Head Constable Eugene Igoe in Reminiscences, Family Histories and Personalities Forum

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Head Constable Eugene Igoe

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Paddy Mayne.debcenrevisited	Head Constable Eugene Igoe		Lead	[-]
District Inspector 2nd Class Posts: 50 Mar 13 11 10:20 PM	Do any of the forum members have any information on Eugene Igoe? "I am not an Ulsterman but yesterday, the 1st. July, as I followed their amazing attack, I felt that I would rather be an Ulsterman than anything else in the world." Captain Wilfred Spencer 2nd July 1916
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Peter Mc RIC		#1	[url]	[-]
Posts: 1641 Mar 14 11 9:08 PM Inspector-General	Paddy - I presume you've seen the usual stories about the 'Igoe Gang' aka Tudor's Tigers? I have some other interesting snippets - nothing much - but one of my many projects is to write something up on Igoe. If any other members already have details on him it would be really interesting to see them. It would be even more interesting to identify the dozen members of his unit, I know of one man. Peter Mc
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Paddy Mayne.debcenrevisited		#2	[url]	[-]
District Inspector 2nd Class Posts: 50 Mar 28 11 6:42 PM	Hi Peter, I'd never heard them refered to as Tudour's Tigers before. Anything I've read about them has been from republican sources (books about Collins iirc) and they seem to agree that his outfit were the locally raised replacement for the Cairo gang etc. From what snippets I've read he seems to have been more successful at stalking the IRA in Dublin than other secret services. Information on him and his men seems to be very sparce though. I'm presuming that they were a short lived outfit operating near the end of the period? "I am not an Ulsterman but yesterday, the 1st. July, as I followed their amazing attack, I felt that I would rather be an Ulsterman than anything else in the world." Captain Wilfred Spencer 2nd July 1916
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caplestreetman	IGOE GANG	#3	[url]	[-]
County Inspector Posts: 228 Jul 7 11 8:51 PM	Hello Paddy Mayne, I have been researching the Witness Statements, which are held at the National Archives, Bishop Street , Dublin for a number of years and have come across the "Igoe Gang " in many of the statements. Eugene Igoe and his team were top of the hit list of the I.R.A. The "Squad ," "Active Service Unit " and the Dublin Brigade, were all under orders to take them out, but they were always one step ahead of the game, from the Statements I have read, Igoe and his team were feared and respected. A book by Michael T Foy - Michael Collins Intelligence War, gives an interesting account based on some of those Statements. QUOTE While Winter reorganised British Intelligence at the start of 1921, he still wanted to avenge Bloody Sunday. The leaders of Sinn Fein stalked the city with impunity and in order to circumvent this condition, he asked Tudor for permission to form an " Intelligence Squad" under the leadership of a reliable Head Constable. These men were either old members of the Special Branch or experienced members of the local police.Their duties were to wonder about the streets in two,s or three,s attired in plain clothes. Their leader was EUGENE IGOE, a Catholic from a Mayo farming family who, although still in his early thirties, was already an RIC legend because of his eagerness to hit back at the IRA. In June 1920 he had warned that if the Sinn Fein organisation think that they will terrorise the police force in carrying out their duties they are making a very big mistake. On the contrary, they are making them more determined every day to carry out their duties. In January 1921 Winter made Igoe a temporary Head Constable and transferred him to Dublin with a commission to go after the IRA leaders and those provincial Volunteers gravitating to the capital Igoe recruited a group of RIC officers driven out of the provinces who according to the Squads Bill Stapleton - wore civilian clothes and were always elegantly attired. The appearance of this unit in Dublin greatly increased the work of the Squad and also made it more perilous. Dublin Volunteers came to know them as the IGOE GANG, but Anderson nicknamed them TUDORS TIGERS. In Dublin their ruthlessness and combative mentality inspired fear among the Volunteers. An evocative photograph shows them armed to the teeth, smiling and relaxing in an open - topped car, eerily reminiscent of Western desperadoes, ( my note - there is a fine photograph of Igoe in the book ). And indeed they regarded Ireland as Englands Wild West, a land where rough frontier justice prevailed. A superior of Igoe acknowledged that he had a freewheeling attitude to legality since he found it necessary to be handier with his gun than the gunmen with theirs. Hence his extreme unpopularity. There is no doubt that, whilst the Police Officers in Dublin are filled with the utmost admiration for Igoe, he is regarded by the IRA as a murderer and that his life will be in danger wherever he goes. un - quote. A fascinating character, he survived but had to leave Ireland with his family, the book gives his Police Service file - TNA. PRO T164/25/20, I am afraid I do not have access to the files but perhaps one of the readers to the post can help out. I do have copies of some of the Witness Statements that mention Igoe and will post at a later date CSM Edited 3 times by caplestreetman Aug 1 11 8:52 PM.
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caplestreetman	IGOE GANG	#4	[url]	[-]
County Inspector Posts: 228 Jul 12 11 2:42 PM	Hello Paddy Mayne, information on the Igoe Gang from a Witness Statement made by Colonel Charles Dalton, who was a member of "F" Co. 2nd Batt. Dublin Brigade and a member of the Intelligenvce Squad. It gives a first hand account of his experiences with Igoe, who, I think , has not been given due credit for the work they did and the pressure he and his team were under in their constant everyday life and death battle against the I.R.A. Whether you agree or disagree with the methods used, it was kill or be killed, survival of men who used their wits and training as well as the gun better than the gang who were up against them, we will never know the demands these men were under, nor do I know how many of Igoes team survived, or what happened to them after the Truce, perhaps this forum will shed more light on the " Gang" The W.S. were taken in the late 1940,s early 1950,s, so some of the details and facts would need to be verified, but on the whole they give an accurate account of what happened, a full explanation of the W.S. is under my post on "Q" Co. Auxiliary Division RIC. COLONEL CHARLES DALTON BUREAU OF MILITARY HISTORY 1913 - 1921 DOCUMENT NO. W.S. 434 THE IGOE SQUAD Towards the end of 1920 a young Irish Volunteer Officer by the name of Howlett, who had arrived at Broadstone railway station from the West, was waylaid and shot dead by men dressed in civilian clothes. It was inferred by the Castle authorities that this shooting was done by Sinn Fein elements In our investigation which followed, the name "IGOE" was mentioned for the first time in our Intelligence Office, and enquiries were set afoot to identify him, as he and some of his associates had shot Howlett. A report was received to the effect that several country members of the R.I.C. were living in the Depot, Phoenix Park, and were moving around the city in civilian clothes.. We had no lead to begin inquiries until I was instructed to interview a lady who ran a tea - room and was a menber of Cumann na nBan. I made the acquaintance of this lady, Miss Maire Gleeson, the proprietress of the West End Cafe, Parkgate Street. This was located adjacent to the main entrance to Phoenix Park, and was a small shop with tea rooms attached. Miss Gleeson informed me that amongst her patrons were several plain - clothes R.I.C. men who dropped in shortly before curfew for a light supper fairly frequently. She said they were living in the the Depot. From further investigations it was clear that Head Constable IGOE and other members of his party were the diners mentioned by Miss Gleeson. I duly reported the facts and the Director of Intelligence had active enquiries made through Brigade Intelligence Officers throughout the country as to the absence from their home stations of the Constabulary who were engaged on political work. In retrospect it would appear that some - probably about a dozen - members of the R.I.C. who had become