POLICE SERGEANT A. DOBBIN, DUBLIN METROPOLITAN POLICE. Visit to Ireland Medal 1903, with its original shamrock top brooch suspender (officially engraved: P.S. A. DOBBIN. D.M.P.). Almost Extremely Fine.
Medal accompanied by copied extract from Jim Herlihy's "The Dublin Metropolitan Police, A Complete Alphabetical List of Officers and Men", extract from 1901 census return and copied extracts from newspaper reports of the period regarding criminal investigations and prosecutions that Sergeant Dobbin was involved in.
Andrew Dobbin was born in Baltinglass, Co. Wicklow, in 1861. He enlisted into the Dublin Metropolitan Police on 24/11/1882. At the time of enlistment he was 21 years of age, 5 feet 10 and a quarter inches tall, and gave his trade as that of labourer. He was recommended for the DMP by F.F. Carroll, J.P. Dobbin first saw service as a 4th Rate Constable with "D" Division, from 24/11/1882, "A" Division from 30/7/1886, he was promoted Sergeant and transferred to "F" Division on 18/1/1901 and finally to "D" Division from 28/3/1902. He was pensioned on 10/5/1908 with a pension of £58 5 shillings and 7 pence per annum. Andrew Dobbin died on 21/12/1945.
Dobbin is recorded in the 1901 census as being a 38 year old Sergeant in the Dublin Metropolitan Police resident in Rock Hill, Dublin, with his 32 year old wife, 2 sons and 2 daughters (census return gives place of birth as county Kildare, but this is clearly incorrect, as service records give place of birth as Baltinglass, county Wicklow). He is recorded in the 1911 census as a 49 year old "steward" living in a Humphreystown, Burgage, Co. Wicklow. He is noted in this return as being the head of the family, but living with three servants, two female general domestic servants and a male coachman.
Newspaper reports of the period contain descriptions of a number of investigations and prosecutions that Dobbin was involved in, including incidents in January and December 1902, resulting in a prosecution of publicans for serving alcohol outside of licensing hours and a rather sad case in May 1903, when Dobbin intervened to save the life of a man who was threatening to commit suicide by drinking poison. Dobbin's intervention led to the individual concerned being treated at the Meath Hospital and subsequently transferred to the Richmond Asylum. Sergeant Dobbin was commended in court for "the promptitude and skill with which he acted".
Royal Visit Medals awarded to the Dublin Metropolitan Police are considerably scarcer than those awarded to the Royal Irish Constabulary, the DMP having a total strength of approximately 1,200 officers and men at the time of the Royal Visits of 1900, 1903 and 1911, whereas the RIC was composed of approximately 9,800 officers and men in each of those years.
