An Cosantóir

An Cosantóir March 2020 www.dfmagazine.ie 30 | BY JAMES SCANNELL ATTACKS AGAINST THE DMP, 1919 W hen Michael Collins returned to Ireland in 1917 with the other 1916 internees, he realised that the police were the eyes and ears of Dublin Castle and posed the greatest threat at local level to the activities of the Volunteers and Sinn Féin. The Royal Irish Constabulary (RIC) undertook national policing apart from Dublin City, Pembroke, Rathmines, Blackrock, Kingstown (Dún Laoghaire), and Dalkey, where policing was carried out by the Dublin Metropolitan Police (DMP). In January 1919 Collins met with Ned Broy, one of his three covert intelligence gatherers/informants in G (Detective) Division of the DMP, in 5 Cabra Road, Dublin. At this meet- ing it was decided that no action would be taken against uniformed DMP members who did not take part in anti-Sinn Féin activities, as the majority of the force were anti-British in outlook. It was also agreed that no member of G Division would be at- tacked provided they took no action against the Volunteers. Those G-men who persisted in acting against the Volunteers and Sinn Féin would first receive a warning, prior to any action being taken against them. On 5 April 1919 Broy covertly let Collins into the Central Police Sta- tion (present day Pearse Street Garda Station) where he carried out an overnight examination of G Division files. This provided Collins with a great amount of information about who posed the greatest threat to him. Two days later, several G Division detectives received warning letters about their intelligence-gathering activities, others received personal visits from Volunteers and were warned about their excessive zeal; not all heeded the warning. The first DMP member selected for attack by Collins was 48-year-old Detective Sergeant Patrick Smyth. Despite a number of warnings, Smyth refused to drop charges against Píaras Beaslaí, a prominent Sinn Féin member that he had arrested for making a seditious speech and for several incriminating documents found on his person. Warned by both Collins and Harry Boland not to produce these documents in court, Smyth did just that, resulting in Beaslaí receiving a two-year prison sentence instead of the usual two months. Smyth was shot and wounded as he was returning to his home in Drumcondra on the evening of Wednesday 30 July 1919 by a squad consisting of Jim Slattery, Tom Keogh, Joe Ennis, and Mick Kennedy (who knew Smyth by sight). Brought by ambulance to the Mater Hospital, on admission he was found to have sustained three gunshot wounds. One bullet, which entered his back, passed through one of his lungs and lodged in his chest above the heart, had caused the most serious wound. Smyth died on Monday 8 September 1919 as the result of complications arising from an abscess of the lung caused by his wounds. Post-operation analysis carried out by Collins's men indicated that the .38 rounds used lacked stopping power and enabled the victim to fight back, so in future operations it was decided to use Det.-Sgt Barton Shooting report Det.-Sgt Barton report

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