The sacrifice made by Superintendent Curtin and the grief visited on his family was neglected by official Ireland for many years. I had the honour to be involved with a ceremony of remembrance which took place on the 21 March 2022 at the site of his murder in Tipperary all those years ago. Great credit is due to the Garda Síochána in Tipperary for organising that ceremony as part of the Garda Centenary events being held that year to mark 100 years of service to the people of this country.
This is where Superintendent Curtin was shot - Photo Patrick Hugh Lynch
I remarked on that occasion that as a member of the Garda Síochána Retired Members Association it is appropriate to acknowledge the link between the serving Gardaí and us their retired colleagues. We are collectively part of the wider garda family and the Irish community. I especially want to recognise retired Chief Superintendent Donal O’Sullivan. Donal was based in this county for several years. He has been a man who tried for many years to have the memory of his murdered colleague recognised and respected in a formal fashion. He has written many articles submitted internal reports and most importantly and respectfully engaged with the family of Superintendent Curtin. When I was researching this history Donal was a constant inspiration and unselfish sharer of information.
This was the official garda position on the fiftieth anniversary of his murder.
Curtin Family with self and retired Chief Superintendent Donal O’Sullivan - Photo Patrick Hugh Lynch
Cold Blooded Murder
The threat of IRA violence lurked beneath the surface and occasionally came roaring to the forefront. This was very much the case in early decades of the Garda Síochána.
This was particularly the case in the cold-blooded murder of Superintendent John Curtin, 20 March 1931, near Tipperary town. His killing represented a synthesis of key elements which were present during the formative years. The IRA had become emboldened and maintained their adherence to the physical-force aspect of nationalism, they saw themselves as the adherents to the struggle for an Irish Republic. In time it would become clear to Fianna Fáil, as well as to all shades of constitutional nationalism, that the IRA’s fundamentalism could only be defeated by coercive measures and retention of good public support. Fianna Fáil, now in the Dáil, maintained an ambivalent attitude and advocated the interests of the physical force adherents as a matter of their civil rights. Tipperary was a “disturbed” county, and the physical force tradition lived on there.
Tenth Murder
Superintendent Curtin’s murder was the tenth murder of a member of the AGS since the foundation. It was the fifth killing in Tipperary. Forty-six RIC men were killed there during the War of Independence. It was “was a region where the rule of law did not run easily when it came to militant republicans. The political tide was ebbing for Cumann na nGaedheal and almost by extension for members of the AGS who were identified with their policies, however unjustly.
Superintendent John David Curtin (783) was 29 years old and married. He was a native of Meengorman, County Cork and came from farming stock. He joined the AGS on 15 April 1922 and like most of his colleagues he had been in the IRA, despite his youth. He was posted to Killarney and served in Donegal, Leitrim and Longford. He had received rapid promotion and was appointed a superintendent in July 1926. He was sent to take charge of Tipperary district in May 1930 and a few months later he married Maureen O’Sullivan in Killarney. Local newspapers report the marriage of a popular superintendent and relate that the couple left for their honeymoon in Germany.
General O’Duffy
On a more reflective note, while General O’Duffy ( Garda Commissioner) demanded and got dedication and application from the members of the AGS their welfare was not particularly a government priority. The most obvious sign of this malaise was the absence of significant “adherents as a matter of their civil rights. Tipperary was a “disturbed” county, and the physical force tradition lived on there. Superintendent Curtin’s murder was the tenth murder of a member of the AGS since the foundation. It was the fifth killing in Tipperary. Forty-six RIC men were killed there during the War of Independence. It was a region where the rule of law did not run easily when it came to militant republicans. The political tide was ebbing for Cumann na nGaedheal and almost by extension for members of the AGS who were identified with their policies, however unjustly. “On a more reflective note, while General O’Duffy demanded and got dedication and application from the members of the AGS their welfare was not particularly a government priority. The most obvious sign of this malaise was the absence of significant compensation for members killed or injured in the course of their duty. Statutory provision had been made for the payment of gratuities or special payments at government discretion in the Garda Síochána Temporary Provisions Act. 1923. This was not an accessible or viable system and the process undertaken was by way of application to the Circuit Court and taken against the Local Authority where the outrage was committed. It transpired that many applications were unsuccessful due to a “failure to prove malice” against a particular garda by the perpetrators of the attacks. This factor was also to have an airing in Superintendent Curtin’s case.
