William Geary, 105; Cleared of Bribery at 100

This article is from the archive of The New York Sun before the launch of its new website in 2022. The Sun has neither altered nor updated such articles but will seek to correct any errors, mis-categorizations or other problems introduced during transfer.

The New York Sun

William Geary, who died Thursday at age 105, was a former Irish policeman who finally succeeded, at the age of 100, in clearing his name of taking a bribe from the Irish Republican Army – in 1928.


Geary immigrated to America after the scandal of being dismissed from the Garda Siochana for what amounted to treason. While working as a superintendent in Kilrush, County Clare, Geary was accused of taking L100 in return for passing “information” to the IRA, although no specifics were ever given.


A native of Ballyagran in County Limerick, Geary settled in New York and took a job digging ditches for Con Ed. Eventually he was promoted, and he stayed with Con Ed until his retirement in 1967. He served in the Army Air Corps during World War II.


He lived in Manhattan and married Margaret Shryane, from Rooskey, County Roscommon. They had two daughters, who survive him.


In a 1999 interview with the Irish Times, Geary said that he had never been shown the evidence against him, and claimed he had been offered a government job if he would admit to the charges.


“Being innocent of the allegations made against me, I could not in good conscience fabricate some story to avail of the offer,” Geary told the paper.


Almost immediately after coming to America, Geary began a letter-writing campaign to clear his name, but made no headway. As late as the early 1990s, the Irish government refused to release the evidence on which Geary had been accused.


In 1999, after continued appeals, the Irish government completely exonerated Geary, “following a lengthy review of his case.” He was awarded L67,500, plus a full superintendent’s pension. Press accounts of the affair made it appear possible he had been framed by the IRA in an attempt to discredit the police, but the truth remains murky.


“All I ever wanted was my name cleared,” Geary said in a statement to the press. “I think the Lord preserved me for this day.”


The New York Sun

© 2025 The New York Sun Company, LLC. All rights reserved.

Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. The material on this site is protected by copyright law and may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used.

The New York Sun

Sign in or  Create a free account

or
By continuing you agree to our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use