Police

Hermon, Sir John Charles ('Jack') (1928–2008), chief constable of the RUC (1980–89), was born 23 November 1928 in Castletown, Islandmagee (near Whitehead), Co. Antrim, youngest of four children (three sons and a daughter) of William Rowan Hermon, building contractor, and his wife Agnes…

Jenkinson, Sir Edward George (1835–1919), civil servant and police administrator, was son of the Rev. J. S. Jenkinson. Educated at Harrow school and at Haileybury College (owned by the East India Co.), he joined the Indian civil service in 1856. Appointed to the North West Provinces…

Johnstone, Walter Edgeworth- (1863–1937), soldier, DMP commissioner, and sportsman, was born at Kingstown, Co. Dublin, the eldest son of Robert Johnstone (1806–85), QC and county court judge, of Laputa, Co. Donegal, and his wife Doris Tivy. In 1838 a…

Joyce, William Henry (1849/50–1928), policeman and magistrate, was born in Urney, Co. Tyrone, youngest of seven children of John Joyce and Eliza Anne Joyce (maiden name unknown), resident at Beechmount, Ballycolman, Strabane, Co. Tyrone. His father was clerk of the crown for Co.…

Kennedy, Sir Albert Henry (1906–91), inspector-general of the RUC, was born 11 February 1906 in Belfast, the son of Joseph Kennedy, RIC (and later RUC) detective sergeant, and his wife…

Kennedy, Sir James Shaw- (1788–1865), army and police officer, was born 13 October 1788 at the Largs, Straiton parish, Ayrshire, Scotland, second among six children of Capt. John Shaw, originally of Dalton, Kirkcudbrightshire, and Wilhelmina Hannah Shaw (née Macadam) of Waterhead,…

Kinlen, Dermot Patrick (1930–2007), barrister, judge and penal reformer, was born 24 April 1930 in Dublin, the eldest of two sons and one daughter of Louis P. Kinlen, of Darwin Hall, 200 Rathfarnham Road, Dublin, a building contractor, and his wife Aileen (née O'Donnell). Educated…

Kinnane, Michael Joseph (‘M. J.’) (1889–1952), civil servant and Garda Síochána commissioner, was born 18 January 1889 in Drumcondra, Dublin, son of Martin Kinnane and Eileen Kinnane (née Carney), national school teachers. Raised in Mountbellew, Co. Galway, and educated at…

Lagan, Francis ('Frank') (1916–2005), policeman, was born 11 December 1916 in Lisnamuck, Maghera, Co. Londonderry, one of seven children of Francis Lagan and his wife Bridget (née O'Donnell), who were both schoolteachers; Bridget's father was a member of the…

MacCarthy, Thomas St George (1862–1943), athlete, RIC officer, and co-founder of the GAA, was born 9 June 1862 at Bansha, Co. Tipperary, second of four children of George MacCarthy, constabulary officer, and Margaret MacCarthy (née…

This is a co-subject for the entry on Magill, Andrew Philip. View the original entry.

Mallon, John (1839–1915), policeman, was born 10 May 1839 near Meigh, Co. Armagh, the eldest child of Thomas Mallon, a tenant farmer, and his wife, Judith (Susan) Connolly. Educated at Newry model school and mentored by Canon Michael Murphy, Mallon was then apprenticed to a Newry draper…

Mayne, Sir Richard (1796–1868), barrister and policeman, was born 27 November 1796 in Dublin, fourth son of Edward Mayne, barrister and later judge of the king's bench in Ireland (1817–20) and possibly descended from a family of English origin settled in the Monaghan–Fermanagh area…

McElligott, Thomas J. (1888–1961), police man, union activist, and republican, was born 2 April 1888 at Duagh, Listowel,Co. Kerry, second eldest of sixteen children of a small farmer named McElligott and his wife Julia (née McCarthy). He received a local national school education…

McGrath, Matthew J. (1875–1941), athlete and police officer in the USA, was born 28 December 1875 (not 20 December 1876, as usually given) at Nenagh, Co. Tipperary, one of eleven children of Jim McGrath, a tenant farmer, and his wife, Anne. His birth was registered on 13 January 1876…

Mee, Jeremiah (1889–1953), leader of the Listowel RIC mutiny, was born 29 March 1889 at Knickanes, Glenamaddy, Co. Galway, fourth child among five sons and four daughters of John Mee and Ellen Mee (née Mee). His home was a 21-acre farm near Glenamaddy village. From 1893 to 1901 he…

Melville, William (1852–1918), detective, was born in Sneem, Co. Kerry, son of James Melville. He had at least one brother; other details of his early life are unknown. In 1872 he joined the London Metropolitan Police; his rise within the detective service may have been accelerated…

Murphy, William Richard English (1890–1975), teacher, soldier, schools’ inspector, general and police commissioner, was born on 26 January 1890 at Danescastle, Carrig on Bannow, Co. Wexford, son of John Joseph Murphy and Sarah Agnes (née English), both of whom were teachers. He had one…

Neligan, David (1899–1983), intelligence agent, police detective and superintendent, was born 14 October 1899 in Templeglantine, Abbeyfeale, Co. Limerick, youngest among four sons and four daughters of David Neligan, a Co. Kerry native, and Eliza Neligan (née Mullane), a native of…

Nixon, John William (1877–1949), policeman and politician, was born 1 June 1877 in Graddum, Co. Cavan, into a methodist family; other family details are unknown. He joined the RIC in 1899, served in Belfast, Donegal, Antrim, Mayo,…

O'Duffy, Eoin (1890–1944), soldier, policeman, and politician, was born 28 January 1890 on the family farm at Carrickaduff (Cargaghdoo), near Castleblayney, Co. Monaghan, youngest among five sons and two daughters of Eugene (‘Owen’) Duffy and Brigid Duffy (née Fealy) of the nearby…

O'Dwyer, William (‘Bill-O’) (1890–1964), policeman, lawyer, judge, and politician in the USA, was born 7 July 1890 in Lismirrane (Lismiraun), Bohola, Swinford, Co. Mayo, eldest of eleven children (of whom six sons and four daughters survived infancy) of Patrick O'Dwyer, native of…

O'Ferrall, John Lewis More (1800–81), barrister and commissioner of the DMP (1836–71), was born 9 June 1800, second son of Ambrose O'Ferrall of Ballyna, Co. Kildare, formerly a major in the Sardinian service, and his wife Anne (d. 1810), daughter of John Bagot of Castle Bagot, Co…

O'Neill, Francis (1848–1936), policeman, traditional musician, and music collector, was born 28 August 1848 in Tralibane, Bantry, Co. Cork, youngest among five sons and two daughters of John O'Neill (c.1801–67), a prosperous and educated farmer, and Catherine (‘Kit’) O'Neill (…

O'Sullivan, John L. (1901–90), soldier, policeman, and politician, was born 8 June 1901 on his family's farm at Carrigroe, Rathbarry, near Clonakilty, Co. Cork, youngest son of James Sullivan, farmer, and Mary Anne Sullivan (née Collins). It is uncertain when the ‘O’ prefix was…