John M Walsh

Died

20 February 1920

Age

Rank

Constable

Force

Dublin Metropolitan Police

Cause

Homicide - Shot

Duty Status

On Duty

Roll of Honour Citation

Shot and fatally wounded by two gunmen being pursued by police who had earlier attempted to arrest both men.

Roll of Honour Citation

Shot and fatally wounded by two gunmen being pursued by police who had earlier attempted to arrest both men.

Circumstances

Shot dead in Grafton Street by two gunmen being pursued by police who had earlier attempted to arrest the men for possession of a revolver.

Just before 2:00am, at the corner of Grafton Street and Suffok Street, Constable Walsh and Sergeant Dunleavy were shot by two men who approached them from the direction of Westmoreland Street.

Both officers were taken to Mercer’s Hospital by ambulance where Constable Walsh was pronounced dead shortly after his arrival.

At the inquest into John’s death, the coroner concluded that he died from shock and haemorrhage caused by a bullet fired from a revolver by persons unknown. The bullet had penetrated the left side of his chest, between the fourth and fifth ribs, killing him almost instantly. The findings further stated that this constituted ‘wilful murder’.

Constable Walsh was unmarried.