, and was to be surpassed only by the murder of 18 British paratroopers in an explosion at Warrenpoint, County Down in September 1979.

A useful synposis of the ambush and events can be found in Wikipedia:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kilmichael_Ambush

Of the two Cadets survived the initial ambush one (Forde) was badly brain-damaged and was never able to speak of the events. The other, Cecil Guthrie, had managed to escape and had nearly returned to Macroom...

Dublin Metropolitan Police Plot, Glasnevin

feeds@kickapps.com (Peter Mc RIC) — Sun, 11 Oct 2009 16:45:36 PST

This is a photo of the DMP plot at Glasnevin Cemetery, Dublin. Typically those buried here were in reduced circumstances or had no family plot of their own.

Irish Police burial plots in Dublin

feeds@kickapps.com (Peter Mc RIC) — Tue, 18 Nov 2008 21:36:29 PST

There were a number of burial plots set aside for poor or impecunious members of the RIC and DMP. These were:
Mount Jerome Cemetery, Harold's Cross, Dublin (the main Protestant cemetery).
Glasnevin (or Prospect) Cemetery, North Dublin (the main Catholic cemetery).

1. Mount Jerome Cemetery - RIC Graves (The Long Walk Plot 33)

Name

Forename

Memorials to the Irish Police