In the period 1835 to 1899 there were 237 people executed in Ireland, including 13 women. The following are the people who were executed in Limerick during that period, and their victims.

Original list of names with kind permission of Capital Punishment UK. Included where possible is a link to the newspaper report of their death, from the Limerick City Library Local Studies directory of Obituaries from The Limerick Chronicle.

Date

Name

Age

Victim

11 Apr 1835

Michael Quinlan

35

Rape of Mary Connars

25 Apr 1835

Daniel Malony,

22

Conspiracy to murder Thadeus Ryan

25 Apr 1835 Matthew Malony

34

Conspiracy to murder Thadeus Ryan

25 Apr 1835 Jeremiah O’Donnell

22

Conspiracy to murder Thadeus Ryan

07 Aug 1837

Mary Cooney (She was the former servant of Anne Anderson)  23

Anne Anderson (Inquest Report)

01 Sep 1847

Michael Howard (He was innocent, another Michael Howard was convicted of this crime and sent to America as punishment)

Johanna Hourigan & Conor Hourigan (mother & son)

07 Feb 1848

William Ryan (Puck)  23

John Kelly

07 Feb 1848

Andrew Dea  19

Edward Murphy

11 Feb 1848

John Renihan (report 2)

J McInerney

22 Feb 1848

James Skeahon (report 2

Ralph Hill

22 Feb 1848

James Quaine (report 2)

Ralph Hill

20 Apr 1848

Thomas Fitzgerald  40

John McEniry

20 Apr 1848

Michael Ryan

Honora Ryan

11 Aug 1849

John Freven

Peter Nash

11 Aug 1849

John Fogarty (report 2)

Daniel Dillon

11 Aug 1849

Catherine Dillon (report 2) (report 3)

Daniel Dillon (her husband)

10 Apr 1850

William Gavin  17

John Ryan

10 Apr 1850

Matthew Gavin  19

John Ryan

23 Sep 1851

Michael Hanly (report 2)  34

Ellen Hanly (his wife)

20 Oct 1858

John Cullinan (report 2)

Elizabeth Giles

16 Jul 1862

Thomas Beckham

61

Francis Fitzgerald (Landowner, lease disagreement)

01 Sep 1862

James Walsh

21

Francis Fitzgerald (Landowner, lease disagreement))

13 Apr 1863

Denis Dillane 55

Francis Fitzgerald (Landowner, lease disagreement)

10 Jan 1879

Thomas Cuncean

35

Johanna Hay

11 Sep 1882

Francis Hynes  23

John Dougherty (Agrarian Murder)

The execution Gavin Brothers in 1836 was watched by the Gavin’s surviving brother and a few thousand people, mostly women. Mingling with the crowd were pick-pockets who were very active.

In the 1920s there were three Limerick men who were executed by firing squad in Limerick, these were:

6 Jun 1921

Thomas Keane 30 Charged with levying war and being in possession of arms.

20 Jan 1923

Cornelius McMahon 28 Court-martialed for carrying illegal arms and taking part in the destruction of Ardsollus railway station near Dromoland

20 Jan 1923

Patrick Hennessey 29 Court-martialed for carrying illegal arms and taking part in the destruction of Ardsollus railway station near Dromoland

Although there were other Limerick murders executed these took place in Mountjoy, Dublin and not in Limerick. These included people such as Annie Walsh (30) and her nephew Michael Talbot (24) who were hung on the 5 August 1925 for the murder of her husband Ned Walsh (61).

The last person executed in Ireland was Limerick man Michael Manning (25) on the 20 April 1954, for the rape and murder of Catherine Cooper (60).