A Public Hanging.
In 1827 five men were publily hanged on the Green of Ardfinnan, a village in South Tipperary. The following account is given locally of this public hanging and the events leading up to it.
In the year 1826 a road contractor named John Barry from Co. Cork grabbed a farm at Ballyneety, near Ardfinnan, from which a widow named Lonergan had been evicted. This farm was known as the Sceach Ruadh (a name still used locally pretty geneally) and was on the estate of Lord Donoughmore whose residence was at Knocklofty, a few mile away. It is said that on this estate no widows were allowed to hold farms at this time. When a tennant died his widow had to give up the farm or be evicted. Whether this is correct or not the tennant