Incident
It was reported that “half an hour before, the town was perfectly quiet and not a person was to be seen, and if an old woman had not muttered to the Sergeant that bad work was at hand and he better take care of himself, the whole party would have been murdered, as they only had time to barricade the doors before a mob of about 200 ruffians arrived”.
The loss of the element of surprise doomed the assault to failure. Seven well-armed RIC officers, assisted by Sir Richard Keane’s ranger, withstood the brief siege. One of the attackers was killed.
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- April 8, 2026
- Last updated
- July 23, 2026
Honored here by 1 sentinel - 1 tribute.
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Tributes
177 years is a long time for a name to go unread. Not today.
Sub-Constable Owens served with the Royal Irish Constabulary.
Thank you for your service. Gone but never to be forgotten.
— S. Vincent Anthony, U.S. Army 1985-1993
Agency
Service Record
Incident Details
Sub-Constable James Owens is one of 17,623 officers killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty across the full record of this memorial — 54.2% of all 32,508 officers honored here.
In L, 592 of 749 officers were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 79% of this state's fallen. That is 24.8 percentage points above the national rate of 54.2%.
At Royal Irish Constabulary, 519 of 642 officers on record were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 80.8% of this agency's fallen.
National Cause Distribution
How Felonious compares to all causes of officer death in the memorial record. James Owens's cause is highlighted.
How James Owens Compares
When Felonious Deaths Occur
Monthly distribution of Felonious deaths across the full memorial record. James Owens is highlighted in Sep.
Weapons Used Against Officers
Most common weapons in felonious officer deaths.
Others Who Wore This Badge
641 officers from Royal Irish Constabulary are honored on badge.nw. Showing the 16 most recent.

