David Neligan

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

David Neligan (Born 1899, Died 1983), known by his soubriquet "The Spy in the Castle", was an important figure involved in the Irish War of Independence 1919-1921, and subsequently became Director of Intelligence for the National Army after the Irish Civil War (June 28, 1922 – May 24, 1923)

Contents 1 Early Life 2 Irish Civil War 3 Later Life 4 Sources

[edit] Early Life

David Neligan was born at Templeglantine, Limerick, where his parents were National School Teachers.

Against his father's wishes, Neligan joined the Dublin Metropolitan Police in 1917, and was recruited into the G Division in 1919. In May 1920, Neligan's elder brother Maurice, an Irish Republican Army member and friend of Michael Collins, persuaded him to resign from the DMP.

After his resignation, Neligan had returned to his native County Limerick. Shortly after, his brother Maurice was killed in a motor cycle accident, near their home in Templeglantine. In the meantime, Neligan received word from a family friend that Michael Collins wish to meet with him in Dublin. Collins persuaded Neligan to rejoin the DMP, and serve as an agent for the Irish Republican Brotherhood Along with Eamon Broy and James McNamara, he acted as an agent for Collins and passed on vital information. In 1921 Neligan allowed himself to be recruited to the newly established British Secret Service network, memorising their Oath of Allegiance and passwords and passing them on. After Broy and McNamara were dismissed in 1921, he was Collin's last agent in Dublin Castle.

[edit] Irish Civil War

On the outbreak of the Civil War in June 1922, Neligan joined the National Army with the rank of Commandant and was attached to the Dublin Guard. He was involved in the seaborne assault on Fenit and spent the remainder of the war serving in the appointment of local intelligence officer. He has been accused of involvement in several atrocities including the Ballyseedy massacre but Ernie O'Malley in later years would express doubts as to the evidence of this. In 1923 he was posted to Dublin where he was promoted to Colonel and succeeded Diarmuid O'Hegarty as National Army Director of Intelligence.

[edit] Later Life

In 1924, Neligan handed over his post to the youthful Colonel Michael Joe Costello and took command of the DMP (which still continued as a separate force to the newly established Garda Siochana) with the rank of Chief Superintendent. In 1925 he transferred to the Garda when the two police forces were amalgamated and was instrumental in the foundation of Garda Special Branch. When Eamon de Valera was elected to power in 1932, his Republican followers demanded Neligan's dismissal. He was subsequently transferred to an equivalent post in the Civil Service.

Until his death in 1983, Neligan drew pensions from the DMP, the British Secret Service, the Garda Siochana and the Irish Civil Service.

[edit] Sources

• The Spy in the Castle by David Neligan.
• Who's Who in the Irish War of Independence 1916-1921. Padraic O'Farrell, Mercier Press 1980.