obnoxious in their own areas, through their zeal in tracking down Volunteers, had been transferred to the Depot for special work, and were acting under the Head Constable IGOE. These men were ideally situated to carry out the task alloted to them , which was evidently the tracking down of Country Volunteers visiting the city, and summarily shooting them.In other respects they were invaluable to GENERAL TUDOR, the officer commanding the Auxiliary Division of the R.I.C.,and to the headquarters staff who were dealing with political information from the country, in as much as their services were available for identification purposes in connection with reports reaching the Depot from the COUNTRY. As time passed, inter - communication between Dublin and the Provinces through the official channels became even more hazardous, and the advantage of having men on the spot with a knowledge of their respective local situations was a great asset to the Crown Forces. I met Miss Gleeson several times, but the information was insufficient for an ambush to be arranged. Although efforts were made many times in this connection, the movements of these men were so erratic that no results could be obtained. In January 1921, the Director of Intelligence had transferred to Dublin, a Volunteer by the name of Thomas Newell, ( also known as Sweeney Newell ) who knew IGOE personally, and Newell was attached to our department in an external capacity. About this time IGOE and his squad had adopted a technique of moving as a patrol through the streets of Dublin in a formation that was not noticeable to the pedestrians, and if they came across any country Volunteers in their strolls they either arrested them or beat them up and then arrested them, Needless to remark, as street activities became more general, this patrol became a menance to the Dublin Volunteers who were moving around the streets carrying out ambushes or other jobs. On a weekday in January, Newell rushed in to our office in Crowe St. at about eleven oclock in the morning and stated that he had seen IGOE and his party proceeding up Grafton St. in the direction of St. Stephens Green. I imediately accompanied Newell, and, simultaneously, instructions were sent to the Squad, who were " standing by " in the headquarters in Upper Abbey St. to assemble at St. Stephens Green and await instructions from me As IGOE had been in the habit of visiting railway stations, I assumed that he was heading for Harcourt Street Station and that should that be so we could manoeuvre our squad into action positions on St. Stephens Green, West, to ambush IGOES party on their return journey. Newell and I proceeded to Grafton St. by the shortest route, and when we had almost reached Weirs Jewellery Stores in Grafton St., I noticed that we had been passed by some men, who, I instinctlively recognised as IGOES party, although Newell had not had time to cofirm this. When they had passed us out, they wheeled on us, and at close range said " Dont move " which we did not, as we were unarmed.This manoevre took place with pedestrians passing by, unaware of anything unusual taking place. Without much delay, we were told to keep walking, and a surrounding formation of IGOES squad kept pace with us as well as accompanying us. We walked, as directed, up Suffolk St. and down Trinity St. untill we came to a building in Dame St. ( no .38 ) which was an insurance office, where we were directed to stand against the wall. Newell was kept several paces away from me, and we were surrounded by a bodyguard on either side. I should mention that Newell was dressed in typical country fashion. He was wearing a cap and greatcoat, and was easily identifiable as a man from the country. IGOE, whom I had identified from his description, first questioned Newell and later me, but neither of us could hear the others answers While in this predicment, I saw Vincent Byrne and other members of the Squad cutting across Dame St. and going through Haleys Arch, on their way to St. Stephens Green to the redezvous. They evidently thought that I was engaged in conversation with some friends, as they made no effort to approach us. In reply to the questions put to me, I gave my correct name and address. I stated that I was a believer in Home Rule and that my father was a J.P. and did not agree with the Sinn Fein policy. Newell endeveavoured to bluff also, and we were asked how we came to know one another. I stated that he was a stranger I had met on the street who had got into coversation with me and that I was directing him somewhere or other. I failed to realise at the time that IGOE was aware of Newells position in the Galway Volunteers and knew him quite well. Under the interrogation Newell lost his temper and told IGOE that he knew who he was, just as well as IGOE knew him. His outburst ended any further questioning. I was told to walk on and not look back. I walked on in the dirction of Trinity St., knowing from the footsteps behind me that I was under cover by some of IGOES men. I moved fairly slowly at first, not being physically able to go any faster. I moved through Trinity St. Suffolk St. and into Wicklow St., gaining a few yards on each bend and keeping civilians, as far as possible, in the line of fire between myself and my pursuers. When I turned the corner of Wicklow St. I made a dash of about thirty or forty yards and entered a building where my father had his commercial offices. I went up the two flights of stairs into his office and was practically in a state of collapse on reaching it. My fathers typist was in the office, but I did not speak to her as I expected to hear the sound of steps on the stairs any second. After about five minutes, as nothing happened, I aked her to put on her hat and coat and accompany me, which she did. We waked out from the office and out up Clarendon St. as far as St Stephens Green, where I parted with my pilot and located the Squad. Having told Tom Keogh what happened, I got hold of a gun and we all returned to Dame St. in the hope of overtaking some of IGOES party. We searched several streets in the area without coming across them .We assumed that they must have entered the Castle, as they were nowhere to be seen . Our surmise proved to be somewhat correct. Although Newell was not brought into the Castle, some of IGOES men went in and secured motor cars. Newell was brought - I think he was walked - to Greek St. adjacent to the Bridewell, where he was riddled and thrown into a car and driven to King George V Hospital. His wounds did not prove fatal, however, but before receiving medical aid his legs,which had been broken by bullets, were twisted in an effort to get information from him. He was detained in custody, and was one of the first prisoners claimed by Michael Collins on the signing of the Treaty. Subsequently, an all out effort was made, not alone by the Active Service Unit, but by all units that were available in the Dublin Brigade, to shoot IGOE and his party. Many abortive attempts were made, without the desired effect. Possibly IGOE became more cautious, because they used Ford cars for their excursions between the Depot and the Castle, and did not move around on foot except on very rare occasions. The personnel of IGOES party was never fully established, beyond the fact that it contained members from the different " hot spots" in the country. They were all Irishmen who had considerable service in the R.I.C.,with the exception of a scotsman who was known as Jock. He may have become associated through his membership of the Black and Tans. Due to the fact that he had committed some crime, they did not want him to appear in police uniform. IGOES party were effective in their duties, and picked up a number of Volunteers, many of whom, fortunately, were imprisoned. THIS PARTY BECAME ONE OF THE MOST DIFFICULT AND DANGEROUS FORCES OPPOSED TO THE I.R.A. IN DUBLIN. Un - quote An honest statement, in which Dalton gives respect to the IGOE gang, a game of cat and mouse, of hide and seek but it wasnt a game to these men, as the stakes they were playing for were their lives. You could say Dalton should have told Newell about his clothes and appearance, that they would have been a dead giveaway, but hindsight is a great thing, one thing is clear from the W.S. and that is IGOE and his party were always one step ahead of the game, I have a few more W.S. that confirm what Colonel Dalton says and will post at a later date, if any body has any additional information I would be most interested. CSM Edited 4 times by caplestreetman Aug 1 11 9:02 PM.
