Roll of Honor
Incident
Fatally wounded by the explosion of an IRA bomb thrown at the patrol he was part of.
Died in the Cork Military Hospital, following the amputation of his left leg, the day after he and two colleagues, Constable Peter Coughlan, who died the previous day, and Constable Patrick Hayes, who died on 24th May, were fatally wounded when two men, who had been waiting in a doorway, threw two bombs at their seven-man RIC patrol at the junction of O’Connell Street and Great William O’Brien Street, in the Blackpool area of Cork City, in what became known as the Blackpool Ambush.
In Our Keeping
- Permanent identifier
BO-GB-RIC-F477D98E- Stewardship
- Maintained by NeuraWeb Global Inc.
- Added to badge.nw
- April 8, 2026
- Last updated
- July 23, 2026
Honored here by 1 sentinel - 1 tribute.
Are you family? This record can be claimed and maintained by those who knew John. Claim this record.
This page is permanent and free. No fee to view it, no advertising, no tracking, and no account required. It will not be taken down.
Tributes
I never knew you. I am standing here anyway.
Constable Ryle served with the Royal Irish Constabulary.
Thank you for your service. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Constable Ryle.
— S. Vincent Anthony, U.S. Army 1985-1993
Agency
Service Record
Incident Details
Constable John Ryle 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. John Ryle's cause is highlighted.
How John Ryle Compares
When Felonious Deaths Occur
Monthly distribution of Felonious deaths across the full memorial record. John Ryle is highlighted in May.
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.
