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 | |
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).