[ Note added 2010 by Michael Purcell--- On the 21st January 1919, a group of nine masked Irish Volunteers ( by this time the Irish Volunteers were increasingly referred to as the Irish Republican Army ) ambushed a party of armed Royal Irish Constabulary escorting a cart load of gelignite (used for quarrying) at Soloheadbeg in Tipperary, two R.I.C. policemen were killed in the exchange of gunfire. This incident is regarded as the commencement of the Irish "War of Independence" (Anglo-Irish War). In November of that year a Carlow man serving in the R.I.C. was killed. The following is the report from the Nationalist and Leinster Times. This report is followed by a comment from Nationalist correspondent "Tatler". Nationalist 8th November 1919. Carlow Policeman Killed. On Friday of last week the R.I.C. Barracks in Ballivar, County Meath, was attacked by a number of masked men and a quantity of arms taken. The police defended, but the raid was short, sharp and decisive. The Sergeant was wounded, and one of the police, Constable W. Agar, was shot dead. Constable Agar belongs to a family well-known in Carlow. His father was evicted from a farm at Coolnakisha near the Kilkenny-Carlow border during the land war, and the family came to live in the town of Carlow. The dead constable was for a long time in the employment of Mr. E. Boake, Tullow Street, and was very popular. He joined the R.I.C. about 12 years ago. When the evicted tenants were being restored Mr. Agar, the deceased's father was given a farm near Rathvilly. Since then he has purchased a larger holding. On Monday the remains were conveyed by R.I.C. motor hearse to Rathvilly, and were met by a large number of County Carlow constabulary and contingents from the neighbouring districts of Wicklow and Kildare. The interment took place on Tuesday and the funeral was large. Amongst the chief mourners were the dead constable's three brothers. Mr. Townsend, District Inspector and Mr. J.C.Ryan, Resident Magistrate were also in attendance. Rev. Mr. O'Callaghan officiated at the graveside. NOTES BY TATLER. The fatal shooting of the R.I.C. Constable in Ballivar, is an act that no honest or moral Irishman can condone. Condonation of such a crime would be even worse than active participation because--so far as the vast majority of the Irish people are concerned-- there must be no condoning, Like a lie no deliberate killing --outside war--can be lawful, and so far as County Meath is concerned --there has been no war. I hold my own opinions about such incidents, but I am most interested in the Commandment --"Thou shalt not kill". That law is eternal, and the consequences must also be eternal. Slaughter either in war or rebellion is one thing altogether. Unless the Irish people want to scrap the decalogue altogether, they cannot condone murder. I hold terribly strong views on those incidents. I hold that whoever is perpetrating them have lost the moral sense and are not worthy members of the community. The Royal Irish Constabulary belong to the flesh and blood of the Irish nation --rightly or wrongly-- and it must be remembered that nine-tenths of the force joined the police before the mushroom Nationalists began to realise that there was ever such a thing as Irish nationality. [ Note added 2010 by Michael Purcell--- In the months following "Tatlers" comment over 100 R.I.C. policemen were killed. Because the R.I.C. were an armed force the I.R.A. considered them an legitimate target for attack. In September 1919 the British government had reacted to this by sending over a police reserve made up of British ex-service men to support the R.I.C. they were known as "Auxiliaries". In January 1920 another force was recruited throughout Britain for service in Ireland, they became known as "The Black and Tans". From that point on a bloody guerrilla war commenced in which there were "no rules" . On 19 June 1920 Lieut-Col. Smyth, D.S.O. and Bar, made a speech to the ranks of the Royal Irish Constabulary in which he stated: *"Now, men, Sinn Fein have had all the sport up to the present, and we are going to have the sport now. The police are not in sufficient strength to do anything to hold their barracks. This is not enough for as long as we remain on the defensive, so long will Sinn Fein have the whip hand. We must take the offensive and beat Sinn Fein at its own tactics...If a police barracks is burned or if the barracks already occupied is not suitable, then the best house in the locality is to be commandeered, the occupants thrown into the gutter. Let them die there—the more the merrier. Should the order "Hands Up" not be immediately obeyed, shoot and shoot with effect. If the persons approaching a patrol carry their hands in their pockets, or are in any way suspicious looking, shoot them down. You may make mistakes occasionally and innocent persons may be shot, but that cannot be helped, and you are bound to get the right parties some time. The more you shoot, the better I will like you, and I assure you no policeman will get into trouble for shooting any man".* Many R.I.C. men resigned from the force in protest at this speech, some of them later joined the Irish Republican Army. Four weeks after making this speech Lieut-Col. Smyth was shot dead by the I.R.A. in the Smoking Room of the Cork and Country Club.

