Beschreibung:

A 1921 Constabulary Medal (Ireland) pair awarded to District Inspector J. Sugrue, Royal Irish Constabulary, for his valour and leadership during an 11 hour battle after a party of 14 policemen under his command had been ambushed by 50 Republicans at Maam, Co. Galway, on 23 April 1921 Constabulary Medal (Ireland), 2nd type, ‘Reward of Merit Royal Irish Constabulary’ (District Inspector James Sugrue 1921) lacking top silver riband bar; Visit to Ireland 1903 (S.. J. Sugrue. R.I.C.) lacking integral top shamrock riband bar; edge bruising, very fine (2) £2,800-£3,200 Footnote Royal Irish Constabulary Medal of Merit for Bravery granted 24 August 1921. The original recommendation (jointly to District Inspector James Sugrue, Sergeants Thomas Walsh John Gilmartin, and Patrick Hanley, and Constables John Boylan and Michael Ruttledge) states: ‘For pre-eminent valour and bravery on the occasion of an ambush at Maam, Co. Galway, on 23 April 1921. A party of fourteen police were on a cycling patrol at Kilmilkin, near Maam, when they were fired on by about 50 men from high ground near a house. The police at once took what cover they could and returned the fire. They were cut off from all assistance in a desolate mountainous country and most of them had to lie in a stream in order to get any cover at all, while the rebels had fired from positions carefully prepared on the sides of the mountain. The police could not retreat, as the only way was through a bog which would only lead to wild foothills, and they would not think of surrendering. Constable Boylan was killed after about two hours’ fighting and Sergeant Hanley was wounded twice. The police, however, steadily maintained their positions and inflicted several casualties upon the rebels. At last, after 11 hours, help, which had been fetched by Constable Ruttledge by dashing to a passing motor under a heavy fire- which wounded him- arrived from Galway and the rebels made off. A considerable quantity of arms, ammunition, and seditious literature was captured. District Inspector Sugrue, who was in charge of the party which achieved this fine feat of arms, controlled the expenditure of ammunition so ably that the police had nearly half their supply still unused when help came.’ James Sugrue was born on 2 February 1871, and was appointed a Constable in the Royal Irish Constabulary on 2 February 1892. Allocated to Waterford, he was promoted Sergeant on 1 October 1900, and Head Constable on 19 December 1916. He was appointed District Inspector in Oughterard, Co. Galway, on 14 May 1920, and was awarded his Royal Irish Constabulary Medal of Merit for Bravery for his valour and bravery during the ambush at Maam on 23 April 1921, one of six medals awarded for this action. A more fuller account of the action was published in the Irish Times: ‘In an eleven hours’ fight, which took place yesterday in Maam Valley, Connemara, between a cycle patrol of fourteen R.I.C. constables, under a District Inspector, and what is described as a flying column of the I.R.A., Constable John Boylan, a native of County Leitrim, was shot dead, and Sergeant Hanley received two bullet wounds to the right leg, while Constable Ruttledge was wounded in the left forearm when going for assistance in a passing motor car seven hours after the engagement had started. The police believe that one attacker was killed and two wounded. The fight opened at dawn, and raged until 3:30 p.m. around the house of Mr. Patrick O’Malley, the member of Dail Eireann for the constituency of Connemara and Galway City. The police were under District Inspector Sugrue, of Oughterard, and they believe that the Republicans numbered fifty. They were apparently well armed with long-range Service rifles. The police set out from Oughterard about 3:00 a.m. on Saturday for the purpose of searching the house of Mr. Patrick O’Malley. In order to escape detection, they went to the scene on bicycles. Cycling two deep, and twenty yards apart, they entered the Valley