Shooting of William Redmond

Introduction from Chronology

The Assistant Commissioner of the DMP, William Forbes Redmond (who was also Head of DMP’s 'G' Intelligence Division and who had been brought to Dublin from Belfast in December 1919 with the specific brief to “take care of political crime”) is shot dead by Squad member Paddy [O’]Daly outside the Standard Hotel in Harcourt St. assisted by Tom Keogh.   Joe Dolan, a member of Collins’s IRA Intelligence Department, was also involved.

More Detail

This shooting was part of Collins' on-going campaign to emasculate the 'G' Division of the DMP. Three 'G' men had been killed by the Squad in 1919 (on July 30th, 12th September 12th and 29th November 29th – see Jul-30-19/1, Sep-12-19/2 and Nov-29-19/1) and another disabled for life.  According to Abbott, the 'G' Division only had ten detectives.  Redmond had been drafted in from Belfast to rejuvenate the ‘G’ Division of the DMP.

Collins had sent Frank Thornton to Belfast to get a photograph of Redmond.  He did this with the help of RIC Sgt Matt McCarthy from Kerry who was stationed in Chichester St barracks. He brought Thornton into the barracks where he removed a photo of Redmond from his files – See Jan-09-20/1.  Redmond was working with a British secret service agent called Jameson – it was a reference to him by Redmond when talking to members of the DMP’s G Division in Brunswick St station that led to Jameson’s unmasking – see Apr-02-20/1.  According to Kautt, McMahon and O’Sullivan Greene, Redmond’s secretary, Detective Jim McNamara, passed information to the IRA on Redmond.

After the raid on Cullenswood House (See Jan-20-20/1), Collins is reported to have said “If we don’t get that man [Redmond] he’ll get us, and soon”.  Five separate IRA teams were stationed along Redmond’s route from Dublin Castle to Harcourt St.  O’Daly was part of the last team – none of the previous four teams could get a clear shot at Redmond due mainly due to the crowded streets.

After the killing of Redmond, according to Townshend, “in the [British] Army’s opinion, G Division ‘ceased to affect the situation’”(Townshend (1975), pg 42).

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