The Irish Times speculates that the mugshots, including those of Tobin and Béaslaí, “were taken at Richmond Barracks in Dublin – a British army facility in Inchicore where most of the rebels were taken after the Rising. This article was originally published in Ireland of the Welcomes magazine. (His harsh treatment may have been because he fought at the Four Courts under Commandant Ned Daly and they had given the British a brutal time.) For some reason Tobin, a regular foot soldier in the Volunteers without rank, was singled out, sent to Kilmainham Gaol, and sentenced to death, which was immediately commuted to penal servitude. He was taken to Richmond Barracks to be questioned and processed. (Surprisingly his statement ends after his incarceration and he never mentions his work for Collins.)ĭuring the Rising, Tobin fought at the Four Courts before his unit's surrender. Tobin’s statement, however, told his 1916 story. I decided to check the witness statements of both Béaslaí and Tobin. The office is a mere two blocks from Dublin Castle but was never discovered by the British.

This is because he was the Assistant Director of Intelligence (Collins was the chief) with an office at #3 Crow Street in Dublin. Tobin was one of the most important members of the IRA in Dublin in 1919-20. Beazley), who was Collins’ first biographer. These mugshots are important because they contain the photographs of two of Collins’ closest associates: Liam Tobin (#4 W. The Irish Times did not say where these mugshots have been, but one can guess that they were in someone’s attic for the last hundred years. In 2016, the Irish Times reported that rare mugshots from 1916 were going on sale.

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