My great grandfather, John Pratt Campbell claimed ,in a letter dated 2 January 1893, that he had been in the constabulary in Ireland: ".I have served Her Majesty with a red coat and 5 years in the constabulary in Ireland and was at the taking of Dan O'Connell, Smith, O'Brien and Mitchell on Tara Hill." If I have interpreted my Irish history text correctly, O'Connell was arrested in 1843 but not at Tara Hill. Can anyone clarify the situation for me? Am I interpreting this correctly to think that the red coat meant military service separate from the constabulary? Are there any records in which one could find names of constables other than the Royal Irish Constabulary? Any help would be appreciated. Alan