George Lawlor: An Early Visionary: Forensic Detective Established Ireland's Equivalent of British 'Murder Squad' (Case Study‪)‬

[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] I have met Mr. Luck several times, but have always been introduced to him by his friends, Mr. Persistence and Mr. Hard Work." So quipped Superintendent George Lawlor in a diary he kept in anticipation of writing his memoir. He never did, but Irish journalist Tom Reddy rescued him from oblivion by publishing his crime stories. Relatively unknown outside Ireland, Lawlor deserves more recognition than he's received, because he established Ireland's equivalent of England's famous "Murder Squad" and brought scientific methods to the national police force. During his watch, his team of detectives had one of the best records in the world for solving murders. Yet Lawlor was hardly a solid candidate for such a career.