Blatant and Cold-Hearted Killing of an Unarmed Garda
The circumstances of Superintendent Curtin’s death were blatant and cold-hearted. It was a calculated assassination carried out in the hours of darkness. He had been on duty in his district, and he drove to his residence outside Tipperary Town. His residence was set back from the road and had a substantial double iron gate. The gate had been damaged quite recently and had been left in the open position. When he arrived, one side of the gate had been pulled across effectively blocking his way in. He stopped his car and approached the gate and at that point he was fired on from an almost point-blank range and mortally wounded. He was wounded at least five times, and one shot was discharged close to his chest, there was a burn mark on his coat indicating close contact with the firearm.
Crime Scene
National Library
National Library
Tragic Truth
The stark and tragic truth is that he left a young wife Maureen behind, and no amount of ceremony could fill the abysmal grief experienced by her. She was pregnant with twins, and she was to experience even more grief shortly afterwards. The twins did not survive their birth, she now had to bear an unimaginable loss. On the night that her husband was shot she was in the house at Friarsfield. She had retired to bed and was alerted by her sister Irene. It was apparent that headlights were shining in the direction of the house from the gate. Both women went to the gate and found the superintendent lying unconscious on the ground beside his car. He was obviously badly injured. They summoned help and brought him to the house.
Newspaper reports
A comprehensive newspaper account of his killing and the background to it was provided in The Nationalist (Tipperary), 25 March 1931. There was widespread condemnation both local and national with some exceptions. One of the most telling comments came from Judge Sealy, speaking in Clonmel Circuit Court where he emotionally referred to a case which Superintendent Curtin had prosecuted before him, in relation to illegal drilling by the IRA. He said, Superintendent Curtin had been engaged here recently in a case of illegal drilling, and it may seem possible perhaps this had been because of his activities in that case.
IRA-induced amnesia
That case collapsed because of IRA-induced amnesia and shortly after that another man, John Ryan was shot as an informer. One report suggests that extra garda manpower drafted into Tipperary had been withdrawn relatively quickly. It’s reasonable to assume that the press reporting could not reflect the hidden stories.
Unexplained Time Lapse
There are unexplained time gaps in the sequence of events from the time of his murder to the arrival of medical assistance and Gardaí at the scene. He arrived at his front gate at 10.30 pm. The gate was half closed, and he got out, car engine still running, headlights shining on the gate. He pulled the gate open and turned back to his car, he was shot at least five times, his body had four entry and exit wounds, and one entry wound on his chest. The rough surface outside the gate showed evidence of hard braking because he did not expect to find the gate half closed. Two young boys passed the car, with headlights on and engine running and allegedly did not explore further. One of the boys lived in the same house complex as the victim. He walked by the car and in the driveway, taking the exact path that the victim would have taken. It was approximately 60 yards to his front door. His father was present in the house and said that he heard no shots. Another neighbour who lived 400 to 600 yards away, saw the car, saw the headlights, and heard the shots. He watched for 10 minutes but did not explore further. Mrs. Curtin and her sister went to the gate at 11:00 PM and made the horrible discovery. They got assistance from the man who lived in the same house complex and his sons. Together they brought John back to the house, he was unconscious but felt warm to the touch. The first Gardaí to arrive at the scene came at 1:15 AM and the doctor arrived at 1:20 AM. Considering the distance between the house and Tipperary town, this is a distance which would have been covered in minutes by a car and slightly longer on bicycle or by foot. There was at least a time gap of two hours before assistance arrived and no explanation was offered publicly for that. It is likely that the killers had been covered off by other colleagues to allow them to get away unhindered. Reliable information suggests that this was the second time that the killers lay in wait for Superintendent Curtin and therefore the ambush had been well planned to cover all contingencies. It is likely that locals had been warned to keep their heads down and see nothing until the trail had gone cold. This was in keeping with a strong feeling of intimidation that permeated the entire area.
Source material clearly indicates that the Gardaí knew the identities of the killers. They said all the relevant people lived within ten miles of Tipperary station. This was a finite number of people, but the plain fact was that the criminal justice system was incapable of dealing with the mafia-like omerta that prevailed. Internment was the only temporary weapon which could take them out of circulation.
IRA Justifies Murder
Days after his death, the organisation Cumann na mBan, a women’s group closely aligned with the IRA, circulated a poster in the local area which boldly stated, ‘The men of Tipperary will not allow a Free State police superintendent to stand between them and freedom’. The deceased superintendent was also denounced by the socialistic republican party, Saor Éire, and An Phoblacht, which stated that he had overstepped the mark and made capturing republicans his hobby. The newspaper published an article in which they described how the Special Branch should be handled: ‘Members of the CID must be treated as social pariahs. That treatment must be extended to district judges and uniformed police, to every individual who is a willing part of the machine by which our Irish patriots are being tortured.’ Frank Ryan, editor of the same newspaper, gave an interview to an English journalist in which he defended the shooting of Superintendent Curtin and objected to it being called a murder or assassination. Ryan stated: The shootings were acts of war. Curtin had exceeded his duty. He went out of his way to persecute the IRA. The Civic Guard have no right to interfere in matters which don’t “concern them. If they ask for trouble they must not be surprised if they get it.
