The Royal Irish Constabulary
Background
The RIC was the Irish national civil police force. It grew out of Peel's Peace Preservation Force, established in 1814. This was expanded and organised as four provincial forces in 1822 - the "County Constabulary". In 1836 the four provincial forces were amalgamated to form the "Irish Constabulary" to police the whole country, with the exception of the capital.
In 1867 Queen Victoria permitted the force to use the designation "Royal", and sport the crown and harp on its insignia, in recognition of the force's contribution to the supression of the Fenian rebellion.
Rank nomenclature was revamped in 1883 by which time the force had 14,115 members.
Among the duties of the constable was acting as enumerator in the national censuses. This explains why Michael Dwyer signed his form twice: once as head of household and once as enumerator!
You can read further background here.
Family Members
So far I have found four family members in the RIC. Two are my direct ancestors, the third is a granduncle (by marriage) and the fourth is the father of a granduncle's wife.
You can see the RIC records transcribed here and a discussion on the recommending officers here.
Luke Reilly
Life: 1822[1829]-1910 RIC: 1853-1884 Rank: Constable Service No.:22161
Luke was my paternal granny's father. He hailed originally from Sligo, as did his wife. He was stationed in Kiltimagh, Co. Mayo for a substantial part of his career and it was here that he raised his family. I am aware of at least four of a family, including my granny. He stayed on in Kiltimagh after his retirement and he is buried with his wife, two children and a grandchild in the local. graveyard. He retired at the rank of Constable (post 1883 designation = no promotions)
Michael Dwyer
Life: 1860-1941 RIC: 1881-1911 Rank: Constable Service No.: 46669
Michael was my paternal grandfather. He is recorded as joining the RIC in Limerick in 1881, though he may, in fact, have been living in Newport (Co. Tipperary). Prior to joining the RIC he was a farmer. He was stationed initially in Kiltimagh, where he met my granny. There is a story that he hid her away in England (Leeds?) out of the way of local predatory males until he was in a position to marry her in 1888. The RIC recruited single men and they were not allowed to marry for seven years afterwards. If you look at the records you will see a rash of marriages almost seven years to the day after enlistment. Check out Michael and Luke's records at the location referenced above. Edward and Thomas (below) was not far behind.
Michael was pensioned in 1911 so he was well retired when he went to Ballinasloe to reclaim his drowned son's body in 1922. There is no mention in any of the newspaper reports, or in his son's death notice, of the RIC connection. This was a dangerous time for former RIC men who were being taken out and shot (not always fatally) by the anti-Treaty IRA. He retired at the rank of Constable (post 1883 designation = no promotions)
Edward Crosby
Life: 1857-?? RIC: 1879-1905 Rank: Sergeant Service No.: 45114
Edward was a farmer and originally from Kildare, where he joined the RIC in 1879. He was stationed in Kiltimagh, where he met and married my granny's sister, Jane. They moved to Ballina at some stage and Edward is recorded as living there after his retirement in 1905. In the course of his career Edward was promoted to Sergeant.
Thomas O'Brien
Life: 1844-?? RIC: 1868-1900 Rank: Constable [Sergeant?] Service No.: 34353
Thomas O'Brien is the father of Mary Kate O'Brien who married Christopher Joseph Burgess. In 1904 he was living in St. John's Terrace, in Mountbrown, Dublin. As Dublin City was policed by the DMP (Dublin Metropolitan Police) rather than the RIC, he would not have served there and probably moved to Dublin after his retirement. He was appointed Sub Constable and promoted Assistant Constable and Constable, at which rank he retired in 1900. As these promotions predated the reorganisation of grades he would have been subsequently designated Sargeant (which title replaced the former three chevron grade of Constable in 1883).
He was recruited in Galway/Mayo in 1868 and served initially in Co. Kildare (Celbridge) but after he married Kate Condron from Sallins in 1876 he was shifted to Co. Roscommon (Boyle - he lived in Ballyfarnon). Strangely, his marriage cert shows that both he and his wife were illiterate, and this after he had served 7 years in the RIC. It has been suggested to me that this may relate to an incapacity to write due to an accident, but it is still very strange that he would be a serving member without this capacity.