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societies, and talks of "the enormous force which such beliefs exercise on untutored minds". He points out that the door of the Cleary house was left open and no attempts were made to keep the assaults on
Bridget secret. "It is inconceivable that, if they had wished to kill her, they would have left the door open, that they should have allowed their shouts to attract the neighbours, or that ten persons should have been admitted to witness the deed. Terrible and ghastly as the case is, we cannot call it wilful murder." The article ends with the statement: "... if ... they killed, but not with intent to kill, still less should the extreme penalty be inflicted".
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170:. Following the death of Bridget's mother, the Clearys found themselves responsible for her elderly father, Patrick Boland. His residence with the couple enabled them to secure a house reserved for labourers. Neither Bridget nor Michael was entitled to this cottage, but as Patrick had been a labourer in his youth, they were able to acquire the best house in the village. However, there was no widespread interest in the house, as it was built on the site of a supposed
264:, James Kennedy was sentenced to eighteen months of hard labour, William Kennedy was sentenced to eighteen months of hard labour, Mary Kennedy was released owing to her age and frailty, Patrick Boland was sentenced to six months of hard labour, and John Dunne was sentenced to three years of penal servitude.
251:
As part of the trial, the jury was actually led out to the storage building where
Bridget's body was being held for burial, and where it was available for viewing. The jury were given the opportunity to see the condition of the body and the extent of her injuries, as well as to personally verify that
161:
of
Ballyvadlea to live with her parents, while Michael continued to work as a cooper in Clonmel. During this period of living apart, Bridget's independence grew, with her keeping her own flock of chickens and selling the eggs to neighbours. Somewhat unusually for the era and location, she was also a
227:
The evidence showed that on 15 March, Michael summoned a Father Ryan back to the Cleary household. Ryan found
Bridget alive but agitated. Michael told the priest that he had not been giving his wife the medicine prescribed by the doctor because he had no faith in it. According to Ryan, "Cleary then
340:
argument that those involved with
Bridget's death acted out of a genuine belief that she had been possessed by a spirit, had no intention of murder, and were attempting to restore her to her rightful self. Benson cites a pattern of similar beliefs in "savage tribes", with examples from various
235:
At some point, Bridget told
Michael that the only person who'd gone off with the fairies had been his mother. Michael attempted to force-feed his wife, throwing her down on the ground before the kitchen fireplace and menacing her with a burning piece of wood. Bridget's
33:
194:. Several of Bridget's friends and family members attended her over the next two days, and a number of home remedies were administered, including one ritual that anticipated her later demise: her father and her husband accused her of being a
413:
devoted one of its episodes ("Black
Stockings", broadcast 25 July 2015) to the story of Bridget Cleary's murder. The story was one of six podcast episodes chosen to be adapted to a TV series. Bridget Cleary was portrayed by
218:
Legal hearings ran from 1 to 6 April 1895. A tenth person had been charged, and one of the original nine was discharged at this stage, leaving nine defendants bound over for trial. The court session began on 3 July, and the
201:
By 16 March, rumours were beginning to circulate that
Bridget was missing, and local police began searching for her. Michael was quoted as claiming that his wife had been taken by fairies, and he appeared to be holding a
403:
by Joan Hoff & Marian Yeates, both released independently of each other in 2000, are historical accounts of the case that attempt to contextualize the murder with the belief in fairies in
Ireland during the period.
206:. Witness statements were gathered over the ensuing week, and by the time Bridget's burnt corpse was found in a shallow grave on 22 March, nine people had been charged in her disappearance, including her husband. A
255:
Charges against one co-defendant, William Ahearn, were dropped. Three others – John Dunne, Michael
Kennedy, and William Kennedy – were convicted of "wounding". Patrick Kennedy was sentenced to five years of
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indicted five of the defendants for murder: Michael Cleary, Patrick Boland, Mary Kennedy, James Kennedy, and Patrick Kennedy. All nine were indicted on charges of "wounding". The case proceeded on to trial.
279:, from which he emigrated to Canada in July of the same year. On 14 October 1910, a black bordered letter was sent from the office of the Secretary of State, Home Department, London, to the undersecretary,
315:. Press coverage of the Cleary case occurred in an atmosphere of debate over the Irish people's ability to govern themselves, and worries were expressed about the credulity and superstition of rural
190:. More than a week into her illness, on 13 March 1895, a physician visited her at her home; her condition was considered sufficiently grave that a priest soon followed, to administer
252:
the body was indeed Bridget's by looking upon her face. What the jury witnessed in the outbuilding convinced them of the horrible suffering Bridget had endured prior to death.