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Peter Mc RIC		#5	[url]	[-]
Posts: 1641 Jul 13 11 5:28 PM Inspector-General	I do need to answer this more fully CSM when I'm back from a (prolonged) holiday but as regards the notion of men being 'obnoxious' in their own areas, simply not true. Perhaps obnoxious to those who were on the 'other side', but not necessarily active as such nor even Crime Special men. I know of one man who 'simply' won a constabulary medal, opted for a transfer to Depot, and found himself a 'trusted man' in this tight unit. He ended his days living in a very republican area and no harm came to him. Will follow up. Peter Mc
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caplestreetman	IGOE GANG	#6	[url]	[-]
County Inspector Posts: 228 Jul 14 11 8:24 AM	Hello Peter McRIC, I too would like to know more about the IGOE gang as the only information about them that I have come across, to the best of my knowledge has come from Witness Statements made by the very people they were trying to arrest, and, as you say on the " other side ", so they are going to be bias. It would be interesting to find out where they came from, were they married, did they have families, and what happened to them after the Treaty. Perhaps you may have visitors to your site who might be related or are aware of who they were, it would be interesting to hear " their side " of events.I hope you can follow the story up when you return from your holidays. Good luck CSM Edited 2 times by caplestreetman Apr 19 12 5:14 AM.
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Peter Mc RIC	Head Constable Eugene Igoe and the 'Nemo Gang'	#7	[url]	[-]
Posts: 1641 Aug 13 11 12:07 AM Inspector-General	I've not seen the Witness Statements in respect of Igoe so would appreciate anything you can add in connection with references to him and his squad. Similarly, I've not seen his police service record and have only come across one reference to him at the PRO (although more exists, including a death certificate), so some of what I say will be conjecture and needs to be substantiated. As already pointed out, it would appear that a squad of men was put together expressly for the purpose of identifying IRA men in the city of Dublin, and this group seemed to fall under the aegis of Colonel Winter, Head of Police Intelligence. Winter states as much in his book Winters Tale. Piaras Beaslai and Charlie Dalton seem to be the first to publicize the activities of this squad in their respective books, and refer to the group as the 'Nemo Gang' and their leader as 'Nemo', although the identity of Nemo must have been known to them at the time of writing. Colonel McCarthy re-iterates these extracts in Limerick's Fighting Story, and Seamus Breathnach collated them again in “The Irish Police”. The generally accepted opinion is therefore two squads of men, police and IRA, roamed the streets of Dublin, stalking each other and exacting retribution whenever the opportunity offered. Winter himself in 1955 hinted that reprisal killings were undertaken, and Mark Sturgis in his diaries referred to 'Tudor's Tigers” as the group set up by Winter. I'm not sure when Eugene Igoe was first named (other than in the Witness Statements) but the first recorded instance of him and the “Igoe Gang” I know of is in Dwyer's book “The Squad” - although I must confess I knew of him – somehow, I can't recall how - before then. So who was Eugene Igoe? We know he came from County Mayo and he joined the RIC (service number 64839), and was serving at Killeen in Galway in 1911. A trawl of CO904 files may well uncover the fact that he served in Crime Special Branch in Galway, as he received a 2^nd Class Favourable Record for services during the Easter Rebellion. According to the sources, he was a Head Constable during the period he was in Dublin, indeed Winter claims he was appointed as a 'temporary' Head Constable (not a rank I was aware existed). IRA sources (presumably Frank Thornton WS?) imply that as early as 7^th January 1921 or earlier he was 'Head Constable' and the Squad was searching for him. However the Constabulary Lists for July 1921 show Eugene Igoe only being promoted from Constable to Sergeant in the period January-July 1921. He must have been promoted further, either in July or after, as by October 1921 he seems to be a full HC. A photo exists, allegedly of Igoe - I have a problem with this photo. Apart from the fact that there is no secondary verification of his identity, he does not seem to be wearing either Sergeant's or Head Constable's rank insignia, and the fact he is in uniform is at odds with his supposed undercover role. In October 1921 he was sent to London – Mark Sturgis wrote on 20 Feb 1922 that 'Head Constable Igoe, “formerly in charge of the special force of the RIC”, was sent to London on special duties on 2^nd October 1921. His duties took him about London and the suburbs and he was then ordered to remain in London for his safety'. An extra allowance was to be paid to him to cover this period. So there a few discrepancies already, not merely with his identity but also his supposed rank during the period in question. Some years ago whilst going through the Goulden Papers in TCD I came across the following letter. The author was ex-Sergeant John Peter Clarke 69067, a Constabulary Medal winner from Galway East Riding, who had won his medal for defence of a barracks in July 1920. As was common practice, he was offered a transfer of his choice and evidently opted to return to Dublin. In his letter, he gives a spirited defence of the so-called 'Nemo Gang' - Irish Independent 8^th April 1975 Sir – I have recently read a book by Mr Seamus Breathnach under the title - “The Irish Police from earliest times to the present day” and I would like the medium of your newspaper to take issue with him on some of his many inaccuracies in his book. He states on page 88 that - “one gang – the 'Castle Murder Gang' - was headed by a notorious RIC officer, sometimes called 'Nemo', and was composed of English, Scottish, Welsh and, like Nemo himself, Irish nationals. Their activities included, inter alia, murder, after torture, a gang of RIC bravos drawn from various parts of the country, its numbers organised for the purpose of assassinations and outrages. Twelve policemen drawn from those parts of the country where the volunteers were most active”. Now Mr Breathnach I was one of those twelve (number also inaccurate) policemen, and our implicit instructions were to see that police regulations were fully observed and implemented both in the interrogation and treatment of prisoners brought to Dublin Castle by the Auxiliary Forces. I am a holder of the highest police award, the Royal Irish Constabulary medal for life saving, and I reject with disgust and disquiet both on my own and my comrades behalf, no longer able to defend their honour, the rash and slanderous imputations and assessments of our role by writers purporting to be police historians. Only those people who were involved either through duty or circumstances are qualified to describe events accurately, and it is deplorable that in literature concerning the police and especially the Royal Irish Constabulary that the necessary field work has not been done. The Royal Irish Constabulary was a force unique in the selection of candidates for its ranks for the training and discipline demanded, and in the turbulent period of the Anglo-Irish war, for the difficult terrain its members had to tactfully and peacefully traverse. I challenge Mr Breathnach to substantiate with evidence the derogatory assertions he so casually levels concerning RIC malpractice. My comrades were forced in the latter years of their service to share house with some disorderly elements, but no fair record so far exists of the heroism of many of those policemen who often, compelled as they were to lead search parties for arms and ammunition, provided at the risk of their lives a deterrent against an even greater destruction of life and property in contemporary, frightening conditions. John P Clarke ex-Sergeant, RIC Duncarbery, Tullaghan, Co. Leitrim So what are we to make of this? On face value, it refutes, clearly and articulately, the charges leveled against this squad and claims that they – in effect – acted to protect policing interests during ADRIC interrogations, as well as taking part in raids for arms. This from a 78 year old man, living in a border area in 1975 (I knew Tullaghan well); you might think if he had anything to hide he would have kept very quiet. Does this letter alone counter the allegations? No, clearly not, but it cannot be set aside either. Perhaps there was more than one 'special force', perhaps Igoe held more than one role, perhaps Igoe was falsely identified. And what of the 'Special Gang' of F Company ADRIC? Was there some crossover between these two groups that led to some confusion? What is certain is that much more work needs to be done to uncover the men of the “Igoe Gang” and place them in context. If more names can be uncovered from the WS then that will be a great help indeed. References 1. Seamus Breathnach “The Irish Police – from earliest times to the present day” Anvil books 1974 pp88-89 (refers to 'Nemo') 2. Piaras Biaslai “Michael Collins and the making of a New Ireland” Dublin 1926 pp93-104 3. Charles Dalton “With the Dublin Brigade” London 1929 pp130-136 (refers to 'Nemo') 4. Limerick's Fighting Story ed Col JM McCarthy Anvil Books p94 (Igoe is not named) 5. Sir Ormonde Winter “Winters Tale” London 1955 pp337-338 (Igoe is not named) 6. T. Ryle Dwyer “The Squad” Mercier Press 2005 pp201-209 (Igoe named) 7. Postscript – Sgt John P Clarke was transferred to Louth on 1 October 1921, the same time as Igoe was transferred to London. I suspect this was the date that Igoe's Squad was disbanded. Peter Mc Edited 2 times by Peter Mc RIC May 7 13 10:17 PM.
