The Coming of the ‘G’ Men: The Birth of the Dublin Detective Division,1838–45

On the introduction of the D.M.P., see Allen Gregory , “The New Police: London and Dublin — The Birth of the Dublin Metropolitan Police”, in Police Journal. October, 1977, pp. 304–317.

Dublin Metropolitan Police, Instructions, Orders &c. &c. &c. (Dublin, 1837). pp. 3–4.

S.P.O.I. C.S.O.R.P. 1845/P.13136, John L. O'Ferrall to Dublin Castle, September 30, 1845.

Porter Frank Thorpe . Gleanings and Reminiscences (2nd ed., Dublin/London, 1875), p. 177.

D.E.P., September 21, 1839.

D.E.P., October 3, 1837.

D.E.P., October 3, 1839.

On Ribbonism. see Beames M.R. , “The Ribbon Societies: Lower-Class Nationalism in Pre-Famine Ireland”, in Past and Present . No. 97, 1982, pp. 128–143; and Garvin Tom , “Defenders, Ribbonmen and Others: Underground Political Networks in Pre-Famine Ireland”, in Past and Present, No. 96, 1982, pp. 133–155.

See The Trial of Richard Jones, taken in shorthand by Andrew Bourne (Dublin, 1840), especially pp. 57–61.

D.E.P., May 2, 1840.

S.P.O.I. D.P.L.B. p. 88, T. Drummond to the Receiver of the D.M.P., March 12, 1839. This point is significant as the D.M.P. appears to be acting as a detective agency for the whole of Ireland, otherwise why did the constabulary in Tipperary not send a man to Leeds?.

S.P.O.I. C.S.O.R.P. 1839/87/9666.

S.P.O.I. C.S.O.R.P. 1839/87/9718, G. Browne to T. Drummond, November 15, 1839.

D'arcy F.A. , “The Murder of Thomas Hanlon”, in Dublin Historical Record, vol. xxiv, 1970–1971, pp. 89–100, at p.96.

P.R.O. C.O. 904/8 306.

See S.P.O.I. C.S.O.R.P. 1845/P.15300 (enclosed with P.17880).

Flint John , The Dublin Police and the Police System (Dublin, 1847). pp. 29–30.

D.E.P., May 8, 1841.

D.E.M., December 22, 1841. The following account is also derived from this source.

D.E.P., January 4, 1842.

D.E.P., January 15, 1842.

D.E.P., February 5, 1842.

D.E.P., January 18, 1842.

S.P.O.I. D.P.L.B. p.92, Lord Morpeth to the Commissioners of the D.M.P., October 31, 1839.

S.P.O.I. C.S.O.R.P. 1841/P.13118, G. Browne to the Under Secretary, October 20, 1841.

On informer rewards, see S.P.O.I. C.S.O.R.P. 1841/P.1450, G. Browne to the Under Secretary, February 12, 1841.

For a satirical view of the lot of the police informer, see an anonymous pamphlet, Report of a Meeting of the Informers of Dublin (Dublin, 1842). This pamphlet, a copy of which is available in the National Library of Ireland, Dublin, is attributed to James Henry, who earlier wrote a satirical essay on the D.M.P., An Account of the Proceedings of the Government Metropolitan Police in the City of Canton (Dublin, 1840).

This was not the first time that Delahunt had tendered misleading information to the authorities. Before his death, he confessed that evidence he had earlier given against a tinker named Richard Cooney for the murder of an Italian organ-grinder, Dominico Garlibardo, at Rathfarnham on Saturday, February 27, 1841, was false. However, he did not admit to perpetrating the murder himself, although it had certain similarities to the murder of Maguire -Garlibardo's throat “was nearly cut across”. (D.E.P., March 2, 1841). His informations implicating three coal porters, John Byrne, Hugh Courtney and John Mathews, for a violent assault on Richard Bridges Craddock, an ex-army captain of 77 Meath Street, on July 9, 1841, were similarly fabricated, (D.E.P., August 21, 1841). On Delahunt, see also Porter, op. cit. pp. 167–172. For a biased view, see Flint , op. cit. pp. 28–29.

S.P.O.I. C.S.O.R.P. 1845/P13136, John L. O'Ferrall to Dublin Castle, September 30, 1845.

Howe Ronald Sir , The Story of Scotland Yard (NEL paperback edn., London, 1968), pp. 24–26.

S.P.O.I. C.S.O.R.P. 1845/P.13136, John L. O'Ferrall to Dublin Castle, September 30, 1845.

S.P.O.I. C.S.O.R.P. 1843/P.3078, G. Browne to the Under Secretary, March 1, 1843.

S.P.O.I. C.S.O.R.P. 1843/P.3784, John L. O'Ferrall to the Under Secretary, March 16, 1843.

D.E.P., May 21, 1844, the arrest at Athlone of Richard Lennon concerned in the forgery of a bank draft for £450.

D.E.P., April 1, 1844, the case of Charles Herrick, arrested in Birmingham for embezzling £321 from Mr. Robert Miller, of Henry and Co., Abbey Street, Dublin.

D.E.P., January 25, 1844, the arrest of Andrew Whelan for the murder of a Mr. Waller, and S.P.O.I. C.S.O.R.P. 1845/P.7962, the apprehension of Rody Cummins concerned in an attack on the house of a widow named Scanlan in Co. Tipperary.

D.E.P., September 2, 1843.

S.P.O.I. C.S.O.R.P. 1845/P.1730, John L. O'Ferrall to the Under Secretary, February 6, 1845. Chief Secretary's approval, February 19, 1845.

S.P.O.I. C.S.O.R.P. 1845/P.13136, John L. O'Ferrall to Dublin Castle, September 30, 1845.

Ibid.

Ibid.

D.E.P., August 20, 1844.

Ibid.

For Mr. Duffy's alleged indecent assaults on two boys, Peter Scully and John Mason, see S.P.O.I. C.S.O.R.P. 1845/P.10568 and S.P.O.I. C.S.O.R.P. 1846/P.15802. Although acquitted, Mr. Duffy was forced to resign, see S.P.O.I. C.S.O.R.P. 1847/P.1161.

S.P.O.I. C.S.O.R.P. 1845/P.13136, John L. O'Ferrall to Dublin Castle, September 30, 1845.

Ibid.

D.E.P., September 26, 1844.

Ibid.

D.E.P., October 12, 1844.

S.P.O.I. C.S.O.R.P. 1845/P.13136, John L. O'Ferrall to Dublin Castle, September 30, 1845.

Howgrave-Graham H.M. , Light and Shade at Scotland Yard (London, 1947), pp. 155–156.

On the introduction of the detective force in London, see Radzinowicz Leon Sir , A History of English Criminal Law and its Administration from 1750 , vol. 4, “Grappling for Control” (London, 1968), pp. 188–189.

On the popular response to the introduction of the D.M.P., see Cochrane Nigel , “Public Reaction to the Introduction of a new Police Force: Dublin 1838–45”, in Police Studies: The International Review of Police Development, Summer 1987, (forthcoming).