Richard Abbott's "Police Casualties in Ireland" lists 493 RIC officers killed between the start of the Troubles in 1919 and disbandment in 1922. I'm told that perhaps another 100-ish also died as a result of accidents or non-political killings in that period. On 13 Mar 2010, at 16:38, michael purcell wrote: > [ Note added 2010 by Michael Purcell--- On the 21st January 1919, a > group > of nine masked Irish Volunteers ( by this time the Irish Volunteers > were > increasingly referred to as the Irish Republican Army ) ambushed > a party > of armed Royal Irish Constabulary escorting a cart load of gelignite > (used > for quarrying) at Soloheadbeg in Tipperary, two R.I.C. policemen > were killed > in the exchange of gunfire. This incident is regarded as the > commencement of > the Irish "War of Independence" (Anglo-Irish War). > In November of that year a Carlow man serving in the R.I.C. was > killed. The > following is the report from the Nationalist and Leinster Times. > This report is followed by a comment from Nationalist correspondent > "Tatler". > Nationalist 8th November 1919. > Carlow Policeman Killed. > On Friday of last week the R.I.C. Barracks in Ballivar, County > Meath, was > attacked by a number of masked men and a quantity of arms taken. The > police > defended, but the raid was short, sharp and decisive. The Sergeant was > wounded, and one of the police, Constable W. Agar, was shot dead. > Constable Agar belongs to a family well-known in Carlow. His father > was > evicted from a farm at Coolnakisha near the Kilkenny-Carlow border > during > the land war, and the family came to live in the town of Carlow. The > dead > constable was for a long time in the employment of Mr. E. Boake, > Tullow > Street, and was very popular. He joined the R.I.C. about 12 years > ago. When > the evicted tenants were being restored Mr. Agar, the deceased's > father was > given a farm near Rathvilly. Since then he has purchased a larger > holding. > On Monday the remains were conveyed by R.I.C. motor hearse to > Rathvilly, and > were met by a large number of County Carlow constabulary and > contingents > from the neighbouring districts of Wicklow and Kildare. The > interment took > place on Tuesday and the funeral was large. > Amongst the chief mourners were the dead constable's three brothers. > Mr. > Townsend, District Inspector and Mr. J.C.Ryan, Resident Magistrate > were also > in attendance. Rev. Mr. O'Callaghan officiated at the graveside. > NOTES BY TATLER. > The fatal shooting of the R.I.C. Constable in Ballivar, is an act > that no > honest or moral Irishman can condone. Condonation of such a crime > would be > even worse than active participation because--so far as the vast > majority of > the Irish people are concerned-- there must be no condoning, Like a > lie no > deliberate killing --outside war--can be lawful, and so far as > County Meath > is concerned --there has been no war. I hold my own opinions about > such > incidents, but I am most interested in the Commandment --"Thou shalt > not > kill". That law is eternal, and the consequences must also be eternal. > Slaughter either in war or rebellion is one thing altogether. Unless > the > Irish people want to scrap the decalogue altogether, they cannot > condone > murder. > I hold terribly strong views on those incidents. I hold that whoever > is > perpetrating them have lost the moral sense and are not worthy > members of > the community. The Royal Irish Constabulary belong to the flesh and > blood of > the Irish nation --rightly or wrongly-- and it must be remembered that > nine-tenths of the force joined the police before the mushroom > Nationalists > began to realise that there was ever such a thing as Irish > nationality. > [ Note added 2010 by Michael Purcell--- In the months following > "Tatlers" > comment over 100 R.I.C. policemen were killed. Because the R.I.C. > were an > armed force the I.R.A. considered them an legitimate target for > attack. In > September 1919 the British government had reacted to this by sending > over a > police reserve made up of British ex-service men to support the > R.I.C. they > were known as "Auxiliaries". In January 1920 another force was > recruited > throughout Britain for service in Ireland, they became known as "The > Black > and Tans". From that point on a bloody guerrilla war commenced in > which > there were "no rules" . > On 19 June 1920 Lieut-Col. Smyth, D.S.O. and Bar, made a speech to > the > ranks of the Royal Irish Constabulary in which he stated: > *"Now, men, Sinn Fein have had all the sport up to the present, and > we are > going to have the sport now. The police are not in sufficient > strength to do > anything to hold their barracks. This is not enough for as long as > we remain > on the defensive, so long will Sinn Fein have the whip hand. We must > take > the offensive and beat Sinn Fein at its own tactics...If a police > barracks > is burned or if the barracks already occupied is not suitable, then > the best > house in the locality is to be commandeered, the occupants thrown > into the > gutter. Let them die there—the more the merrier. Should the order > "Hands Up" > not be immediately obeyed, shoot and shoot with effect. If the persons > approaching a patrol carry their hands in their pockets, or are in > any way > suspicious looking, shoot them down. You may make mistakes > occasionally and > innocent persons may be shot, but that cannot be helped, and you are > bound > to get the right parties some time. The more you shoot, the better I > will > like you, and I assure you no policeman will get into trouble for > shooting > any man".* > Many R.I.C. men resigned from the force in protest at this speech, > some of > them later joined the Irish Republican Army. Four weeks after making > this > speech Lieut-Col. Smyth was shot dead by the I.R.A. in the Smoking > Room of > the Cork and Country Club. > ======================================= > Before you post a message to the IRL-CARLOW mailing list you must > subscribe to the List. 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