Dublin Metropolitan Police ribbon bar

[Noor]

Hi,

This bar was on sale separately from the medal's lot (what still includes exact same second bar). This bar belonged to Sergeant Thomas O'Shea, who was police man from Dublin Metropolitan Police.

His ribbon bar consists:- Visit to Ireland Medal Queen Victoria, 1900, bronze

- Visit to Ireland Medal Edward VII, 1903, bronze

- Visit to Ireland Medal George V, 1911 silver

There is a bronze lugs on reverse for mounting on tunic. It is surelly earliest Irish bar what I ever had!

Dublin Metropolitan Police service records confirm only one T. O'Shea as serving with the force during that unit's existence. Thomas O'Shea, born in the parish of Ballysimon (post town Monaleen, Co. Limerick) 1876 (baptised 14/5/1876), joined the Dublin Metropolitan Police on 7/7/1899. He was recommended for the force by a Justice of the Peace by the name of Mr Purcell, and at the time of joining was 23 years of age, stood some 6 feet 2 1/4 inches in height and gave his trade as that of labourer and religion as Roman Catholic.

On joining the DMP O'Shea was allocated warrant no. 10225, posted to C Division on 5/1/1900, transferred to E Division on 19/9/1913, being promoted Sergeant on the same day, transferred to B Division on 27/3/1914, and finally transferred to A Division on 1/7/1920, being appointed Station Sergeant on the same day. O'Shea was pensioned on 10/4/1922.

Royal Visit Medals awarded to the Dublin Metropolitan Police are considerably scarcer than those awarded to the Royal Irish Constabulary, the DMP having a total strength of approximately 1,200 officers and men at the time of the Royal Visits of 1900, 1903 and 1911, whereas the RIC was composed of approximately 9,800 officers and men in each of those years.

The Dublin Metropolitan Police (DMP) was the police force of Dublin, Ireland, from 1836 to 1925, when it amalgamated into the new Garda Síochána.

Rural policing in Ireland began when Robert Peel, then Chief Secretary for Ireland, created the Peace Preservation Force in 1816. This rudimentary paramilitary police force was designed to provide policing in rural Ireland, replacing the 18th century system of watchmen, baronial constables, revenue officers and British military forces. Peel went on to found the London Metropolitan Police.

In 1822, a new Act created four improved "County" Constabularies, whose organisation was based around the traditional provinces of Ireland.

These were merged into a new centralised Constabulary of Ireland, in 1836 and the Peace Preservation Force ceased to exist. At the same time separate non-paramilitary forces were set up in the larger towns: Dublin, Belfast, and Derry. Discipline problems saw the Belfast and Derry forces absorbed by the national force, and only Dublin maintained its separate force.

The DMP was modelled closely on London's Metropolitan Police. Not only were the uniforms of the two forces almost indistinguishable, especially after the helmet and Bath Star were adopted, but the two forces also had a similar organisational structure; rather than a Chief Constable, they were commanded by a Commissioner, who was not a police officer, but a magistrate holding a Commission of the Peace. This was descended from the 18th century system of controlling parish constables, and was a sop to the public's fears about the danger of a standing police force under government control.