The constabulary in Ireland was developed and structured in such a way as to preserve British rule in Ireland, and once it was established and placed within the criminal justice system, it functioned as an ordinary police force. The main concern of an ordinary police force was with the criminal law. Evidence from a variety of inquiries into the workings of the constabulary suggests that the criminal law had a central place in the daily activities of the police. Even in rural areas, the police enforced a range of minor laws in the absence of any serious crime. The constabulary was part of a centrally administered state system of professional magistrates, solicitors, and police that was designed to ensure that the state would not be at a disadvantage in a criminal trial. In practice, the special political operations of the constabulary remained an adjunct to the criminal policing of Ireland. Further, the low levels of crime in rural areas did not warrant the maintenance of a substantial detective department. During periods of political tension, the priorities of the police pertained to enforcing the interests of British rule, but in the absence of such tension, the constabulary functioned as a police force concerned with enforcing criminal law. 91 notes