Precious Honour - Rank Injustice
William Geary’s Lone Struggle Against An Unscrupulous Irish Government
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A number of sordid incidents involving the National Army - especially the killing of unarmed prisoners in Ballyseedy and Countess Bridge in Kerry - directly affected the people..............One of the best known National Army figures in Kerry was David Neligan. ***** Sergeant Gallagher's secret diary was full of startling revelations about this era in Irish history as he had cultivated a loyal and dedicated body of informants who spied on criminals and subversives ***** Dear Tim Your letter of the 3rd of December with the paper clipping came yesterday and I wish to thank you for the brilliant idea of sending my file to Mr Conor Brady, Irish Times, a man of action whose celebrity we must admire ***** William was again transferred as superintendent to District headquarters in Kilrush on the 1oth February 1926. The sub-districts were Carrigaholt, Doonbeg, Kilrush,,Kilkee, Kildysart, Kilmihil, knock, and Labasheeda....................The area compassed at least 250 square miles, eleven significant islands and was served by the famous 3ft narrow guage West Clare Railway ***** County Clare was in turmoil due to the activities of the IRA, which persisted with bank robberies,executions, murder...........Bands of armed men prevented the unarmed gardai from carrying out normal duties all over the County. Between 14 November 1922 and 14 November 1926 six gardai were killed in the Free State ***** On the 23rd April 1999 the seventy year long train of events culminated in a letter from the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform, Mr John O'Donoghue to William Geary. In it O'Donoghue stated that he was making a public statement concerning the government's decision on the preceding day to exonerate William unreservedly ***** Justice Minister O'Donoghue's letter in the final paragraph clarified the situation: Finally with the regard to the question of granting a pardon the Minister wishes to make it clear that Mr Geary was never charged with or convicted of any offence in connection with the matters that led to his dismissal.
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About the Book
A dramatic, gripping story told to finally reveal the truth after all these years.’ Irish Voice , New York The voice of an innocent man is heard above prevailing agendas and Bungling Bureaucracy – Garda Review; Force magazine since 1923 The tragic story of one of the founders of the Garda Síochána – Irish Independent, weekend. Officer’s Club celebrating the rise to justice of a gentleman of the Force once banished from its door, Garda Review. He had to struggle against a background of adversity that would have broken a lesser man – Emergency Services Ireland William Geary was an intelligent, resourceful and successful policeman in 1920’s Ireland. By 1928 he had also become a thorn in the side of the still active anti-Treaty IRA, so they contrived to besmirch Geary’s good name and have him dismissed from the force. A coded message, which they knew would be intercepted by the (Gardai,) police was sent implying that Geary had accepted a bribe of £100 from the IRA for providing them with secret State information. Geary was confronted by Commissioner Eoin O’Duffy, Chief Superintendent David Neligan and Deputy Commissioner Eamonn Coogan on 16 June 1928 and was summarily dismissed from the force on 25 June 1928 without any form of trial of a chance to reply to the charges against him. He spent the next seventy-one years clearing his name.
About the Author
William Geary was an intelligent, resourceful and successful policeman in 1920’s Ireland. By 1928 he had also become a thorn in the side of the still active anti-Treaty IRA, so they contrived to besmirch Geary’s good name and have him dismissed from the force. A coded message, which they knew would be intercepted by the (Gardai,) police was sent implying that Geary had accepted a bribe of £100 from the IRA for providing them with secret State information. Geary was confronted by Commissioner Eoin O’Duffy, Chief Superintendent David Neligan and Deputy Commissioner Eamonn Coogan on 16 June 1928 and was summarily dismissed from the force on 25 June 1928 without any form of trial of a chance to reply to the charges against him. He spent the next seventy-one years clearing his name.