Killing of RIC Divisional
Commissioner Smyth
Introduction from Chronology
Lt Colonel Gerard Smyth, RIC Divisional Commander for Munster 2, is shot in the Country Club (or Conservative Club) in South Mall, Cork City by the IRA.
More Detail
After 'Listowel Mutiny' - See Jun-19-20/1 - Sean O'Hegarty (Acting O/C Cork No. 1 Brigade) planned Smyth's assassination. Among the IRA party were Sean Culhane, John O'Connell, Sean O'Donoghue, Daniel ‘Sandow’ O'Donovan and Cornelius O'Sullivan. They had got help from a waiter in the Country Club, Ned Fitzgerald.
According to one version, one of the IRA team walked up to Smyth and said “Your orders were to shoot on sight. You are in sight now so make ready”. However, Lawlor thinks this version of events was unlikely. RIC County Inspector George Craig is wounded in this attack.
Smyth had issued a number of Orders since his appointment and, according to Abbott, his "proposed changes to police strategy would have had a pronounced effect on the IRA" (Abbott (2019), pg 123. Abbott gives considerable detail on the five orders issued by Smyth - (Abbott (2019), pgs 123-128. In Order No. 5 (issued June 17th), he gave only a slightly different order from the one that he was reported to give in Listowel – see Jun-19-20/1. In this order, he stated “A police man is perfectly justified in shooting any man who he had good reason to believe is carrying arms and does not immediately throw up his arms when ordered.” He goes on to say that “Every proper precaution for protection will be given to police at inquests so that no information will be given to Sinn Féin as to the identity of individuals”. These statements are not exactly what Smyth is reported to have said in Listowel (two days after his Order No. 5 was issued). However, they are very close to the shoot on sight with impunity speech that he is alleged to have made in Listowel. Therefore, Abbott’s statement that Smyth’s "proposed changes to police strategy would have had a pronounced effect on the IRA" can be said to be something of a euphemism.