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caplestreetman	The Igoe Gang	#8	[url]	[-]
County Inspector Posts: 228 Aug 17 11 8:56 PM	You have made some interesting points and raised many questions concerning the activities and actions of the " Igoe Gang " as the group became known and from the many books and Witness Statements I have studied and researched I will try and answer some of those questions. These are my own opinions based on those studies and I stand to be corrected for any inaccuracies or mistakes by persons more knowlegeable and better qualified in the subject than I. From a " Report on the Intelligence Branch of the Chief of Police, Dublin Castle from May 1920 to July 1921 " PRO, WO / 35 / 214 by Ormonde de L,Epee Winter ( 1875 - 1962 ) the following confirms the formation of a group of policeman to carry out - quote - "Closely allied to the question of Intelligence was the question of identifying prisoners , Rebels, when they became suspect in their own district, moved further afield, and prominent personages, when the country districts became undesirably warm, fled to Dublin. In order to cope with this difficulty, an identification company was formed in Dublin , by detailed specially selected policemen , with good local knowledge , from each county , as members of this company. It was the duty of these men to patrol the streets , on the lookout for suspects , and to scrutinise men who were arrested " un - quote. It was these "specially selected policemen" who became known as the " Igoe Gang " From the book - " Michael Collins,s Intelligence War " by Michael T. Foy , he gives us an account of Eugene Igoe and the " Igoe Gang " based on information taken from the following Witness Statements, Stapelton, Traynor, Vinnie Byrne, Charlie Dalton and Igoes Police Service File - TNA; PRO T164/25/20 I have posted Charles Dalton,s W.S. and he mentions Igoe by name, Peter McRIC quite rightly points out that the books " With the Dublin Brigade ( 1917 - 1921 ) " by C. Dalton and " Michael Collins and the Making of a New Ireland " by Piaras Biaslai both refer to a " NEMO Gang ". It is my opinion that " NEMO " was the code name given to Igoe and due to the publishing dates of 1929 and 1926, there could have been some legalities and copyright issues regarding printing the name of Igoe. Biaslai regularly refered to persons as " X, Y " in his book to protect their identities, so I do not think anything untoward to the reference of " NEMO " unless someone knows otherwise. Quote from the book by Michael T.Foy , pages 185, 186 and 187 "Operating out of the Castle, the Igoe Gang concentrated on railway stations, scrutinising passengers and shadowing suspects , some of whom ( according to Traynor ) they killed. Heavilly armed , they also circulated constantly around the city centre, where , Stapleton recalled , their modus operandi was to stroll along the streets , drop into shops , pubs and restaurants , theatres , attend the fringes of football matches , etc , always on the look - out for country members of the Volunteers and on one being recognised the well dressed members of the Murder Gang would quitely move around the individual or individuals and smilingly chat and talking quitely force him into a secluded spot and there , while still chatting and smiling , would interrogate him . Rarely , if ever , did they produce guns . Somewhere within 100 yards or so of the Igoe Gang there was invariably an Army motor van and when the Gang decided to arrest an individual a whistle was blown or a signal was given and the waiting van would arrive and take away the prisoner. It is not to be thought that the Igoe Gang was always courteous and polite. The procedure just described was simply their method of working which enabled them to effect arrests and interrogation without creating any excitement or drawing attention to themselves whatever. They did on occasions, but particularly at night time when darkness helped them somewhat , indeed act very brutally and commit a number of murders. Collins wanted the Igoe Gang destroyed but even he could not glean much information on it. Time and again GHQ intelligence officers picked up the trail only for the Squad to arrive too late . Eventually Tobin decided to import a Galway Volunteer , Tom ( Sweeney ) Newell , who knew Igoe. Constantly shadowed by Stapleton , carrying two revolvers , spare ammunition and hand grenades , he combed the city centre. At last , Newell spotted Igoe in Grafton Street heading towards St. Stephen,s Green , where Tobin ordered him and Charlie Dalton to rendezvous with the Squad . As he made his way to the Green , Vinnie Byrne ' noticed a group of men standing along a wall and speaking to two of them was Charlie Dalton. I did not know any of the other men and I thought to myself that that the group was probably the south side ASU (Active Service Unit ). I carried on up Dame Street. As I was passing Charlie I gave a slight nod of my head towards him . He did not recognise me , I thought it was strange .` Byrne was right. Igoe had recognised Newell , turned suddenly and cornered him and Dalton , who remembered that the manoeuvre was carried out so quietly and neatly that the pedestrians did not notice anything amiss........ this episode is delt with in a prevoius post. On the day of the Truce , 11 July , 1921 , Winter promoted Igoe permanently to Head Constable in recognition of his Dublin service , but after the Treaty he and his wife had to leave Ireland forever. un - quote. It is interesting to note that depending what side of the conflict you took, the Volunteers refer to Igoes Gang as the " Murder Gang " and vice - versa , the Crown Forces refer to the Volunteers as " Michael Collin,s Murder Gang " they both took oaths of allegiance and were both carrying out their duties , it is not for me to take sides but respect both points of view and hopefully other members to the forum will be able to add information to enable to understand the conflict better. What comes out from my research is that Eugene Igoe was picked for special duties because he was good at his job , respected by his fellow police officers , would not be intimidated by the I.R.A. and by their own admission , became feared by the I.R.A. The I.R.A. Intelligence department in Dublin did not know what he looked like , even Michael Collin,s contacts in the Castle and police force, of which there were many were unable to identify or locate him , they had to resort to bringiing a Volunteer up from the country who knew him but the tables were turned against him and the " hunter " became the " hunted " And what of the other members of Igoes Gang, I have never come across the names of any of them, except ex - Sergeant John Peter Clarke mentioned by Peter McRIC, they too deserve credit and equal recognition for services rendered. I have often wondered if Eugene Igoe, when having to leave Ireland , was given a new identity and went to live in a country of his choice, I would be interested to hear other readers comments and thoughts on the subject. I have other information from Witness Statements referring to Eugene Igoe and will post at a later date, Igoe is proving to be an interesting character and I am sure there is a lot more to learn and understand about him and the other members of the Gang. CSM Edited 2 times by caplestreetman Aug 17 11 9:02 PM.
