School: Cromadh (B.)

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1. Local Traditions - Historical and Otherwise - The Last Public Hanging in Ireland

   

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   "The last public hanging in Ireland" - I remember the words as clearly as if I only heard them yesterday - was in Clonmel. (near Fethard Co. Tipp. and the native place of my father) There were three men hanged for the murder of the Sheas of Banixtown (near Killusty). They were hanged publicly in the little village street. A neighbour of Shea, in Banixtown, had been evicted and Shea took over the evicted land. When the digging of the potatoes came Shea had a number of men at work on the "evicted farm". When they went in to their dinner there were "labbels" put on the spade handles warning them not to continue. All the men left except three and of these only one stayed in the the house with Shea. That night when all had retired to bed in the house of the grabber "they" came and tied the doors and windows and set fire to the thatched roof. Of the gruesome details which I was accustomed to hear this one stands out most clearly. Mrs Shea had a baby seven months old. When all hope of getting out of the burning house was abandoned the frantic mother carried her baby to a big tub of spring water that was on the stillon and plunged the child into it hoping by that means to save its life. But in vain, when the debris was cleared in the morning the charred remains of the mother were found beside the water-vessel in which was the half-roasted half-boiled body of her baby! In all, the father

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   Transcribed by a member of our volunteer transcription project.

   History Edit

   Topics

   1. objects
      1. man-made structures
         1. historical and commemorative structures (~6,794)

   Language

   English

   Collector

   Daithí Ó Ceanntabhail

   Gender

   Male

   Occupation

   Múinteoir