Following Éamon de Valera’s departure to the United States Michael Collins was finally in a position where he could begin his war against British Intelligence. It was clear that the Irish Volunteers could not hope to win in a fight against the British military but Collins believed that wiping out their spy network in Ireland would give the Volunteers a chance. In July he orders Dick McKee and Mick McDonnell of the Dublin Brigade to assemble a group of men for “special duties”, the first of which is the killing of a DMP Detective Sergeant. This group will later go on to form the Squad.

References: T. Ryle Dwyer - “The Squad” Peter Hart - “Mick; The Real Michael Collins” Tim Pat Coogan - “Michael Collins” Richard Abbott - “Police Casualties in Ireland 1919 - 1922”

BMH Statements: Eamon Broy WS1280 James Slattery WS445

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Main Sources: Military Archives - http://www.bureauofmilitaryhistory.ie Century Ireland - https://www.rte.ie/centuryireland Atlas of the Irish Revolution Maurice Walsh - “Bitter Freedom” Charles Townshend - "The Republic" Michael Hopkinson - ”The Irish War of Independence” Diarmuid Ferriter - “A Nation and not a Rabble”

Photos: Military Archives NLI Flickr account Wiki Commons