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Carlow County - Ireland Genealogical Projects (IGP TM)
The Royal Irish Constabulary Source: Jake Duggan |
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R.I.C Handover and the Civic Guards in Carlow:
By Jake Duggan
Introduction to Law enforcement in Carlow prior to the handover.
Like every other county in Ireland Carlow had its fair share of
Royal Irish Constabulary barracks' and men. The first Barracks
to open in Carlow was on Burrin Street. The barracks at
Forge Cross would handle Graiguecullen and the surrounding area.
Carlow was divided into two R.I.C districts, Carlow and
Muinebeag, with Carlow itself being the County and district
Headquarters or H.Q Carlow's R.I.C. Barracks moved to Tullow St.
in 1870 (This is the barraks in Carlow that would later be
handed over to the Civic Guards).
In 1916 the strength of the Carlow R.I.C was reported to be:
Handover of the Barracks' and the actions that followed. The
last members of the R.I.C left Carlow in February of 1922 as
reported in the nationalist: “The minister for local government wrote acknowledging receipt of
the council’s letter relative to the R.I.C barracks and stated
that the matter was having attention. The town clerk said this
was in reply to a letter which he had written relative to a
suggestion that the barracks would be procured for the purpose
of relieving the congestion in housing in the town. Continuing
the town clerk said that they had ascertained since the barracks
belonged to the Duke of Leinster and immediately on it being
vacated by the R.I.C., it fell back into his hands again. It was
only leased to the sectary state of war the council decide to
await developments.”
On the 28th of September 1922 the Civic guards took over. There
were: 3 sergeants and 28 guards in the Carlow Civic guard at
this time.
The sergeants were: Martin
Walsh, John McGlion and
Patrick Duffy. Here
is what the Nationalist had to say on the matter: “About 50 members of the Civic Guard arrived at Carlow on Thursday
and took quarters at the former R.I.C. barracks.”
On the 15th of November the first inspector arrived in Carlow,
he was Dan Hanlon. On
the 4th of December 1922
Sgt. McGlion and three other guards opened Muinebeag station
and on the same day Sgt.
Duffy opened Tullow station.
The Hacketstown and Borris stations were opened in January of
1923.
Carlow also got its first superintendent around this time, he
was Nicholas Murphy. Here is what the Nationalist reported about the Hacketstown barracks and the events that unfolded at it in the Hacketstown notes 20th January 1923:
“Civic Guards -A Sergeant and four members of the Civic Guard
arrived in Hacketstown from the depot on Wednesday and took up
their quarters in the barracks that had been prepared for them
at Kilconnaught, about a quarter mile from town. On Friday night
a party of men numbering about a dozen, armed with rifles and
revolvers and having gained admittance ordered the guards to
pack up their personal belongings and be ready to quit at the
word of command. All government property such as beds , clothing
, uniforms etc. were piled in a heap in the yard and drenched
with petrol and set alight. Thee Guards were then marched
towards town and warned under pain of serious penalties not to
be found in possession of the building again.
The burning was subject to vigorous denunciation from the
alter on Sunday by
Rev. Father Monahan P.P. , who called the civil
population to support the civic guards, whom they were all glad
to welcome amongst them, and thus show these unarmed,
unoffending men that they (the public) had no sympathy with the
perpetrator of the outrage.”
The
opening week of the Borris station was less eventful. Source:
Jake Duggan
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