Where was Denis Mahon shot?
Major Denis Mahon of Strokestown House in Co Roscommon, in the northwest Irish midlands, was shot to death on the evening of 2 November 1847 as he was returning home to Strokestown from a meeting of the Board of Guardians in Roscommon town. Mahon’s role at the meeting was to try to keep the workhouse still in operation despite a lack of funding from local property taxation. This was undoubtedly the most publicised murder during the 19th century in Co Roscommon. It was also the most publicised murder in the entire of Ireland during the first half of the 19th century. It induced lengthy debates in both houses of Parliament, and led to special legislation in December 1847 designed to curb agrarian crime in Ireland. The purpose of the present note is to show that the police, and hence some modern historians, have been in error in their reports on the location of the murder. In consequence, there is now a real danger that the error will be carried forward into future publications.
Year of publication: |
2001-09-21
|
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Authors: | Norton, Desmond |
Institutions: | School of Economics, University College Dublin |
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