Killing of Detective Sergeant John Barton
Introduction from
Chronology
Detective Sergeant John Barton (of the DMP’s 'G' Division) is shot on
College St, Dublin and dies a short time later.
More Detail
Barton was from Ballymacelligott in Co. Kerry.
He had given evidence against Joseph Plunkett at his court martial after the
1916 Rising. He was also accused by the IRA of mocking Sean MacDermott in
Richmond Barracks in the aftermath of the 1916 Rising telling him that there
would be “six for him in the morning”.
According to O’Halpin and Ó Corráin, members of the Squad involved in this killing
included Mick McDonnell, Vinnie Byrne, Jim Slattery, Tom Keogh, Paddy [O’]Daly, Joe Leonard and Ben Barrett. According to Abbott (2000), Sean Tracey (V-C
South Tipperary Brigade, IRA) was with the Squad and may have shot the two
fatal bullets but, in Molyneux and Kelly’s detailed account of this killing,
there is no mention of Tracey. Also, O’Sullivan Greene says there was a
‘friendly fire, incident during this assassination but there is no mention of
this in Molyneux and Kelly’s detailed account.
Barton is the third ‘G’ man killed in 1919 – the two others were killed
on July 30th and September 12th. (See Jul-30-19/1 and
Sep-12-19/2) Another had been seriously wounded on November 10th
(See Nov-10-19/1). There were only 10
detectives in the G Division (See Nov-14-19/1).
For Dublin Castle’s reaction to these killings -see Dec-07-19/1.