Eamon Broy was a commissioner for the Garda Síochána from February 1933 to June 1938 ^[1]. Emblem of the Garda Síochána. ...

Before working as a Garda, Broy was a double agent between Michael Collins and Dublin Castle during the Irish War of Independence ^{[citation needed]}. Michael Collins is the name of several people: Michael Collins (Irish leader), an Irish patriot and revolutionary Michael Collins (film) Michael Collins (Limerick politician), a modern-day Irish politician Michael Collins (astronaut), an American astronaut Michael P. Collins, a Canadian expert on reinforced concrete structures This is a disambiguation page... Dublin Castle. ... Combatants Irish Republican Army United Kingdom Strength 15,000 British Army c. ...

Before Independence

Colonel Eamon (Ned) Broy (1887-1972) was born in Ballinure, County Kildare. He joined the British Civil Service in Dublin Castle and became a detective in the Dublin Metropolitan Police. During the War of Independence Broy contacted Michael Collins and offered his services in providing intelligence to assist the War against the British. He was under suspicion for a time after files had been found in the house of a known IRA activist, however the case was dropped when one of his fellow informants, Colonel David Neligan, threatened the investigating officer he would be shot by The Squad should he pursue the case.1 Dublin Castle. ... The Dublin Metropolitan Police was formed in 1836, after twenty years of attempts to create an effective policing force in Ireland Rural policing in Ireland began when Chief Secretary for Ireland, Robert Peel created the Peace Preservation Force in 1816. ...

After Independence

Broy was a member of Collins’ security detail during the negotiations for the Anglo-Irish Treaty. However, Broy opposed the Treaty and fell out with Collins. Following the sacking of Eoin O'Duffy in 1933 as Chief of the Garda Síochána, Broy was appointed Garda Commissioner. Following the dismissal of David Neligan, as a result of his support for dismissed Special Branch detectives, Broy also became Head of the Special Branch. General Eoin ODuffy (20 October 1892 - 30 November 1944), was in succession a Teachta Dála (TD), the Chief of Staff of the Irish Republican Army, the second Commissioner of the Garda Síochána, leader of the quasi-fascist Blueshirts and then the first (extra-parliamentary) leader of... Emblem of the Garda Síochána. ...

In 1935 the Fianna Fáil Government feared the possibility of a coup by the Blueshirts, led by O'Duffy, as the proposed March on Dublin bore similarities to Mussolini’s March on Rome. Broy informed Eamon de Valera and P.J. Ruttledge, the Minister for Justice, that while he considered the Gardaí as loyal to the Government he was unsure how they would react if ordered to move against their former commander. This prompted Ruttledge to announce the creation of an auxiliary police force. Broy liaised with Oscar Traynor, who had been the commander of the Dublin Brigade during the War of Independence and the Civil War, and together they recruited a number of former IRA members who were also supporters of Fianna Fáil into the new force. These new recruits became known as the Broy Harriers. Broy remained Commissioner of the Gardaí until 1938. The Army Comrades Association (ACA), better known by its nickname The Blueshirts, was an Irish organisation set up by former police commissioner and army General Eoin ODuffy in the 1930s. ... Benito Mussolini created a fascist state through the use of propaganda, total control of the media and disassembly of the working democratic government. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... Patrick J. Ruttledge (1892-1952) was a senior Irish politician. ... Oscar Traynor (March 21, 1886-December 15, 1963), Fianna Fáil politician and revolutionary. ...

Fiction

In the 1990s film, "Michael Collins", Broy ( played by Stephen Rea), is caught, tortured and killed by the British. This is completely false as he lived until 1972. The reality, that he managed to maintain his cover while working for Collins within Dublin Castle, under the noses of British Forces, was more impressive. Stephen Rea Stephen Rea (born October 31, 1946) is an Irish actor. ...

Sources

Memoirs of Senator Joseph Connolly: A Founder of Modern Ireland, J.Anthony Gaughan (ed.), 1996. Retrieved from "http://www.politics.ie/wiki/index.php?title=Eamon_Broy"

Notes and references