The disbanded Royal Irish Constabulary and forced migration, 1922–31

ABSTRACT

This article concerns the men of the Royal Irish Constabulary (RIC) who were disbanded from the force in 1922 and felt obliged to leave Ireland for Britain. Afforded unique – if not always entirely sufficient – financial and practical arrangements by the British government, this was in many respects a distinctive but particularly well documented cohort of Irish migrants. While the RIC was an exclusively male force, disbandment and migration also impacted on the wives and children of married members. The article will first examine the nature of migration under threat of republican violence for Irish-born, disbanded RIC members. It will then explore forced separation and the experiences of police families, before offering some reflections on what this case-study can tell us about contemporary understanding of gender and violence.

KEYWORDS:

• Royal Irish Constabulary
• Irish Revolution
• migration
• disbandment
• gendered violence

Acknowledgments

The author would like to thank Dr Jennifer Redmond for the invitation to submit to this special issue. Also, Dr Seán William Gannon for sharing research findings and providing insightful comments on an earlier draft. Some of the early work on this article was funded by a National University of Ireland Postdoctoral Fellowship and I would like to acknowledge the support of the NUI, Maynooth University, and Mary Immaculate College.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Notes

1. Hughes, Defying the IRA?, 192–4.

2. Heffernan, “Physical Culture,” 237–51; Beatty, Masculinity and Power, 67–9 for Garda Síochána; Bureau of Military History Witness Statement 353 (James McGuill); and Hughes, Defying the IRA?, 22–5.

3. McGaughey, Ulster’s Men, 19.

4. Farrell, Arming the Protestants, 18; Wilson, “McMahon Murders,” 97; and McGaughey, “Language of Sacrifice,” 306–7.

5. Tosh, “Masculinities in an Industrializing Society,” 331–3.

6. Heffernan, “Physical Culture,” 242.

7. Walsh to Assistant Under-Secretary and Secretary, RIC Tribunal, 22 April 1922 (TNA, HO 351/98).

8. Tudor to Greenwood, 5 April 1922 (TNA, HO 351/95).

9. Constabulary Gazette, 28 January 1922.

10. Quoted in Fedorowich, “Problems of Disbandment,” 94–6.

11. I am grateful to Dr Gannon for sharing these figures, which are part of an ongoing research project.

12. Memorandum by Secretary, IGC (TNA, CO 762/1).

13. Daily Mail, 11 December 1922.

14. For the RIC’s reputation see Heffernan, “Physical Culture,” 22.

15. See note 13 above.

16. Royal Irish Constabulary: Revised Terms of Disbandment [Cmd. 1673], H.C. 1922. Pensions (termed “compensation allowances”) were calculated to account for lost service.

17. Report of the RIC Tribunal to Secretary of State for Home Affairs, 24 February 1924 (TNA, CO 762/1). Over 600 men were required to refund disturbance allowances as they had “remained in Ireland and not removed their homes” (including a small number who went on to join an Garda Síochána) but a generous interpretation of the rules allowed a further “large proportion” who did not move to keep theirs.

18. The letters are found in TNA, HO 351/98.

19. Royal Irish Constabulary: Revised Terms of Disbandment [Cmd. 1673], H.C. 1922.

20. Hemming quoted in Fedorowich, “Problems of Disbandment,” 105.

21. Report of the RIC Tribunal to Secretary of State for Home Affairs, 24 February 1924 (TNA, CO 762/1); Odgers to Jamieson, 11 April 1927 (TNA: HO 45/13580); Brief summary of the work of the RIC Tribunal, 1928 (TNA, CO HO/45/13029); and IGC Report of Committee, November 1930 (TNA, CO 762/212).

22. Royal Irish Constabulary: Revised Terms of Disbandment [Cmd. 1673], H.C. 1922 and Odgers to Jamieson, 11 April 1927 (TNA, HO 45/13580).

23. IGC Report of Committee, November 1930 (TNA, CO 904/212) and Memo by Secretary, IGC (TNA, CO 762/1).

24. The IGC was ultimately satisfied with the “bona fides” of the majority of its claimants: IGC Report of Committee, November 1930 (TNA, CO 904/212). The RIC Tribunal claimed that cases in which the Tribunal was were misled were “very few” (TNA, CO 762/1).

