Colm O'Driscoll

Colm O'Driscoll
Gameplay
Game	Red Dead Redemption 2
Biography
Nationality	Irish-American
Gender	Male
Location	Transitory
Affiliations	O'Driscoll Boys Dutch van der Linde (formerly) Pinkerton National Detective Agency (temporarily)
Family	Unnamed brother dead
Occupation	Outlaw Gang leader
Additional info
Weapon	Cattleman Revolver Double-barreled Shotgun
Actor	Andrew Berg

“	Now tell me... fine gun like you... why you still running around with old Dutch? Could come with me and make real money.	„
	—Colm O'Driscoll to Arthur Morgan

Colm O'Driscoll is a major character and the tertiary antagonist of Red Dead Redemption 2.

History

Background

Colm O'Driscoll was a long-time infamous outlaw operating across the Old West. In his earlier days, he had a loose partnership with Dutch van der Linde, a fellow infamous outlaw. The two would go on to found gangs named after them: the O'Driscoll Boys and the Van der Linde gang respectively.

Their uneasy truce eventually turned into bitter enmity when Dutch killed Colm's brother. In retaliation, Colm murdered a woman called Annabelle, who was Dutch’s lover. Ever since these events, Colm’s and Dutch's gangs were involved in a blood feud.

Over the following years, Colm would expand his operations considerably, turning his gang into one of the largest and most powerful criminal organisations in the West. He was arrested and convicted for murder twice, but managed to escape on both occasions before he could be hanged.

Events of Red Dead Redemption 2

Colter chapter

The Van der Linde gang discover that Colm is planning a robbery of a train owned by Leviticus Cornwall. In order for them to be able to rob it instead, the gang assault an O'Driscoll camp, to eliminate the enemy gang and steal the plans. When they arrive, Arthur and Dutch observe Colm berating one of his men, before leaving camp. As a result, Colm is absent when his men are wiped out by the Van der Linde gang, who also go on to rob the train that Colm and his gang had intended to rob.

Clemens Point chapter

Pearson comes to Dutch and informs him that the O'Driscoll gang is amenable to a truce and that Colm has decided to meet with Dutch to parley, but this turns out to be a ploy to capture Arthur Morgan. Colm later confronts the imprisoned Arthur, explaining that he made a deal with the Pinkertons. He articulates, saying that he is counting on Dutch to launch a rescue mission, in which the trap will be sprung and the Van der Linde gang arrested. Nevertheless, these plans are foiled when Arthur manages to escape.

Beaver Hollow chapter

In the midst of a routine coach inspection, Colm was arrested by a deputy and subsequently put on trial, during which Judge Taylor sentenced him to be hanged in Saint Denis. Dutch, eager to watch him die, personally attends Colm's execution disguised as a police officer, while bringing Arthur and Sadie Adler with him, who also disguise themselves. The three immediately spot Colm’s men, who Dutch and Arthur follow. Arthur then dispatches the saboteurs, foiling the rescue attempt. Despite initially being cocky that his gang would save him, Colm realises that his escape plan had been ruined when Arthur salutes to him from the roof where his sniper was originally located, and begins panicking before he is finally hanged. 

A short while after his death, after the mission "Mrs. Sadie Adler, Widow II", looting the new O'Driscoll leader's corpse (who is identified only as "Tom") yields a letter named "Letter to Tom from Colm", which details Colm's last days in prison before his death. The letter reveals that he was "caught in the bed of a disloyal and loud-mouthed woman", which led to his capture. Colm finishes the letter by requesting that Tom kill or otherwise harm her, saying "I would hope you could pay a visit to her in order to say that all is forgiven and perhaps to give her something lasting to remember me by". This letter can only be obtained by looting Tom's corpse after the mission.  

Character

Personality

From the little in-game dialogue and references to him, he is said to be a very mean, cynical person who does not care about the members of his gang or really anyone else. For example, when he is speaking with Dutch about his brother that he "didn't really like him that much" and yet, he still murdered Annabelle. According to Kieran, "When he talks to you nicely, it's like the sun is shining and when he's mad at you, it's like the devil is upon you," which ferments his cynical demeanor to even his own gang. He is also shown to have glimpses of intelligence, like when he captures Arthur Morgan, knowing Dutch would come to his rescue, all as a ploy to capture Dutch and turn him in for the reward.

Appearance

Colm is shown as a lean, elderly man with long grey hair, weathered skin and gritty stubble on his face. In his few appearances, he is usually seen sporting a somewhat similar outfit to Dutch, albeit in his gang's colour scheme, with a black double breasted waistcoat decorated with with gold buttons and a gold watch chain. He wears black trousers, a white pinstriped shirt, a patterned green neckerchief, black finger-less gloves and a black hat with a snakeskin band.

In an old photo of the O'Driscoll gang, he is seen wearing a long fur-lined coat, presumably saved for colder climates.

Mission appearances

Red Dead Redemption 2

• "Old Friends"
• "Blessed are the Peacemakers"
• "Goodbye, Dear Friend"

Trivia

• His name is frequently mispronounced by almost all characters with the exception of Sean McGuire and a few O'Driscolls with Irish accents, who pronounce it as "Col-om". However, Kieran says that even Colm pronounces the way it is spelled.
• A real-life Colm O’Driscoll reportedly received hate messages on Twitter by Red Dead Redemption 2 fans, shortly after the game was released.

Gallery