On this day in 1895, the body of Bridget Cleary was found after an extensive search in Ballyvadlea near Mullinahone.
Due to the remarkable circumstances of her murder, the case was widely reported in Ireland and internationally, being mentioned in newspapers in the UK, America and even Mexico.
When Bridget fell ill in early March 1895, her husband Michael Cleary initially called for a doctor, then the local curate, before eventually consulting local ‘fairy doctor’ Michael Ganey. When Bridget’s condition hadn’t improved after the initial few days, Michael became gripped by the belief that his wife was a malevolent fairy changeling. Rumours based on well-known oral legend began to circulate in the area, suggesting that the ‘real’ young woman had been abducted by fairies and a changeling left in her place.
Groups of male relatives and neighbours searched for an effective ‘cure’, which included dousing Bridget in urine, holding her close to naked flames while interrogating her, and forcing her to drink concoctions of herbs and milk. On the night of 15 March, when the house was crowded with relatives, an altercation broke out and Michael knocked his wife to the ground in a burst of anger. He violently interrogated her, then threw an oil lamp over her so that she burned to death.
Michael Cleary buried his wife in a shallow grave nearby and then proceeded to keep vigil at a nearby ringfort, saying his wife would ride out from it among a troop of fairies, mounted on a white horse.
After Bridget’s body was found, Michael Cleary and eight others, mostly her own family members, were arrested and went on trial in Clonmel. Mr Justice O’Brien said: “This most extraordinary case demonstrated a degree of darkness in the mind, not just of one person, but of several - a moral darkness, even religious darkness.” The charge against Cleary would be dropped from murder to manslaughter. He was convicted and sentenced to 20 years penal servitude. Once released, he emigrated to Canada.
The case garnered huge national and international attention with the inquestl being reported in some publications almost verbatim, suggesting significant public interest in the case. Unionist papers used the event to portray the Irish as barbarians unfit for self-government. Some British and American newspapers used anti-Roman Catholic or anti-Irish headlines or text such as "Gross Ignorance Amongst the Irish Peasantry" (the Southern Echo, England, July 11th 1895) or "Darkest Ireland" (The Anderson Intelligencer, South Carolina, July 10th 1895).
To this day, the case continues to capture the imagination. As recently as 2017, popular Amazon Prime series ‘Lore’ featured an episode called ‘Black Stocking’ which was about the Bridget Cleary case.
Bridget Cleary was buried in Cloneen cemetery.
Sources:
https://www.dib.ie/biography/cleary-bridget-a1720
https://www.irishtimes.com/.../the-story-of-the-last…
https://www.rte.ie/.../1085544-darkest-ireland-and-the.../
