Tag: Royal Irish Constabulary

#OTD in 1907 – Theft of the Irish Crown Jewels | the heavily jewelled star and badge regalia of the Sovereign and Grand Master of the Order of St. Patrick.

06/07/2023.Reading time 5 minutes.

The theft from Dublin Castle of the Irish Crown Jewels, the heavily jewelled star and badge regalia of the Sovereign and Grand Master of the Order of St. Patrick, as well as the collars of five knights of the Order is discovered on 6 July 1907. The stolen gems were never found and the crime […]

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#OTD in 1919 – Dan Breen and Seán Treacy rescue their comrade Seán Hogan from a Dublin-Cork train at Knocklong, Co Limerick; two policemen guarding him are killed.

13/05/2023.Reading time 5 minutes.

In one of the most dramatic events in the Irish War of Independence, a handcuffed young Tipperary volunteer, Seán Hogan, was rescued from a train while sat between four armed members of the Royal Irish Constabulary (RIC). Two RIC were killed in the attack and a number of the volunteers wounded. The rescue was undertaken […]

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#OTD in 1922 – The ‘Arnon Street Massacre’ | Belfast.

01/04/2023.Reading time 8 minutes.

Six Catholic civilians, three in Arnon Street, were shot dead. It is believed that members of either the Ulster Special Constabulary (USC) or of the RIC were responsible, acting in retaliation for the killing of an RIC officer by the IRA. Although the Irish War of Independence officially ended in July 1921, the IRA’s conflict with […]

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#OTD in 1922 – McMahon killings | In Belfast, policemen break into the home of a Catholic family and shoot all eight males inside, killing six.

24/03/2023.Reading time 4 minutes.

At about 1.00 am on 24 March, gunmen broke into the home of a middle-class Catholic family who lived at 3 Kinnaird Terrace, near the Antrim Road in North Belfast. Publican Owen McMahon lived there with his wife, six sons, his daughter, and his barman, Edward McKinney. The McMahon family had no connection to any […]

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#OTD in 1922 – An Garda Síochána | Guardians of the Peace of Ireland is founded.

21/02/2023.Reading time 3 minutes.

Prior to the signing of the Anglo-Irish Treaty of December 1921, Ireland was policed by the Royal Irish Constabulary (RIC) and Dublin Metropolitan Police. Needless to say, due to their loyalty to the old British regime and their association with the Auxilliaries and Black and Tans, the RIC was totally unacceptable to the vast majority […]

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#OTD in 1969 – Death of Politician and IRA leader during the War of Independence and Civil War, Dan Breen.

27/12/2022.Reading time 3 minutes.

Dan Breen was an iconic IRA figure in both the War of Independence and also the Civil War. Breen was involved in what is accepted as the first action of the War of Independence (1919-1921) when with Sean Treacy and others, he ambushed and killed two RIC (Royal Irish Constabulary) constables James McDonnell and Patrick […]

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#OTD in 1907 – Theft of the Irish Crown Jewels | the heavily jewelled star and badge regalia of the Sovereign and Grand Master of the Order of St. Patrick.

06/07/2022.Reading time 5 minutes.

The theft from Dublin Castle of the Irish Crown Jewels, the heavily jewelled star and badge regalia of the Sovereign and Grand Master of the Order of St. Patrick, as well as the collars of five knights of the Order is discovered on 6 July 1907. The stolen gems were never found and the crime […]

Read More

#OTD in 1919 – Dan Breen and Seán Treacy rescue their comrade Seán Hogan from a Dublin-Cork train at Knocklong, Co Limerick; two policemen guarding him are killed.

13/05/2022.Reading time 5 minutes.

In one of the most dramatic events in the Irish War of Independence, a handcuffed young Tipperary volunteer, Seán Hogan, was rescued from a train while sat between four armed members of the Royal Irish Constabulary (RIC). Two RIC were killed in the attack and a number of the volunteers wounded. The rescue was undertaken […]

Read More

#OTD in 1922 – The ‘Arnon Street Massacre’ | Belfast.

01/04/2022.Reading time 8 minutes.

Six Catholic civilians, three in Arnon Street, were shot dead. It is believed that members of either the Ulster Special Constabulary (USC) or of the RIC were responsible, acting in retaliation for the killing of an RIC officer by the IRA. Although the Irish War of Independence officially ended in July 1921, the IRA’s conflict with […]

Read More

#OTD in 1922 – McMahon killings | In Belfast, policemen break into the home of a Catholic family and shoot all eight males inside, killing six.

24/03/2022.Reading time 4 minutes.

At about 1.00 am on 24 March, gunmen broke into the home of a middle-class Catholic family who lived at 3 Kinnaird Terrace, near the Antrim Road in North Belfast. Publican Owen McMahon lived there with his wife, six sons, his daughter, and his barman, Edward McKinney. The McMahon family had no connection to any […]

Read More