James Christopher "Lugs" Branigan (6 January 1910 – 22 May 1986) was a well-known member of the Garda Síochána in the 1950s and 1960s,[3] as well as an Irish boxer and boxing referee.
[3] He was stationed in Kevin Street in 1936 and was known for using physical force against petty criminals, which he admitted to doing to avoid excessive paperwork.
Stories of mistreatment, rough or tough justice surrounded Garda Branigan and his squad, the sight of his Bedford CT van, was feared on Dublin's late-night streets.
His individual heavy-handedness, strength and fearlessness drew much attention to Sergeant Branigan, his personal notoriety growing over the years.
[5] Detective Branigan in his day enjoyed the respect of the community, the bench and those he prosecuted and sometimes he was appointed as a bodyguard to visiting celebrities.
[3] Since his death, there has been an increased interest and nostalgia about the activities of his squad, with a senior High Court Judge, Mr Justice Paul Carney, claiming in 2009 that the heavy-handed detectives like Garda Branigan were required in today's Dublin to deter crime.
Carney said[10] of Detective Branigan: Nowadays, in more politically correct times, he would probably be abolished by the Garda Ombudsman Commission, and possibly also prosecuted...Had his unit, known as Prevention and Detection of Street Nuisances, been continued rather than disbanded on his retirement, I suspect that the streets of Dublin would be considerably safer than they are now....I am dealing primarily with my experiences in trials on indictment, which evolved from a situation in my early days where there was an attack on Garda behaviour in virtually every case, to a situation in which there is now virtually no criticism of garda conduct in my court.
He parted the hordes like the Dead Sea to take three people who were in front of the band stand into the back alley and rendered his own justice.
I am not suggesting that we return to those days but I believe that the balance has gone too far in the other direction.On 28 January 2009, RTÉ Radio 1's Liveline, a popular talk programme, featured callers reminiscing about Detective Branigan and his activities as a Garda in Dublin.
He received many tributes, but was particularly touched by a canteen of cutlery and Waterford glass set from some Dublin prostitutes, who regarded him as a father figure.
[8] He, with his wife, Elizabeth, spent most of his retirement in Summerhill, County Meath, breeding budgerigars and growing crops.