25. O’Hegarty to Curtis, 18 May 1922 in First Interim Report of the Irish Distress Committee, 1922.

26. House of Commons debate (hereafter HC), 10 May 1922, vol. 153, col. 2249. The Dublin correspondent of the Manchester Guardian (1 April 1922) suggested that “most” of 8000 Irish members would “go to England and Scotland” but this was an overestimate.

27. Patrick McDonagh, Irish Grants Committee claim (hereafter “claim”) (TNA, CO 762/37/7); Timothy Murphy claim (TNA, CO 762/7/3); and Thomas Sullivan claim (TNA, CO 762/130/7).

28. For recent debate on the extent and nature of Protestant emigration and population decline, see Wood, ‘Protestant Population Decline’; Bury, Buried Lives, 13–33; Fitzpatrick, Descendancy, 159–180; Bielenberg, “Exodus”; and Keane, “Ethnic Cleansing?”

29. Luke Patrick McMahon claim (TNA, CO 762/60/3).

30. See, for examples, Gannon, “Very Cruel Cases,” 17–20.

31. Brief summary of the work of the RIC Tribunal, 1928 (TNA, CO HO/45/13029).

32. Anderson to Horwood, 5 April 1922 and Whiskard to Buckland, 8 May 1922 (TNA, MEPO 2/1814).

33. HC, 22 May 1922, vol. 154, col. 796–9.

34. Fedorowich, “Problems of Disbandment,” 105.

35. Brief summary of the work of the RIC Tribunal, 1928 (TNA, CO HO/45/13029). Chamberlain quoted in Fedorowich, “Problems of Disbandment,” 93.

36. HC, 10 May 1922, vol. 153, col. 2258. The separation allowance was 14s. per week for a man, 17s. 6d. per week for a head constable, and 28s. per week for an officer for a maximum of three months.

37. See note 33 above.

38. Brennan, “Compensating the Royal Irish Constabulary.”

39. Observer, 7 May 1922.

40. Belfast News-Letter, 5 July 1922.

41. Belfast News-Letter, 19 September 1922.

42. RIC Tribunal, arrangements with SILRA RIC Committee (TNA, HO/351/99).

43. SILRA regularly published appeals for, and on behalf of, ex-RIC men looking for employment. See, for example, Morning Post, 9 October 1922, 14 October 1922, 14 February 1924.

44. Horwood to Churchill, 25 January 1922 (TNA, HO 45/24754) and Daily Mail, 22 December 1922.

45. Klein, “Quiet and Determined Servants and Guardians,” 201.

46. Gannon, “Southern Irish Loyalists,” 160–2 and Gannon, Irish Imperial Service, 31–7, 40–3. Police forces in the dominions were also disinclined to take on ex-RIC: Fedorowich, “Problems of Disbandment,” 99–100.

47. Commandant, RIC Camp, Gormanston, to Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis, 28 April 1922 and reply, 6 May 1922 (TNA, MEPO 2/1814).

48. RIC Tribunal memorandum, 9 June 1922 (TNA, HO 351/96).

49. Patrick Wrynn to RIC Tribunal, 22 August 1922 (TNA, HO 361/98).

50. This is confirmed by many ex-RIC applicants to the IGC when asked to account for their current circumstances on the application form. See, also, the case of Michael Flynn, who ultimately returned to Ireland but remained unable to find secure work (TNA, HO 144/22575).

51. See note 29 above.

52. Edward Tighe claim (TNA, CO 762/39/20).

53. HC, 10 May 1922, vol. 153, col. 2243.

54. Ibid., col. 2257.

55. “Summary of evidence given by Divisional Commissioner Moore on behalf of the Divisional Commissioners to the Tribunal,” 1922 (TNA, HO 351/96).

56. Note on Divisional Commissioner Moore, 1922 (Ibid.).

57. “Summary of evidence given by Divisional Commissioner Moore on behalf of the Divisional Commissioners to the Tribunal,” 1922 (TNA: HO 351/96). Modern values (2018) calculated using https://www.measuringworth.com/calculators/ppoweruk/.

