Webley & Scott automatic pistol, G Man, 1920-21

Webley & Scott automatic pistol, G Man, 1920-21

This 1911 model Webley & Scott automatic pistol belonged to a G-Man; a member of the plainclothes division of the Dublin Metropolitan Police who worked mainly as a detective unit. Unlike the other divisions of the DMP, G Division was armed. The pistol was given to IRA Volunteer Seán O'Duffy by the G-Man who was responsible for protecting General Maxwell after the 1916 Rising, and who acted as a double agent for the IRA during the War of Independence. He passed information to IRA Intelligence regarding the British authorities’ raids and arrest plans. A number of G-Men, DMP officers and Dublin Castle employees acted as spies and informants for the IRA, the most famous being Detective Sergeant Eamon (Ned) Broy and G-Men James McNamara and David Nelligan, who Michael Collins persuaded to work for IRA Intelligence.