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District Inspector

Philip John O’Sullivan

Royal Irish Constabulary — L

Felonious

End of Watch December 17, 1920

Age 23

The Vigil Panel 92 · Column 1 · Line 17 ›

Gender Male

Incident Service The Sacrifice Department 641

Incident

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.

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Tributes

I never knew you. I am standing here anyway.
District Inspector O’Sullivan served with the Royal Irish Constabulary.
Thank you for your service. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, District Inspector O’Sullivan.

— S. Vincent Anthony, U.S. Army 1985-1993

Agency

Department Royal Irish Constabulary

Location L

Platform Identity rico.nir.gb.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch December 17, 1920

Age 23

Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Felonious

Cause Detail Homicide - Shot

The Sacrifice · Felonious

Philip is one of 605 officers killed feloniously in Ireland, 79.1% of the 765 remembered there.

34,103 officers are remembered on this memorial. Each number below is one of them.

Compare against

Time

In 1920, 185 officers in Ireland were killed feloniously, the 2nd heaviest of 56 years on record. The heaviest was 1921, with 250.

Every year on record · Ireland

Who

Philip was 23. Of the 543 killed feloniously in Ireland whose age is recorded, half were between 24 and 41; the middle age was 31.

Age at death

Where he stood among them

Age by years of service

III

When

December holds 6.4% of these deaths in Ireland; May holds the most, 14.9%. Fridays: 14.5%.

By month

By day of the week

How

Felonious deaths account for 79.1% of all 765 deaths in Ireland, the most common cause.

Every cause

Weapons recorded

His people

Royal Irish Constabulary has at least 120 officers remembered here, Philip among them.

Across the years

Where the Name Is Cut

Others Who Wore This Badge

641 officers from Royal Irish Constabulary are honored on badge.nw. Showing the 16 most recent.