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caplestreetman	The Igoe Gang	#9	[url]	[-]
County Inspector Posts: 228 Aug 31 11 9:25 PM	Hello PeterMcRIC ,thought you might find the following of interest , it backs up your theory that there could have been two " GANGS " operating together and throws up a name I have not come across before. It is taken from a Witness Statement made by Patrick Caldwell who was a member of the I .R. A. G.H.Q. Intelligence Staff. The W. S. was made 28th January 1952. W.S. no. 638 - quote - THE IGOE GANG The Intelligence Department was making every effort to track down two squads of R.I.C. men operating under Sergeants IGOE and KILLEEN. In common with other members of the Intelligence Squad , I spent a considerable amount of time observing and watching out for the movements of these Police Squads. On a few occasions I met up with them accidentally and reported the direction they were travelling back to headquarters. un - quote. Just a few sentence's , but it mentions two squads of Policemen , it states the name of Killeen and gives their ranks as Sergeants and it also appears that Patrick Caldwell knew their identities. I would be interested to hear Peter , if you or any of your readers could shed any light on KILLEEN ? CSM
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Peter Mc RIC		#10	[url]	[-]
Posts: 1641 Aug 31 11 11:03 PM Inspector-General	A great find CSM. A 62068 Patrick Killeen was promoted to Sgt in Dublin by July 1921, of course its a long shot and there are variants of the surname. As regards Igoe, without giving away any particular secrets I can tell you that he later worked and eventually died in Ireland, reports of his exile were as they say, much exaggerated. Can anyone else shed any light on Killeen? Peter Mc
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caplestreetman	The Igoe Gang	#11	[url]	[-]
County Inspector Posts: 228 Sep 1 11 6:52 PM	Thanks for the reply Peter , you have me intrigued about your comment regarding Igoe " that he worked and died in Ireland " are you saying that the information about Igoe is still " sensative " or secret ? was the report that he had to leave Ireland with his wife false ? Did the British Security Service lay a false trail and squirrell him away to lead a new life and give him a false identity ? I know this did happen to other people. You seem to know more than you are able to say for whatever reasons. The information regarding Killeen looks promising , we could do with a little help with this story. As I have mentioned before, there is a lot more to the IGOE GANG I noticed Paddy Mayne started off the interest in the Igoe Gang but he has not replied to any of the posts, is he still an active member ? CSM Edited 1 time by caplestreetman Sep 1 11 7:51 PM.
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Peter Mc RIC		#12	[url]	[-]
Posts: 1641 Sep 1 11 10:51 PM Inspector-General	Hi CSM. I don't really subscribe to theories that the British authorities took the trouble to conceal identities or lay false trails for individuals involved in the Irish Troubles; though I may be in error in one or two cases; I simply doubt they had the sophistication or indeed the inclination to take the time and effort to do this. The ex-RIC men were generously pensioned and assisted passage was provided to places like Canada, positions in the Colonial Police made available, and many famous names in the Auxiliary Division found more soldiering opportunities in Palestine. Other than that they were left to fend for themselves and with a bit of effort and luck you can trace the lives and careers of almost all of the key players and senior officers involved. Following the Truce there were many killings and assaults on ex-RIC men but in the majority of cases these were local incidents and not part of an organised retribution ordered by Collins or an officer at that level (I exclude the murder of Sir Henry Wilson here). You might have thought that, given the importance and opprobium attached to the 'police gangs' in 1921, that a more concerted effort to track down and assassinate them would have taken place but there is no record of this, or at least no successful prosecution of such a policy. and as we have seen men like Sgt Clarke lived out a quiet life. We know Igoe was sent to London and it may have been to 'take the heat off', but at some point he returned and I think that was within the same year or thereabouts. I may be jumping ahead of myself but I think that the stories surrounding Igoe grew in the telling following Partition, and so we need to question any comments about being 'exiled' or forced to flee Ireland. You're correct in assuming I know more than I can reveal, but it's not because it is a state secret, merely honouring a confidence. However I have no knowledge of what Igoe actually did in 1921 and so that mystery is still to be solved as is the identity and composition of these two 'police squads'. I find this a most interesting discussion. Your inputs on the WS will be invaluable. As regards Paddy Mayne, he hasn't been back for a long time and may have moved on in his interests. Peter Peter Mc
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Paddy Mayne.debcenrevisited		#13	[url]	[-]
District Inspector 2nd Class Posts: 50 Sep 2 11 9:26 PM	CSM/Peter, I've been away for a while and unable to access the internet. I can't tell you how surprised and delighted I am to see how much material my original query has generated. Thank you both for your efforts and I look forward to further developments. "I am not an Ulsterman but yesterday, the 1st. July, as I followed their amazing attack, I felt that I would rather be an Ulsterman than anything else in the world." Captain Wilfred Spencer 2nd July 1916
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caplestreetman	IGOE GANG	#14	[url]	[-]
County Inspector Posts: 228 Sep 3 11 6:36 PM	Hello Peter and Paddy Mayne, glad to see you are back on line , your query has certainly aroused a lot of interest and opened up many questions which we are finding difficult to answer or get clarification on. We could do with one of the readers who has access to the P.R.O. in Kew to check Igoes papers to see if these will shed any light on his career , if any, after the Treaty An interesting reply Peter Mc, I am from the side that subscribes to the hidden identities and false trails, the Secret Service at the time of the " TROUBLES " was in a position and did remove men and women operatives from Ireland to , let us say, " pastures new ", depending on the individuals rank, service rendered to the British authorities and most importantly, who they ultimately answered to, they looked after their own, the " Old Boy Network " was in operation then, as it always has been and is still in operation to - day. Referring to your statement, saying you know more than you can reveal, I respect your intentions on honouring a confidence, you have probably read the following, its from Wikipedia, CAIRO GANG, there is a piece on the IGOE GANG. Quote - Eventually another group of intelligence operatives led by Head Constable Eugene Igoe from County Mayo would take the fight to the IRA. Officially known as the Identification Branch of the Combined Intelligence Service ( CIS ). Igoe reported to Colonel Ormonde Winter. The Igoe Gang consisted of RIC personel drawn from different parts of Ireland, and they patrolled the streets of Dublin in plain clothes, looking for wanted men<22> . The Igoe Gang posed a serious threat to Collins apparatus and in fact caught a Volunteer whom Collins had brought to Dublin to identify Igoe. They were never penetrated by the IRA. IGOE LATER CONDUCTED SECRET SERVICE OPERATIONS FOR SPECIAL BRANCH OVER MANY YEARS IN OTHER COUNTRIES BUT NEVER RETURNED TO HIS FARM IN MAYO OUT OF FEAR OF REPRISAL.Winter appeared on Igoes behalf to obtain an increase in his pension in view of his many services to the Crown in Ireland and elsewhere.<23> un - quote Most of the above has been confirmed by individual Witness Statements and reference books but I have never come across the information that Igoe conducted Secret Service operations for Special Branch over many years in other countries. The Wikipedia reference no.23 refers to - " Ormonde Winter, A report of the Intelligence Branch of the Chief Police Commissioner 1921, Public Record Office. I have a full copy of the report and the book - A Winters Tale but can find no mention of further Secret Service work by Igoe, I agree with Dez, that stories and inacurraces can occur and get published on the internet and get taken as fact, it is very important that details are checked and double checked and where possible , backed up with written evidence from a reliable source that can be verified. As I have mentioned before, the subject is fascinating and it would be nice if any of the other members to your site Peter can contribute in any way, perhaps as you say, the word "IGOE " and the legend about him has grown over the years as the many books and records have become available, perhaps also the lack of knowledge about him and his colleagues has added to the intrigue and myth, if possible , it would be good to unravel the truth. I have a copy of VINCENT BYRNES Witness Statement and will post at a later date CSM Edited 2 times by caplestreetman Sep 3 11 6:42 PM.
