Summary
"The story of the Royal Irish Constabulary (RIC) cannot be fully understood without taking a penetrating look at 20th century British government policy in Ireland and its subsequent treatment of the police there. This thesis argues that poor management and neglect on the government's part proved just as detrimental to the RIC's ability to continue to function as the guerrilla campaign launched against it by the Irish Republican Army in 1920-21. The RIC's breakdown was gradual, changing from a position of strength before the Easter Rising in 1916 to one of disarray during the height of the Troubles in 1920. The government in Ireland had at its disposal this indigenous force thoroughly embedded within the civilian population and failed to take advantage of it. The Constabulary's capacity for ferreting out 'political intelligence' provided the government with a valuable tool that went largely unnoticed, unappreciated, and most significantly, unused by those in power."--Abstract.