58. Francis Ronan to RIC Tribunal, 20 July 1922 (TNA, HO 351/98).

59. Martin McLaughlin claim (TNA, CO 762/23/2).

60. Reprinted in Belfast News-Letter, 25 August 1922.

61. J. McGoldrick to RIC Tribunal, 14 July 1922 (TNA, HO 351/98).

62. W. Connolly to RIC Tribunal, 15 July 1922 (TNA, HO 351/98).

63. Quoted in Brennan, “Compensating the Royal Irish Constabulary.”

64. Brief summary of the work of the RIC Tribunal, 1928 (TNA, HO 45/13029).

65. Memorandum, 17 April 1931 (TNA, HO 144/22600).

66. Minutes on Memorandum, Apr. to May 1931 (TNA, HO 144/22600).

67. Michael Flynn to RIC Tribunal, 19 May 1923 (TNA, HO 144/22575).

68. James Tarsony claim (TNA, CO 762/164/9).

69. See Hughes, Defying the IRA?, 21–39.

70. Mr and Mrs Gerald Scollard claim (TNA, CO 762/37/5). Hanna Scollard’s first name is not given in the file: see 1911 census return for Gerald and Hanna Scollard, Waterford (http://census.nationalarchives.ie/) (accessed May 4, 2020).

71. As well as examples cited above, see, for instance, William John Milliken claim (TNA, CO762/11/1) [“nervous system became unstrung”]; Pim Goodbody claim (TNA, CO 762/85/1) [“several shocks and frights”]; and Jonathan C. Darby claim (TNA, CO 762/11/1) [“health of applicant’s wife gave way and she had a nervous breakdown”].

72. John George Donaghy claim (TNA, CO 762/55/9).

73. Mary Butler claim (TNA, CO 762/106/11). Butler claimed she had already suffered a boycott while living alone at Knock, County Mayo as her husband awaited disbandment in Ballyhaunis.

74. Irish Independent, 17 May 1921. Lily Blake’s first name is not given in the report. See death certificate (https://civilrecords.irishgenealogy.ie/churchrecords/images/deaths_returns/deaths_1921/05094/4399008.pdf) (accessed May 1, 2020).

75. Evening Echo, 6 March 1922 and Freeman’s Journal, 9 March 1922.

76. Conolly; Byrne; Clark IHS.

77. Kennedy, Widening Gulf, 128.

78. Memorandum by the Secretary, Overseas Settlement Office, 11 November 1922 (TNA, CO 739/13).

79. IGC Report of Committee, 1930 (TNA, CO 762/212).

80. Connolly, “Sexual Violence,” 2–5.

81. Ryan, “Drunken Tans,” 77, 90 and Stover, “Families,” 66.

82. See Eileen M.W. Biggs claim (TNA, CO 762/4/8); File on Mrs Biggs, Tipperary (TNA, CO 739/15); Clark, Everyday Violence, 186–7; and Connolly, “Sexual Violence,” 6–7.

83. First Interim Report of the Irish Distress Committee, 1922.

84. This is a regular complaint in compensation claims. See, also, Memorandum to the Cabinet, 1927 (TNA, CO 762/1/16).

85. Notice to disbanded members of the RIC, Sep. 1922 (TNA, HO 351/99).

86. See, for example, Timothy Doona claim (CO 762/60/20) and Patrick McDonagh claim (TNA, CO 762/37/7).

87. Hughes, Defying the IRA?, 80 and Gannon, Irish Imperial Service, 45.

88. James F. Moore claim (TNA, CO 762/65/24).

89. Mr and Mrs Gerald Scollard claim (TNA, CO 762/37/5).

90. James Hopkins claim (TNA, CO 762/102/9).

91. Coleman, “Violence against Women,” 141–9 and Byrne, “Keeping Company with the Enemy,” 2–7.

92. Stover, “Families,” 59, 62–4, 66–8.

93. Ryan, “Drunken Tans,” 80.

94. Tosh, “Masculinities in an Industrializing Society,” 333.

95. For wider discussion of the range and nature of violence and its impact on behaviour, see Hughes, Defying the IRA?

96. See note 49 above.

97. “Anarchy in the West of Ireland,” n.d. (PRONI, D989/C/1/39).

98. See note 58 above.

99. See note 68 above.

100. Martin McLoughlin claim (TNA, CO 762/23/2).

101. Heffernan, “Physical Culture,” 241.

102. The focus of most work on women’s participation in the Irish Revolution has been on labour, suffrage, or republican activists. Violence as experienced by police wives is not within the scope of the literature cited above.