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caplestreetman	The Igoe Gang	#15	[url]	[-]
County Inspector Posts: 228 Sep 5 11 11:36 PM	Reference to Igoe from a Witness Statement made by Vincent Byrne W.S.no 423 V.Byrne was a menber of "E" Co.2nd Battalion of the Dublin Brigade and a founding member of the "Squad ", he was involved in most of the major operations carried out by the I.R.A. from the 1916 Uprising up to the Treaty, after which he joined the Free State Army, his statement gives a vivid account of the operations he took part in and runs to 75 pages. Quote - IGOE Igoe was an R.I.C. man who hailed from the West of Ireland. Around him, the Castle authorities formed a group of R.I.C. men who were selected from different parts of the country - especially those who had a good knowledge of the active officers of the I.R.A., wanted by the British. Their routine was to visit different railway termini as trains were arriving or departing, and to see if any wanted men were travelling. If they happened to capture any such men, well, it was a gamble whether they ever lived to tell what had happened to them. The usual report would appear - shot while trying to escape. This gang adopted the same procedure as we did in the Squad. They moved along in pairs, on each side of the street or road, with a distance of a yard or two between each pair. So you will understand that it was going to be a very heavy operation to get the lot of them. Igoe and his gang had been moving around for a little while, when one day they picked up a Volunteer, named Newell, who was from the west, and who, before being picked up, was in touch with the Intelligence staff and hoped to be able to point out Igoe. Up to this time, we had no description of what he looked like. Our first attempt to get this gang was when Tom Keogh, Jimmy Slattery and myself were going over to Headquarters Intelligence, as Tom had got word to call there as there might be some operation on. We were unarmed.When we went in , we met Liam Tobin , who asked us had we our guns with us. We replied " No ". He said - For Gods sake, get them quick. Igoe is on his way to Harcourt St. railway station. Tom turned to me and said - Vinnie, go and get the guns and we will meet you in Stephens Green. I made a dash down the stairs and away over to the dump at Morelands. I collected the guns - Jimmys long webley, Toms Peter and short webley, and my own Peter. Tom Keogh always carried a webley, in case his Peter would jam. I buckled on my belt beneath my light dust - coat, and slung the guns , which were all in holsters. Leaving the dump, I proceeded to Liffey St. and around the Metal Bridge. I decided I would go through the Bodega, cross Dame St. and up Dame Court into Exchequer St, Drury St., and across to South King St. and on to Stevens Green. As I was crossing Dame St. I noticed a group of men standing along the wall and , speaking to two of them, was Charlie Dalton , one of our Intelligence officers. I did not know any of the other men , and , I thought to my self that the group was probably the south side A.S.U. I carried on up Dame St. and , as I was passing Charlie , I gave just a slight nod of my head towards him. He did not recognise me , I thought it was strange. When I arrived at Stephens Green , I met the remainder of the Squad and Intelligence. I told Tom Keogh that I had seen Charlie in Dame St. with a gang of fellows, but that I did not know any of them. As far as I can remember , we proceeded to Harcourt St. station, but there was no sign of Igoe or his gang , or anybody looking like his party. Later on in the day , we were informed by Charlie Dalton himself of what had happened. He relates the whole story in his book " With The Dublin Brigade ". Oh , what a lucky escape I had ! I had somebodys good prayers that day , for the group of men I had seen with him was none other than Igoe and his gang. Volunteer Newell was riddled with bullets in Greek St. that same day , but did not die. Our next brush with Igoe occurred a few days later. Information was received that Igoe and his gang were stopping in the Depot, Phoenix Park, and would be leaving there about ten oclock on this particular morning. The Squad and A.S.U. were given orders to ambush the party. It was believed that he would walk down the North Quays on his way to the Castle. The Intelligence officer to give the signal on this occassion was Charlie Byrne. Our plan of action was as follows - One party to go into the licensed premises on the left - hand corner of Queen St., another party into the one at the right - hand corner , and the remainder of our men to take up positions in each doorway and shop entrance , right down along the quay to Arran St., West , that is , the street leading to Smithfield. Everything was set , and every man at his post. Charlie Byrne was standing somewhere near the pictiure - house , and he would see Igoe coming along , he was to inform the boys. Our orders were - no one was to open fire until Igoe and his gang had passed the two licensed houses and , as they passed these positions, the men therein were to come out and open up the attack , and as Igoe and his gang came opposite each doorway , the men were to open fire. The natural thing , I believe , that they would do , as soon as the attack opened , would be to make for cover , and as their only cover would be the doorways , from which they would get a hot reception. However , Igoe did not come down the quays that morning. Charlie Byrne was a bit excited when he came to report that Igoe and his gang had gone up Stevens Lane. By what means he got this information I do not know. Our next move was to rush across the quay and up Bridgefoot St. We placed ourselves in the same position along Thomas St. from Bridgefoot St. up as far as the licensed house known as Lord Edward House. We waited a fairly long time and still there was no sign of Igoe. As we were waiting , we noticed a military foot patrol approaching us from the city. As we had no argument with them we left our position along Thomas St., James St. and , turning down Stevens Lane and on to Victoria Quay , known as Guiness,s Jetty, we spread ourselves out each side. As we were coming just to the end of the jetty , what should come along but a tender of Auxies. Ben Byrne , who was a long with me , remarked - We are going to have a splash here. The whole party got ready. The tender slowed down slightly , then gave a spurt and passed on . There is no doubt the Auxies flunked it that morning. So we proceeded to our dump. The position taken this time was at the corner of Parliament Street and Essex Street at about 3 p.m. The signal was given that three individuals coming down the street were members of Igoes gang. As they came to the corner where our men were posted, fire was opened on them. Two were shot dead. The third man was wounded and ran across Essex St. with one of our men after him. He ran into a shop between Essex St. and Wellington Quay. He tried to jump the counter of the shop , but our man was in after him and finished him off. IGOE, HIMSELF, OR THE REMAINDER OF THE GANG, WERE NEVER GOT. Un - quote Whether the three individuals were indeed members of Igoes gang needs to be confirmed, I do not know if anyone is able to identify their names from the addresses mentioned in the W.S., I think the date is late 1920, early 1921 as the next paragraph deals with an operation 29th January 1921 CSM Edited 1 time by caplestreetman Sep 5 11 11:39 PM.
