Bobbie Bonfield

At the time of his death in March 1923, towards the end of the Irish Civil War, Robert Bonfield was a twenty-year-old Dental Student at UCD. He was also the O/C of the 4th Battalion, Dublin Brigade operating in the Rathmines area of South Dublin, close to his home at 103 Moyne Road, Ranelagh.

Joseph MacDonagh TD, brother of Thomas MacDonagh the executed 1916 leader, and his family were neighbours of the Bonfield's in Moyne Road, living just opposite and the families knew each other well. Michael Collins regularly used the MacDonagh home as a safe house during the War of Independence.

Michael McKenna tells the forgotten story of the life and death of Seamus Dwyer, Sinn Fein and IRA activist and pro-Treaty politician, killed by Robert Bonfield in December 1922, during the Irish Civil War.

http://www.theirishstory.com/2013/09/02/who-was-seamus-dwyer/#.XCE5...

Bonfield was arrested by Free State forces in early March 1923, escaped a short time later and went on the run. On Holy Thursday, 31/03/1923, he bumped into the President of the Free State, WT Cosgrave, and his bodyguards on St. Stephen's Green. Bonfield was recognised and arrested after a short scuffle on the street. He was taken away by two of the President's bodyguards and his body was discovered in a field near the Red Cow, Clondalkin the following day. He had been shot in the head.