Los Angeles herald., 1892-05-22
IRISHCONSTABULARY
THE ROYAL POLICE FORCE ON
THE EMERALD ISLE.

An Armed Guard That Is Distributed All
Over Ireland-How the Force Is Com
trolied, Equipped and Disciplined
Most of the Men Are Irishmen.
The Irish constabulary has been in ex-
istence in its present form with but few
alterations for the last thirty-five years,
having been originally organized by Mr..
Drummond, who was under secretary
for Ireland from 1885 to 1S40 Before
this date the peace was preserved in Ire
land by barony constables appointed by
the grand jury and the lord lieutenant.
| They were quite incapable of subduing
any serious riot, and the fact that they
were armed and equipped in different
manner in nearly every county inter-
fered with their harmony of action and
caused them to present the most ludi-
crous contrasts when number were as
sembled together for any particular
duty. Mr.. Drummond, who had great
talent for organization, soon after his
arrival in Ireland replaced them with
the constabulary of Ireland, as it was
first called. This force was uniformly
armed and equipped and was controlled
by one central authority in Dublin.
| From time to time the force was in
creased and additional duties were i'm
posed upon it, until now it numbers
nearly $4,000 men, and in addition to
performing the ordinary police work for
all Ireland with the exception of Dub
lin, which has its own police) some Of its
members also perform the duties of rev.
enue officers, taking agricultural statis-
| tics, the census, etc., and lately many of
the constabulary We're employed in reg
ulating the distribution of relief in the
congested districts.
AS have said, the force now consists
of about $4,000 men, who are graded as
head constables, sergeants and consta-
bles. It is officered by an inspector gen.
eral, Sir Andrew Reed; one deputy in
spector general, three assistant inspectors
general, thirty-six county inspectors and
227 district inspectors, the latter being
divided into three classes, according to
their seniority
The admission to the force as an officer
is their physical qualifications. The
successful candidates have no difficulty
in obtaining a nomination from the lord
lieutenant; but as very few vacancies
occur annually the competition is un-
usually keen and candidates require to
be exceedingly well posted in the sub
jects on which they are examined.
Candidates must be unmarried and
under twenty-six years of age, and must
be able to undergo severe medical ex-
animation as to their physical Qualifca-
tions. The successful candidates are
sent to the Dublin depot as cadets for
three months, during which period they
are on probation and receive only the
pay of a sergeant-viz., e75 IS. per an
nun.
At the expiration of about three
months the cadet is usually appoint
ed a third class district inspector,
when his pay, with allowances for
horse, house and servant, etc.,
is increased to close on to e300 g
year, and as soon as vacancy occurs
he is drafted off to a county, where he
is placed in charge of district, under
county inspector, and then his RESPONSE
BILE duties may be said to commence.
From time to time he is moved from one
district to another, gradually rising to
the position of first class district inspect
or, when his pay is increased to between
e4OO and e5OC a year, including allow
ances. His next promotion will be to
the rank of county inspector, when his
pay is slightly increased, and in this
rank he will probably remain, retiring
at the age of sixty five on pension OF
about $500 year.
The rank and file are nearly all Irish
and chiefly the sons of farmers On en-
listment they are also sent to the depot
to be drilled and pot through a course of
musketry, as they are armed with the
Snider carbine. After becoming eff
fcient they are drafted off to counties
and districts No man is taken who is
less than feet inches in height, and
all must produce good character and
be able to read and write we'll. So little
difficulty is experienced in getting re-
cruits that there are at present the names
of 460 candidates on the roll kept by the
commandant of the depot in Dublin.
The pay is very good, rising from about
e40 yearly to about ESQ as head con-
stable, including allowances
The men are neatly dressed in a dark
green uniform, and are armed with
Snider carbine, sword bayonet and
baton. The latter is the only weapon
usually carried, except at night and in
disturbed districts, when it is generally
supplemented with revolver or carbine
There is exceedingly little crime
among the men, drunkenness being al
most the only serious otfense, and that
being very rare, which is rather Won
der when you consider in what desolate
and wretched places two or three con-
stables may be stationed with no officer
near them.
Part of the duty of the men in these
country places is to patrol at night,
every patrol being out from three to six
hours, portion of the time being al
ways spent in ambush with view to
surprising moonlighters, etc. One of
the most uncongenial duties of the po-
lice is to protect the sheriff and his
subordinates at an eviction.
In addition to the ordinary police
force on foot there is also small mount
ed force whose members are usually
quartered in the larger towns The force
has always been conspicuous for it's SOL
dierly bearing, loyalty and steadiness,