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ballyroughan	Shot in Error.23rd February,1921.	#16	[url]	[-]
Posts: 566 Sep 6 11 3:25 PM	Hi, C.S.M. The names of the Constables were,-Con, Martin John Greer, 67768.- Con, Daniel Hoey,66287.- Con, Edward Mc Donagh,69370. (all reserve men) Despite assertions to the contrary,the Squad never did get Igoe or any of his Gang or Group, the three men killed in Parliament Street,were not connected with him,but were going to a restaurant in Essex Street for lunch, Hoey,and Greer were both employed on motor dispatch duties at Dublin Castle,whilst McDonagh,was an office orderly. Kelliher noted "Nobody had even bothered to find out their names before targeting them in error." Neligan said,Those poor wretches were mere dispatch riders and were mistaken for members of the Igoe Gang,' Neligan also admitted, after the shooting, however the police were more circumspect about leaving Dublin Castle for lunch. Ref- Police Casualties in Ireland, 1919-22. R.Abbott. Cork: 2000. R.I.C. List, July 1921. Spy in the Castle, D. Neligan. Dublin: 1968. W.S. 477. Edward J. Kelliher. The Squad. T.Ryle Dwyer. Mercier Press. 2005. (edit Jan 2013 - Constable Greer is buried at Glasnevin, his name appears on the RIC Memorial) Edited 6 times by Peter Mc RIC Jan 4 13 8:40 PM.
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caplestreetman	IGOE GANG	#17	[url]	[-]
County Inspector Posts: 228 Sep 6 11 4:43 PM	Many thanks ballyroughan for confirming the identities of the three Constables alleged to have been members of the Igoe Gang, as you say , I was under the same impression that none of the Gang were ever assassinated by the Squad or A.S.U. What a tragic case of mistaken identity and a double blow to the Hoey family to lose another son in the line of duty, a sad story. CSM.
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caplestreetman	IGOE GANG	#18	[url]	[-]
County Inspector Posts: 228 Sep 15 11 9:59 PM	The following is taken from Witness Statement no. 631 by Bernard C. Byrne Bernard was a member of "D" Co. 1st Batt. Dublin Brigade from 1916 and a member of " The Squad " 1920 - 1921, as far as I am aware, he was no relation to Vinnie Byrne. ATTEMPTED ATTACK ON IGOE Headquarters were very anxious to have Igoe put out of commission and the Squad were equally anxious that his career should be brought to a conclusion, as we were being hurried from pillar to post with all sorts of scare rumours as to his whereabouts in the city. On one particular morning we were informed that Igoe would be travelling to the Old Mens Home in Kilmainham from Dublin Castle, via Thomas Street and James Street. The majority of the Squad hurried to take up positions in James Street, and six or seven of us retired for cover to a public - house which was situated directly opposite James Street church. Two or three members of the Squad were to act as scouts in the near vicinity. We had arranged that some one of the Intelligence Squad would be doing observation duty at Dublin Castle and would be in a position to let us know of Igoes departure from that place. Some considerable time elapsed and whatever about the scouts outside, I think the party inside the licensed premises had almost forgotten the existence of Igoe, when suddenly one of the scouts, Vinnie Byrne, I believe, came dashing in , saying, " hurry lads and get away. Youve been had ". It transpired that roughly a half company of British soldiers were moving along in our direction, having taken possession of every civilian whom they met in their approach, searched them, and in most cases brought them along with them for further examinations. Our Intelligence Officer, who should have been in front of this group was unfortunately behind them and, of course, was unable to make any further progress.It appears that by some means or other, Igoe had learned that an ambush was being prepared for him and had taken steps accordingly. We dashed out of the public - house, and with about twenty yards to spare from the leading members of the British patrol, succeeded in making our way down Steevens Lane. We headed for the city along the South Quays, which were practically deserted at that time except for Guinness,s workers at the jetty.. The main body of our party crossed to the jetty side of the Quay. Vinnie Byrne and I continued along by Guinness,s wall, and we were approximately half - way between the two bridges when we saw three tender - loads of Auxiliaries coming along at a very fast rate. As soon as we saw them coming Vinny and I decided that we were in a very bad position in the event of any action taking place, as our own men would be firing on us as well as the Auxiliaries. We proceeded to cross the road to the jetty side to join our party, and were aproximately half - way across the road when the leading tender, which was almost abreast of us, slowed down. At this stage I could hear Vinnie lilting to himself the words of a song, " Do I want to see my Mammy any more ".The tender practically stopped and we were expecting the usual " Halt, hands up " cry, when, for some reason best known to themselves, they set off in top gear and completely ignored us. The fact that we got out of danger successfully can be attributed to Tom Keogh,s leadership. Acting with his usual coolness, he made no move until he saw it was safe to do so. The Igoe gang were a party of policeman who had come up from the country and were organised under the leadership of Sergeant Jack Igoe to identify and molest active Volunteers who had come to the city from their areas. Un - quote. Was it a " tout or spy " that tipped off Igoe and his gang that an ambush was in progress, or could it have been one of Igoe,s men , acting as an advance party who noticed something wasnt right and doubled back un - noticed, the classic game of cat and mouse, or could it have been someone from the " other gang of RIC Policemen " ref - Sergeant Killeen, mentioned in a previous statement ? I do not know if we will ever find out the answer to the above, but the different W.S. make interesting reading. CSM Edited 2 times by caplestreetman Sep 16 11 7:15 AM.
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Peter Mc RIC		#19	[url]	[-]
Posts: 1641 Sep 23 11 8:17 PM Inspector-General	Just to add to the body of knowledge, this man was recommended to the Chief of Police for the Kings Police Medal. I'm not sure yet if he ever received it. Temp. Constable J Costello V.D.R.I.C. is stongly recommended under para (c) As a secret service agent he ran to earth many rebels, getting twenty-six convictions. Being an Irishman, known in the South of Ireland, he faced all dangers fearlessly. The G.O.C., Martial Law Area, repeatedly brought his services to my notice. Signed Brigadier General E A Wood Commandant Auxiliary Division RIC Beggars Bush Barracls Dublin 2/11/21 V.D.RIC was Veterans Division RIC. Peter Mc Edited 1 time by Peter Mc RIC Sep 23 11 8:36 PM.
