Tipp policing history appeal

Nenagh researcher seeking information about first gardaí

When the new Irish Free State was established in 1922, the task of founding, recruiting, training and deploying a new police force with Civil War looming was arduous. Michael Collins convened a meeting to form a ‘Police Organising Committee’ at the Gresham Hotel on February 9, 1922. The majority of the Police Organising Committee were serving policemen from the Royal Irish Constabulary (RIC) and Dublin Metropolitan Police (DMP), but Collins needed experienced, professional policemen to train recruits for the new force, given that it would initially be made up almost entirely of IRA volunteers with no previous policing experience.

The biggest number of Civic Guard recruits came from labouring or farming backgrounds, and IRA veterans made over 95% of the rank and file of new Civic Guard recruits. They had to provide references from local IRA commanders, parish priests and TDs.

Garda recruitment began in 1922 at the RDS but then moved to Kildare, where a ‘mutiny’ broke out in May when former IRA recruits objected to ex-RIC men being appointed as Garda officers to train and run the new force. This event is the main reason why it was decided that the Civic Guard would be unarmed. During the Irish Civil War, pro-treaty soldiers of the National Army joined the Civic Guard, making up over 20% of those recruited during 1923.

On August 8, 1923 the Civic Guard was renamed An Garda Síochána and, and then amalgamated with the Dublin Metropolitan Police (DMP) on April 3, 1925. In July 1959 the first 12 female members were recruited and were known as the ‘Ban Gardaí’.

To mark the Garda centenary in 2022, numerous events were held throughout Ireland to mark 100 years since the foundation of the force.

TIPPERARY POLICING HISTORY

County Tipperary has played a crucial role in the history of Irish policing. The Irish Constabulary Act of 1822 introduced organised policing to Ireland and the first deployment of police was in the Cashel area. The War of Independence began with the Soloheadbeg ambush of January 21, 1919. It was also in Tipperary that first Civic Guard was killed in the line of duty when Henry Phelan (Reg No 1347) was shot dead in Mullinahone on November 14, 1922. Superintendent Sean Curtin (Reg No 785) was killed outside his home near Greenane, Tipperary, on March 21, 1931, the first officer of rank to be killed.

Among other gardaí in Tipperary who died while serving include Sergeant James Hartigan (Reg No 1847) and Sergeant Timothy Kelly (Reg No 2031), who were killed on December 19, 1930 when their garda car crashed at Scotts Bridge, a few miles outside Nenagh.

One of the earliest recruits to join was Thomas Watson (Reg No 13), born in 1899 at Grace's Street, Nenagh. The first address of County Tipperary on the register was Denis Carroll (Reg No W1), who resided at Templederry. Of the 106 men with Tipperary addresses that joined in the first year, 10 of them were sworn in on March 18, 1922 with many of them coming from Nenagh town or district, such as Benjamin Gill, Edward Ryan and Christopher Gleeson.

The first Civic Guards arrived in Roscrea in October 1922, Thurles on November 28, Nenagh on November 29 and Tipperary Town in March 1923. Between 1922 and 1932, about 370 men from County Tipperary joined, making up 4.6% of the force. On February 14, 1964, Tipperary was again prominent when the Garda Training Centre (now the Garda College) moved from Garda HQ in the Phoenix Park Dublin to Templemore, and it remains there today as a thriving third level college.

RESOURCES FOR RESEARCHING

Michael Reynolds (Nenagh Military History Facebook Group and Save Nenagh Military Barracks Campaign) is currently researching early Garda history (in County Tipperary and has been assisting people in tracing relatives who served in An Garda Síochána since 2023). His ‘Garda Genealogy and History Ireland’ Facebook Group currently has over 7,200 members and anyone with an interest in this subject is welcome to join.

In addition, Michael set up the ‘Policing Genealogy Ireland’ website, which can be seen online. With the assistance of a dozen volunteers, the digitised Civic Guard Temporary Register 1922-1925 from the UCD library has been digitised and made searchable. This lists the 6,500 names of the first members of An Garda Síochána who joined or attempted to join.

Each member of the Civic Guard/ An Garda Síochána and their families have unique stories still to be told. If you have or know anybody who has information, photographs, documents, letters or artefacts of interest on Garda history, please contact Michael via Facebook or by email:

policinggenealogyireland@gmail.com.