244:) on Bridget. The witnesses were unclear as to whether she was already dead by this point. Michael kept the others back from her body as it burned, insisting that she was a
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464:, February 18, 2018) about Bridget Cleary and is heavily influenced by Bourke's book, as well as the theory that Michael Cleary and the other perpetrators had
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130:, which he then killed. The gruesome nature of the case prompted extensive press coverage, and the trial was closely followed by newspapers across Ireland.
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took a considerable interest in the case, publishing a scholarly commentary on it, "The Recent 'Witch-Burning at Clonmel'", in the influential periodical
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232:, and Ryan departed. Later that night, neighbours and relatives returned to the Cleary house. An argument ensued, again tinged with fairy mythology.
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and she served as a dressmaker's apprentice. Despite their eight years of marriage, the couple had had no children by the time of Bridget's death.
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said, 'People may have some remedy of their own that might do more good than doctor's medicine,' or something to that effect." Bridget was given
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The case is also the subject of the song "Changeling" by Australian Folk Music Singer/Songwriter Kate Mahood from Central Queensland.
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or her body was set on fire immediately after her death. The husband's stated motive was his belief that she had been abducted by
146:. She married Michael Cleary on 6 August 1887 in the Roman Catholic church in Drangan. The couple had met earlier that month in
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and sentenced to twenty years of penal servitude; he spent fifteen years in prison. He was released from Maryborough (now
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after he persuaded others that she had been replaced by a fairy. The possibility that others complicit in the murder had
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sent to take Bridget's place. Urine was thrown on her, and she was carried before the fireplace to cast the fairy out.
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Bridget's death and the publicity surrounding the trial were regarded as being politically significant at the time.
724:
O'Connell, H., & Doyle, P. G. (2006). "The burning of Bridget Cleary: Psychiatric aspects of a tragic tale".
356:, which is customary with accused witches; instead, she was thought to have been replaced by a fairy changeling.
364:
H. O'Connell and P. G. Doyle (2006) speculated that the murder may have been the result of Michael developing a
365:
118:; 19 February 1869 – 15 March 1895) was an Irish woman who was murdered by her husband in 1895. She was either
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In 1984, the Irish rock band Host released the album Tryal, which was based on the story of Bridget Cleary.
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An Irish nursery rhyme reads, "Are you a witch, or are you a fairy/Or are you the wife of Michael Cleary?"
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In the Linwood Barclay book "The Lie Maker", Bridget is referenced along with two other changeling cases.
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The events surrounding Bridget Cleary's death are the subject of the song "Changeling" by Irish rock band
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and had been for a week previously, and that he would get his wife back from the fairies.
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in March 1895. She had evidently been ill for several days; her diagnosis was said to be
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released a song, "The Wife of Michael Cleary", as part of an album about wronged women.
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that allowed them to become convinced of the delusion's veracity was also raised.
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In retrospect, Bridget's death has been popularly described as "the last witch
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came to power on a Home Rule platform, but two years prior had lost its latest
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in 1826 because members of his community believed that he was a changeling.
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Bridget Cleary (née Boland) was born on 19 February 1869 in Ballyvadlea,
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released an episode "The Murder of Bridget Cleary" on 28 August 2023.
874:"Sady Doyle on the Man Who Insisted His Wife Was a Malevolent Fairy"
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New York: Basic Books, 2000 (original), 2006 (paperback reprint).
889:"Maija Sofia: Bath Time review – immersive tales of wronged women"
353:
319:. The coroner who examined Bridget's corpse claimed that "amongst
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Her father is recorded as giving her age as 26 years old in 1895.
670:
Benson, E. F. (1895). "The Recent 'Witch-Burning' at Clonmel'.
780:: Holland Roden set as lead in Amazon horror anthology series"
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in June 1895, before the trial itself began. It accepts the
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The Cooper's Wife Is Missing: The Trials of Bridget Cleary.
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The Bizarre Death of Bridget Cleary, the Irish "Fairy Wife"
275:) prison on 28 April 1910 and moved to the English city of
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discusses how Bridget Cleary was killed by her husband.
