Comical crimes of Christmases previous in Eire

From weird vandalism to sheep theft – the enjoyable and frolics of the felony underworld in Eire of historical past as instructed by the newspapers of the day.

Lately I used to be looking some newspaper archives and I  got here throughout quite a lot of comical crime circumstances, many with a festive theme. We might prefer to suppose our ancestors have been extra obedient to the legislation than we’re at this time however, suppose once more…

A case of weird anti-social conduct was reported within the Cork Examiner of Sept 10, 1862, which acknowledged that ‘a freak of a most mischievous nature was perpetrated by some unknown events on the Mardyke.’

The newspaper described how ‘one of many railings on the prime of the Dyke was forcibly torn up and twisted in its place in a most absurd style and two or three of the tops of the adjourning bars was additionally bent and injured in a really ludicrous model.’

The Cork Examiner fails to call the vandals solely that ‘the perpetrators of the act can’t have numbered lower than half a dozen as appreciable violence should have been used to wrench the massive iron bar from its place and twist it as has been carried out.’

The weird vandalism down on the Mardyke pales compared to one other outrageous crime that passed off in Co. Mayo.

The Ballina Chronicle reported about sheep stealing on October 2, 1850. The report tells the woeful story of a person who 3 years beforehand throughout An Gorta Mor was caught within the act of stealing sheep. He was transported to Australia however the stealing of sheep continued. The finger of suspicion fell upon the spouse of the transported convict and she or he got here below police surveillance. These keeping track of the sheep stealer’s spouse heard a noise one night time and adopted the girl to research. A search was fabricated from her dwelling however no sheep have been discovered. When the searchers left they’d a prolonged dialogue and determined to return to the home and search additional.

The newspaper describes how ‘the sheep was discovered within the mattress with the kids, having on a nightgown and chemise.’ Pity fell on the girl and as a substitute of feeling the heavy hand of the legislation she was expelled from the neighborhood and her home torn down.

The Cork Examiner of Nov 7, 1856, carried a narrative concerning one other felonious feminine. Bridget Mahoney who was described by the newspaper as ‘a wild-looking creature’  was charged with ‘having damaged the window of Mr. Corkery’s public home in Cork metropolis.’ The feminine vandal was reportedly so loopy ‘that she needed to be tied to the automotive which introduced her to the Bridewell.’

When circumstances of violence and public drunkenness weren’t taking on house within the newspapers there have been crimes of a comical farce and one such report popped up within the Cork Examiner on Apr 28, 1862. This case concerned a lodging housekeeper by the title of John Cremin who discovered himself on the fallacious facet of the legislation when he was charged and in the end fined for ‘having three males sleeping in a single mattress in his home.’

Christmas is a time of 12 months for extreme enjoyable and frolics and within the December twenty third version of the Cork Examiner in 1878 it reported how Mr J.F Barber and Mr Robert Beresford have been charged with disorderly conduct – throwing snowballs! The 2 snowballers have been fined 10 shillings every. Such disorderly festive enjoyable was additionally common in Cavan.

Within the Cavan Weekly Information of Dec 20, 1878, the icy climate supplied ideally suited situations for children to trigger mischief and ’16 kids have been summoned by the constable for sliding on the road.’ They have been fined a shilling every.

Christmas could be a demanding time for many individuals and the December twenty seventh version of the Cork Examiner reported on how such stress can result in violence. It reported on a  ‘livid encounter between two firemen’ who attended a chimney fireplace at St Patricks Road in Cork metropolis on Christmas day. The hearth was efficiently put out and whereas the firemen have been heading again to their station, Fireman Patrick Ellard requested Fireman John Sullivan to hold a hand pump. Sullivan instructed Ellard to hold it himself to which Ellard then flung an ax in Sullivan’s path, hitting him on the pinnacle and fracturing his cranium.

The Cork Examiner informs us that ‘Sullivan naturally change into maddened by the ache he felt and because the blood flowed profusely from the wound he turned on Ellard and struck him a number of occasions.’ The police quickly arrived on the scene and the combating firemen have been pulled aside. Sullivan was delivered to the North Infirmary whereas Ellard was delivered to the Bridewell.

The excesses of Christmas on the streets of Cork have been briefly detailed in a report within the December thirtieth version of the 1878 Examiner which declared ‘There have been about 30 individuals within the Bridewell final night time. The cost within the majority of the circumstances being drunkenness. One outdated girl was charged with stealing porter from a public home in Duncan Road.’

Whereas circumstances of drunkenness through the festive interval have been a standard characteristic at petty classes, the Cavan Observer of December 3 1860 reported how a ‘massive seizure of snuff’ was made at Galway Bay onboard a steamer from New York. The ‘contraband’ was apparently certain for the Christmas market within the West!

So bear in mind this Christmas, do not lose your mood or change into a public nuisance as a result of you might have your descendants studying all about it sooner or later!

* Initially revealed in 2018, up to date in Dec 2024.

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