Similarly, when Frank Ryan of An Phoblacht was asked about John Ryan’s killing he replied, “He was nothing else than a traitor”. There was widespread intimidation of public bodies attempting to prevent them issuing votes of sympathy. The GAA in Tipperary relied on their constitution preventing them from making a suitable expression of sympathy.
Fianna Fáil did “condemn both murders through their paper The Nation but in somewhat cringing terms.
No matter how we may condemn the debasing methods of espionage adopted by the Free State Government, we cannot for a moment admit that the use of those methods gives to any citizens, or organisation of citizens, the power of life or death over the Government’s agents.
Commissioner doubts prospect of success in finding the killers.
General O’Duffy also seemed to be losing confidence in the ability of the State to deal with these attacks. During an interview at the Garda Depot he made very telling remarks. He remarked on the numbers of Gardaí who had been murdered since the foundation of the State. None of these members were involved in so-called political work and in no case were the murderers brought to justice. These murderers are being shielded by the people and from what I know the murder of Superintendent Curtin will go unpunished.
The Nationalist recorded; The extra force of Civic Guards which has been in Tipperary since Saturday has left and at the moment everything is quiet.
Funeral
The funeral of the slain superintendent was a solemn and tragic affair. His remains were removed in the first instance to St. Michaels Church in Tipperary and a funeral service was held there the following Monday morning. The remains were then removed for interment at his family plot in Newmarket, Co. Cork. Church and State were fully represented, and full honours were rendered by members of the Garda Síochána. No ceremony, no matter how well intended, could mitigate the suffering caused.
Compensation
The next hurdle to be negotiated was the question of compensation to Mrs. Curtin. As mentioned already this involved making a claim against the local authority concerned for compensation for the criminal injury caused. This was a far from perfect system as the families of other slain Gardaí had discovered. In due course a claim was lodged with the Circuit Court against Tipperary South Riding County Council. The claim was for £15,000 and supporting information was supplied by the garda authorities. Mrs. Maureen Curtin was obliged to give evidence and she described for the first time what she had experienced that night. She also informed “the Court that her twins had not survived their birth on the 18 April. Judge Seery awarded her £6,000 and made the insensitive remark that she had no children to support, and one could not allow oneself to be carried away with one’s sympathies. In fairness he also remarked that the Superintendent was murdered because of his duty commitments.
The Council served notice to appeal and in October 1931 the appeal was withdrawn, and order confirmed, and expenses allowed. In their draft appeal the Council had stated by way of argument that the award was excessive, the applicant had not showed special malice (by the killers) and there was no evidence to show that the deceased was shot because of his duty in bringing offenders to justice. Thankfully they withdrew their appeal without putting the unfortunate widow through more trauma. Additionally, the State had stopped her Garda widows’ pension and then subsequently had to reinstate it. The matter of garda compensation was not finally settled until 1945 and then only following the deaths of more Gardaí.
Above Excerpts From SECURING THE IRISH STATE 2022
A Colleague Remembers - Eye Witness D/Sergeant Joseph Kelly 1962
MEMORY LANE
CONTEXT
Times were certainly changing and the biggest chage was the peaceful trasfer of power to Fianna Fáil in 1932/33. In garda terms this change was manifested by the firing of Commissioner O'Duffy in 1933 and his replacment by Eamon Broy. Signicantly there was a softening of attitude to the IRA as De Valera tried to entice them from violence . Also the new government recuited approx. 500 new members into the garda, these became known as the Broy Harriers. These men were drawn from the ranks of the anti treaty IRA and they were ingested into key security positions including Special Branch. THe IRA were again banned in 1936 and the die was cast for a bloody confrontation with them which involved the murder of more Gardaí. One of these men was D/Sergeant Denis O'Brien who ambushed and killed on the 9 September 1942 in Ballyboden County Dublin. He was one of the Broy Harriers inducted into the Force in 1933 by Fianna Fáil.
HIs sacrifice was also ignored and he also is to be posthumously awarded a Scott Gold medal. His murder will be the subject of another post.
SCOTT MEDAL
In 1923 Colonel Walter Scott, an Honorary Commissioner of the New York City Police and a well known philanthropist, presented An Garda Síochána, then the world’s youngest Police Force, with a $1,000 gold bond.
There was only one condition attached to the award of the Scott Medal: "No action, however heroic, will merit the award of the Scott medal unless it takes the shape of an act of personal bravery, performed intelligently in the execution of duty at imminent risk to the life of the doer, and armed with full previous knowledge of the risk involved".
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