“Can Honour’s voice provoke the silent dust…” Extract from poem ‘Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard’, by Thomas Gray.
The earthly remains of an innocent man, executed by hanging in Mountjoy jail; same body having been located within the prison grounds, were handed over to his family last week. Yesterday, Sunday July 7th, 2024 same remains were re-interred, with his parents in the family plot, following Requiem Mass in Holycross Abbey, Thurles, attended by hundreds of people, some who travelled from other countries, to be in attendance.
In November, 1940, the executed Mr Gleeson had found the body of this single mother of seven children in a field owned by his uncle Mr John Caesar, while the former was out tending sheep. The victim had been shot twice in the head and rather than being thanked for alerting local authorities to his gruesome discovery of Ms McCarthy’s body, Mr Gleeson soon found himself charged with her murder. Following his trial and eventual conviction, the manner of execution was proscribed by the then sentencing Judge, Mr Justice Martin Maguire, that he be ‘hanged by the neck until he be dead.’ Alas, Mr Gleeson’s pardon came 74 years after his execution; granted by the current President of Ireland, Mr Michael D. Higgins, on the initial recommendation of former Minister for Justice, Mr Alan Shatter.
Having studied the original trial transcripts and noting that back in 1941 the judge, Mr Martin Maguire, had asked for a gun register to be shown during the trial. Same register although available, had never been produced by the prosecution.
Yet another issue was the temperature of Ms McCarthy’s body, when it had been first located. The post-mortem report from 1940 indicated that Moll had been murdered at a time when Mr Gleeson actually had an alibi.
Ten years ago in 2014, a retired nurse Ms Ann Martin Walsh, who had cared for Ms Moll McCarthy’s eldest daughter, Ms Mary McCarthy, as the latter was nearing her death, confirmed that her patient had clearly declared that ‘I saw my own mother shot on the kitchen floor and an innocent man died’.
Mr Harry Gleeson denied ever being one of Ms Moll McCarthy’s many known lovers or of fathering one of her seven children, which, it was stated could have jeopardised an inheritance of land, due from an uncle John Caesar.
Today, the murdered body of Ms Moll McCarthy lies in an unmarked grave in a now disused cemetery in New-Inn, Cahir, Co. Tipperary.
In 2015, following a full review of the trial and the evidence provided, members of the Gleeson family attended a special ceremony at the Department of Justice, where a certificate of official pardon was finally presented.
Having languished for eighty-three years in an unmarked grave in Mountjoy Prison, most wrongly convicted, and having been executed for a murder in which he had neither hand act or part; Mr Gleeson’s remains may soon finally rest in peace, having been declared a totally innocent man. Betrayed by the very system of law, which should have protected him, it has since fallen to others to restore his good name and bring him back home to finally rest.
Requiescat in Pace.
Re-interment Arrangements.
The earthly remains of Mr Gleeson will be received into the former Cistercian Monastery Abbey at Holycross, Thurles at 1:30pm, to repose for Requiem Mass at 2:00pm on Sunday afternoon next, July 7th, followed by re-interment immediately afterwards in St. Mary’s Cemetery, Holycross, Thurles, Co. Tipperary.
For those persons who are unable to attend the re-interment service for Mr Gleeson, same can be viewed streamed live online, HERE.
The extended Gleeson family wish to express their appreciation for your understanding at this difficult time, and have made arrangements for those persons wishing to send messages of condolence, to use the link shown HERE.
May his innocent soul now enjoy the happiness of Heaven knowing that truth and justice has finally prevailed.
The ‘Gratuitous Relief Ration Record Book,’(or the ‘Distribution Book,‘ as it was also called), for the Electoral Divisions of Holycross, Thurles and Ballycahill, dated 1847/48, has now been fully digitized and is uploaded hereunder, allowing yet another search facility, for those anxious to trace their family roots back to their once local homestead, within the Thurles, Co. Tipperary hinterland.
This afore mentioned ‘Gratuitous Relief Ration Record Book’ (Videoed on two occasions, before being broadcast on at least seven different occasions in the past, on Irish national TV channels RTE1 and TG4), contains the names of those who were classed as paupers in the hinterland / towns-lands of Thurles district, during what was the most harrowing period of the Great Irish Famine, referred to as ‘Black ’47’.
This famine also known as“The Great Hunger”, lasted between 1845 and 1849 and was arguably the single greatest disaster that ever affected Irish history.
This extremely rare ‘Rations Record Book,’ which was hand written; contains the names of the heads of each household and in many cases the actual names of all the adults in each household. It also contains the number of rations each householder was allowed and indeed received, together with remarks, sometimes suggesting fraud, under what can be viewed as an early form of social welfare system, introduced after the closure of the Bord of Works schemes which had concentrate on providing employment for the destitute poor under acts passed early in the parliamentary session of 1846, for the sole purpose of affording relief by employment.
Just over 3 million Irish people were being supported nationally by outdoor relief in July of 1847. To those in the Thurles area it supported, (covering the electoral divisions of Holycross, Thurles and Ballycahill), it provides records of food rations distributed during the period May – Sept. 47 and part of 1848; the same distribution being a very humiliating and indeed an insufficient system, administered under British rule. Nevertheless, it did keep starvation at bay for a very sizeable portion of Tipperary people at that crucial time in Black ’47’.
This new information can also be viewed on our other website, Hidden Tipperary.com, (under Downloads) or directly via the link located HERE
How to search this uploaded data.
Many of you will be aware that holding down the CTRL key on the keyboard of your PC or Laptop and striking the F key; a small box will appear on your screens, bottom left corner of the page being searched. Type into this box the ‘search word’ with which you hope to glean the information and press Enter.
Note: When searching for an individual or townsland, there may be several persons of the same name, so use the arrow keys on right hand side of this search box, to complete your search. [Surname first followed by Christian name]. If anyone has any queries regarding the further understanding of this new data upload, please do contact us directly HERE.
Bunratty Castle and Folk Park in County Clare will host ‘The Big Top’ of Ireland’s national circus this coming weekend, Saturday and Sunday (June 15th/16th 2024).
As stated, this award-winning Fossett’s Circus is visiting the country’s most famous medieval castle on Saturday and Sunday June 15th/16th and will feature the very best of international circus acts, including jugglers, aerial acrobats and dare devils.
Ms Charlotte Rebers, (Operations Manager at Bunratty Castle & Folk Park), said, “We are excited to welcome back Fossett’s Circus to the Folk Park. Circus goers will receive free entry to the Castle and Folk Park, which guarantees a fun-filled day out, for families and people of all ages at our visitor attraction.”
Ms Marion Fossett, the ringmaster of Fossett’s Circus has been carrying on a family tradition that has lasted for generations.
Ms Fossett said, “All of our performers and crew have very fond memories of our previous Bunratty visits and this year, we promise to put on an even bigger and better show to the people of the Mid-West Region, which includes the counries of Tipperary, Clare and Limerick . Highlights of our circus include the Globe of Speed featuring FMX Stunt Motorcycle riders, The Wheel of Death, and the thrilling Flying Trapeze high in the roof of the Big Top.”
Ticket bookings for Fossett’s Circus, at Bunratty Castle and Folk Park, can be made at HERE. Remember: Each purchased ticket provides free entry to the Castle and Folk Park. Circus Shows will be staged at 1.00pm on Saturday 15th and Sunday 16th.
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