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caplestreetman	The Igoe Gang	#20	[url]	[-]
County Inspector Posts: 228 Sep 25 11 9:35 AM	An interesting addition Peter, are you suggesting that J.Costello might have been a member of the " Igoe Gang " or had some input ? Could he have been attached in Dublin, if as stated, he was known in Southern Ireland, one of the men that Thomas Newell was brought in from the country to identify ? What more can you tell us about J. Costello, twenty - six convictions is an excellent head count and would have made him a prime target for the I.R.A. that is if there was anybody left to go after him ! That is two possible names you have put forward Peter, but we have no concrete evidence to prove they are members, we have Eugene Igoe himself and then there is Killeen, again we have not been able to establish if Killeen was a member or running a parallel gang, more work is needed on their service records to either eliminate or add them to the " Gang ". I have been in contact with Ernie McCall, the author of Tudors Toughs to ask if he could shed any light on the subject and he very kindly replied to say that there is very little on Eugene and his team, he also stated that the files are still closed, so getting information is extremely difficult. Ernie also mentioned that there is a picture of Eugene Igoe in his book taken with " F " Company in his RIC uniform and in civilian attire on a different page, for which I am most gratefull. I have also left a post for D.M.Leeson, the author of the Black and Tans, to see if he can help us out in any way, but as I write this post I have yet to receive a reply, perhaps the answer will be the same as Ernies. So it looks for the time being we will have to rely on the Witness Statements held at the National Archives, Bishop Street Dublin for information untill the files are opened. I only have a few copies of the W.S. that refer to Igoe but I am sure there is further information to be obtained from the many hundreds held there. It is a case of good old fashioned police work to check through the remaining W.S.to see what I can uncover, next time I visit. It could be that the files are still secret and sensitive to living relatives, dependants or individuals and I respect that. I remember when I visited the P.R.O. in Kew, I came across two files, marked Raids and Searches in Dublin, 1920 - 1921 and if my memory serves me well, stamped on the files, Not to be Opened untill 2020, that is one hundred years after the events, you could access the files because of the Freedom of Information Act. It could be that someone is writing a book about the " Igoe Gang " and doesnt want to share that story or information untill it is published and if that is the case, good luck to them, of course it could be neither of them and that there is no such " Story " to be told but I hope that is not true, lets keep at it and see what we can uncover Ballyroughan, in your post - Shot in Error 23rd Feb 1921 you refer to a W.S.no.477 made by Edward J. Kelliher in the book The Squad by T.Ryle Dwyer. In the book Dwyer states that Kelliher noted " Nobody had even bothered to find out their names before targeting them in error " I have a full copy of the W.S. made by Edward J.Kelliher and I can find no mention of him saying the above, I have checked the book - The Squad and it is indeed mentioned and appears as if it is from the W.S. which is not the case. Kelligher mentions Igoe under two seperate headings, the following is taken from W.S. no. 477 by Edward J. Kelliher, Edward was a menber of " C " Company, 3rd Battalion Dublin Brigade, 1919 - 1921, he was a member of G.H.Q.Intelligence Section 1920 and a member of the Active Service Unit ( ASU ) 1921 Quote - ACTIVITIES AGAINST ENEMY AGENTS AND SPIES At one time I was detailed to trail a squad of R.I.C. known as the " Igoe Gang ". During the course of my trailing I observed that four R.I.C. men were in the habit of proceeding from the Depot to Dublin Castle in an open Ford touring car. They used leave the car in the Castle and would then proceed on foot to a restaurant on Ormond Quay. I reported this to Headquarters of Intelligence and I was instructed to follow the matter up. I carried out my instructions and, after a week, discovered this was a frequent practice of those men. I reported the facts again and G.H.Q. ordered the execution of those men. On a day late in February 1921, I accompanied members of the Squad to Parliament Street and, after making arrangements with members of the Squad with regard to the signal which I would give them when the four R.I.C. men made their appearance, the members of the Squad detailed for this operation took up their positions and awaited their arrival. I took up a position facing the Squad members on the opposite side of the street.The signal I had arranged to give was to raise my bowler hat when the R.I.C. men were actually passing the Squad members. As they were passing, I gave the signal and the Squad opened fire and three of them fell dead on the pavement. It was learned later that their names were Constables Greer, McDonagh and Hoey. un - quote What can we learn from the above - 1) That Kelliher was instructed by persons unknown to trail, who, he was told, were members of the " Igoe Gang " The W.S. was made some twenty to thirty years after the events to the Bureau of Military History , even though he was aware of their names , he still refers to them as members of the " Igoe Gang " 2) He mentions that there was four R.I.C. men, but we know from other W.S., newspaper reports and books that only three were killed that day, so who or what happened to that fourth person. 3) Did the information about the R.I.C. men come from their spy in " F " Company, based in the Castle. 4) The real " Igoe Gang " would not have compromised their movements by the regular habit of going to a restaurant, knowing that there were I.R.A. spotters, spies and touts always on the lookout for such things The second heading again mentions the " Igoe Gang " Quote- THE IGOE GANG Towards the end of 1920, a number of R.I.C. men from the active areas in the country were selected to operate in the streets of Dublin, and were formed into a section which later came to be known as the " Igoe Gang ". It got its name from its leader who was named Igoe.Its main function was to identify prominent Volunteers from country ares who may have been " on the run " in Dublin. I was one of many Intelligence Officers detailed to trail and observe the movements of this gang. I cannot recall precisely how I established the identity of any member of this gang. It may have been that I was sent to the Depot to watch out for a strange policeman coming out in civilian attire. I was at the Depot each morning about 9 a.m. One morning I observed six men in plain clothes leaving the Depot. I trailed them as far as Kingsbridge, where they turned and went up in the direction of Steevens Hospital. I was in a bit of a predicament. I proceeded to Bakers public house, Arran Quay, where I knew the Squad were. On arriving there I informed the Squad and we proceeded up tp Thomas St. where we waited for nearly an hour, but there was no sign of the " Igoe Gang ". Several mornings after that I again tried to contact them, but failed. THERE WAS NOTHING VERY DEFINATE ABOUT THEIR MOVEMENTS, THEY WERE MOST ALUSIVE. un - quote What can we take from this paragraph 1) That none of G.H.Q., the Squad, Intelligence Section, or any Volunteers knew or could identify any of the " Igoe Gang " at the end of 1920 2) That Kelliher put himself at great risk in turning up at the same time each morning, we do not know what his cover was, but it must have been good to have gone un - noticed if the " Igoe Gang " was operating out of the Depot. 3) That innocent policemen, soldiers could have been wrongly identified as being members of the " Igoe Gang " for leaving the Depot in civilian attire or wearing a smart suit. I look forward to any comments. CSM. Edited 2 times by caplestreetman Sep 26 11 9:25 PM.
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Head Constable Eugene Igoe

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