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Michael Dwyer
(1860 -1941)
Birth
Michael was born in 1860 in Newport, which is variously described as being in East Limerick or North Tiperary. He favoured East Limerick as did the RIC, in which he made his career. He was a son of William Dwyer who was a farmer. I don't know anything else about his father or any other possible siblings at this stage.
RIC
He appears to have worked on the farm until he was 20 and was recruited into the RIC on 21 February 1881 (Service No, 46669). By then, at 5'9", he was a little taller than myself.
He was recommended for the force by Sub Inspector Henry Turner (Service No. 36838). A candidate had to be personally known to, and recommended by, a local magistrate, justice of the peace, Protestant or Catholic clergyman or RIC Sub Inspector (retitled District Inspector after 1883). Henry Turner, a Protestant and a native of Co. Kilkenny, seems to have been an interesting character in his own right. He is quoted in Jim Herlihy's book as getting favourable mention for a piece of detective work in 1871 which led to the arrest of a writer of threatening letters. Turner was pensioned in the same year as Michael, having risen to the office of permanent resident magistrate 1st class.
Anyway, back to Michael. He may have undergone his training in Sligo and was appointed to serve in the Mayo district on 1 July 1881. He was originally assigned to Kiltimagh, where he fell for the daughter of another RIC man stationed there and married her in 1888 [See below]. There was a rule in the RIC that a member was not stationed in either his own or his wife's county. No doubt this was in the interest of a more objective, and, perhaps, less potentially subsersive, police force. Following his marriage, Michael was moved to Longford. Surprisingly, after only a year and a half there he was transferred back to Mayo and ended up in Ballyhaunis.
In June of 1887, in common with many other members of the force, he was awarded the Jubilee Recommendation on the occasion of Queen Victoria's 50th Jubilee. In 1910 he got favourable mention in the Half Yearly Supplement, which was circulated throughout the force, accompanied by a monetary award of £3.
He was pensioned on 16 March 1911.
Marriage
Michael's bride to be was Margaret Reilly, the daughter of Luke Reilly and Bridget (née Jordan), both of whom hailed from Co. Sligo. I don't know how soon after his appointment he started going out with her, but he appears to have run into a problem which he shared with many other RIC recruits.
The RIC recruited only unmarried males and they were forbidden to marry for seven years after their appointment. Looking through the records it is amazing (well, maybe not really!) how many members married almost seven years to the day after their appointment. It appears that Michael was so nervous that he might have been gezumped that he secreted Margaret with relatives in Leeds until he was in a position to marry her.
They married in Kiltimagh on St. Patrick's Day 1888. Michael's best man was his father in law, Constable Luke Reilly, which might suggest his own father was dead by then and/or that he had no living male siblings or had lost touch with them. Margaret's bridesmaid was Honoria Reilly (her sister or aunt, Nora).
A year and a half later he appears to have been assigned to Ballyhaunis where he spent the rest of his career and lived out his retirement.
Children
Michael and Margaret had 11 children - too many to give detailed reports on here, so I'll just hit this in spots.
First, Jane. I don't know where she came in order but she went to the USA at a very early age (early teens?) and is certainly not recorded in the family home in either the 1901 or 1911 censuses. She married an O'Connor and her son Bill was a well got lawyer in New York. Himself, wife and daughter, Mary Chris, visited Ireland in the last quarter of the last century.
Willie (b. 1890) was the eldest son. He was a teacher, married another teacher, Maura, and became local and county secretary of the INTO. He also kept bees.
The next two girls were Bridget (Bea b. 1891) and Nora (b. 1895) - they married two Kelly brothers.
John P was born in 1894 and his death on the Somme in 1916 is recounted elsewhere.
Margaret (Maggie b. 1897) was next. She married Padraig Fahey, from a local dynasty. Both were teachers.
Next came Michael (b. 1900). Michael joined the Civil Service in London and was brought back by the family to avoid his participating in WWI. He subsequently went to Dublin, became a successful businessman, and married Agnes Ferguson (of the Rathmines cake family).
Next was Luke (b 1903) who was my father and who will be reported on elsewhere.
He was followed by Paddy (b. 1906), whose drowning is reported elsewhere.
Next was the youngest son James Austen (Jimmy b. 1908), who was also a teacher, married a teacher, Maura, and raised at least one of his family through the medium of Irish.
Finally, there was Mary (Mollie b. 1910) who didn't marry. Mollie lived on in the family home and was living there with her widowed mother when I used to visit with my father in the 1950s.
Further comments, including photos of 9 of the children, along with a shot of Margaret, probably by then in her 80s, can be seen here.
Death
Michael died, from cardiac failure, in 1941, in the family home in Ballyhaunis. He was then aged 61. His widow, Margaret, died in 1954, aged 89½.