John M Walsh
Constable

John M Walsh

Felonious
End of Watch February 20, 1920
Age 38
The Vigil Panel 187 ›
Gender Male

Incident

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.

In Our Keeping

Permanent identifier
BO-GB-DMP-071BA42E
Stewardship
Maintained by NeuraWeb Global Inc.
Added to badge.nw
August 2, 2026
Last updated
August 2, 2026

Honored here by 1 tribute.

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Tributes

I never knew you. I am standing here anyway.
Constable Walsh served with the Dublin Metropolitan Police.
Thank you for your service. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Constable Walsh.

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

Agency

Type Police Department
Location Dublin, L
Platform Identity dmpd.ie.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch February 20, 1920
Age 38
Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Felonious
Cause Detail Homicide - Shot

Constable John M Walsh is one of 1 officers killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty across the full record of this memorial — 0% of all 97,772 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 79 percentage points above the national rate of 0%.

At Dublin Metropolitan Police, 20 of 34 officers on record were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 58.8% of this agency's fallen.

Dublin Metropolitan Police
20
of 34 officers
58.8% Felonious
L — Statewide
592
of 749 officers
79% Felonious
Nationwide
1
of 97,772 officers
0% Felonious

National Cause Distribution

How Felonious compares to all causes of officer death in the memorial record. John M Walsh's cause is highlighted.

Felonious
1 (0%)
Accident
1 (0%)
Illness
1 (0%)
Cardiac
1 (0%)
Undetermined
1 (0%)
Suicide
1 (0%)

How John M Walsh Compares

Age at Death
38
This officer
Avg for Felonious: 39.0 years

When Felonious Deaths Occur

Monthly distribution of Felonious deaths across the full memorial record. John M Walsh is highlighted in Feb.

Jan
1,392
Feb
1,295
Mar
1,373
Apr
1,516
May
1,504
Jun
1,442
Jul
1,587
Aug
1,517
Sep
1,491
Oct
1,371
Nov
1,447
Dec
1,624

Weapons Used Against Officers

Most common weapons in felonious officer deaths.

Handgun
3,684
Gun
3,592
Gun; Unknown type
1,492
Shotgun
1,109
Rifle
935
Officer's handgun
909