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one would not expect to hear of such an occurrence."
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the next day returned a verdict of death by burning.
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701:The Encyclopedia of Witches, Witchcraft and Wicca
348:in Ireland" or as the subject of the last of the
260:, Michael Kennedy was sentenced to six months of
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456:Irish playwright Margaret Perry wrote the play
240:caught fire, and Michael then threw lamp oil (
418:, while her husband Michael was portrayed by
16:Irish woman killed by her husband (1869–1895)
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748:McCullough, David Willis (8 October 2000).
635:The Burning of Bridget Cleary: A True Story
609:The Burning of Bridget Cleary: A True Story
554:The Burning of Bridget Cleary: A True Story
157:After the wedding, Bridget returned to her
952:Works by or about Murder of Bridget Cleary
299:was an active political issue in England;
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283:, stating that Michael had emigrated to
97:Michael Cleary (m. 1887–1895, her death)
591:. 17 April 2018. Retrieved 1 July 2020.
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442:that is based on the story of Cleary.
80:Ballyvadlea, County Tipperary, Ireland
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1006:Murder victims from County Tipperary
704:. Infobase Publishing. p. 121.
887:Bruton, Louise (22 November 2019).
267:Michael Cleary was found guilty of
162:professional woman. She obtained a
996:1895 murders in the United Kingdom
637:. US: Penguin Group. p. 132.
612:. US: Penguin Group. p. 125.
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1026:Violence against women in Ireland
484:In 2019, Irish singer-songwriter
726:Irish Journal of Medical Science
930:Hoff, Joan and Yeates, Marian.
674:Vol. 37 (1895 Jun), pp. 1053–58
360:Psychiatric aspects of the case
1:
918:The Burning of Bridget Cleary
774:Denise Petski (31 May 2017).
676:; accessed 16 September 2010.
397:The Burning of Bridget Cleary
291:Public reaction and aftermath
495:Morbid: A True Crime Podcast
478:Dead Blondes and Bad Mothers
401:The Cooper's Wife is Missing
920:. New York: Penguin, 2001.
517:– a boy who was drowned in
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1011:People murdered in Ireland
587:. Cuerbo, Maria J. Pérez.
986:19th-century Irish people
815:by Alison Littlewood and
698:Guiley, Rosemary (2008).
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991:19th-century Irish women
976:1890s murders in Ireland
460:(first performed at the
438:novel by English writer
366:brief psychotic disorder
633:Bourke, Angela (2001).
301:William Ewart Gladstone
150:, where he worked as a
134:Early life and marriage
672:The Nineteenth Century
606:Angela Bourke (2001).
557:. Penguin Publishing.
551:Angela Bourke (2001).
368:, which manifested as
333:The Nineteenth Century
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1001:Female murder victims
399:by Angela Bourke and
380:learning disabilities
309:Irish Government Bill
182:Bridget was reported
164:Singer sewing machine
449:on their 2016 album
447:The Riptide Movement
126:and replaced with a
1016:People from Clonmel
750:"The Fairy Defense"
809:(21 August 2017).
785:Deadline Hollywood
734:10.1007/bf03169179
432:historical fantasy
386:In popular culture
876:. 26 August 2019.
813:The Hidden People
728:, 175(3), 76–78.
711:978-1-4381-2684-5
644:978-0-14-100202-6
619:978-0-14-100202-6
440:Alison Littlewood
427:The Hidden People
375:folie à plusieurs
350:witchcraft trials
208:coroner's inquest
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860:"Porcelain"
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807:Allan, Nina
759:7 September
570:24 February
486:Maija Sofia
326:The writer
262:hard labour
1021:Uxoricides
965:Categories
926:0141002026
791:15 October
526:References
321:Hottentots
273:Portlaoise
246:changeling
221:grand jury
192:last rites
188:bronchitis
128:changeling
89:Dressmaker
86:Occupation
50:1869-02-19
458:Porcelain
317:Catholics
277:Liverpool
230:communion
120:immolated
504:See also
285:Montreal
242:kerosene
168:milliner
159:townland
954:at the
911:Sources
830:12 June
338:defence
311:in the
238:chemise
184:missing
148:Clonmel
144:Ireland
124:fairies
63:Ireland
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106:(née
936:ISBN
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832:2021
793:2017
778:Lore
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