Until the early 19th century, policing in Ireland was achieved through a patchwork of baronial constables appointed by the government and county grand juries. They were under the supervision of local magistrates, but subject to little control or discipline. These worthies were largely untrained, without uniforms, unarmed and, realistically, only capable of dealing with petty crime and minor disorder. In the face of serious disturbances, the ever-present British Army was quickly called upon. In 1812, the Government in Westminster appointed Sir Robert Peel as Chief Secretary for Ireland. Peel applied his zeal for organised law enforcement to Ireland, championing the Constabulary Act of 1822. As founder of the London Metropolitan Police in 1829, he used the experience to formulate the systematic organisation of a police force in Ireland, leading to the establishment of the Irish Constabulary in 1836. Under the central control of the Government administration in Dublin, detachments of the Constabulary were housed in barracks across Ireland. Their prime task was one of local security against insurrection, a constant concern to the British Government and local authorities. Consequently they were armed. As a quasi-military force, the Constabulary no longer had to call on the Army for support.
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