Philip John O’Sullivan

On the evening of 17th December 1920 District Inspector O’Sullivan was off duty and went to meet his fiancée in Henry Steet, Dublin as he had done numerous times before. As they met and began to walk together, two masked men approached and shot Philip. As he lay on the ground, and despite the efforts of his fiancée to save her future husband, one of the gunmen approached and fired again before they made off. A passing military patrol rushed Philip to Jervis Street Hospital but he died shortly after arriving.

Some press reports claimed the gathered crowds did little to help Miss Moore as she cradled Philip, fatally wounded, but she ensured this was corrected in the press by having the Marquess of Aberdeen pen a letter to the editors. The Marquess outlined Miss Moore’s thanks to the many men, women and children who tried to help prior to the military patrol arriving.

Philip was born on the 6th August 1897 in Kinsale and was the son of Solicitor Florence O’Sullivan and his wife Margaret. Philip grew up with his younger sister and parents in Denis Quay, Kinsale, in Cork. In the 1911 Census the family was recorded as Catholic and Philip listed as being able to speak Irish and English.

In June 1918 he joined the Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve and was commissioned as a Sub-Lieutenant. He saw action later in 1918 at the Battle of Durazzo in the Adriatic. He was demobilised from the RNVR due to injury and left the service on the 18th November 1919. It is noted in his service record he could not be promoted to Lieutenant due to not yet being 22 years old.

He joined the Royal Irish Constabulary on the 21st July 1920 and was appointed as a Cadet. On the 1st October 1920 he was appointed as an officer, 3rd District Inspector.