119. The Murder of Bridget Cleary: The Irish Fairy Burning of 1895
In March of 1895, a young Irish woman named Bridget Cleary was brutally murdered by her husband and several relatives in the small village of Ballyvadlea in County Tipperary. For several days, Bridget was subjected to interrogations, forced herbal mixtures, and violent rituals meant to “drive out” the fairy believed to be inhabiting her body. On the night of March 15, 1895, she was burned to death in the family home.
Sources
Books
- The Burning of Bridget Cleary – Angela Bourke
- Irish Superstitions – Lady Wilde
- Meeting the Other Crowd: The Fairy Stories of Hidden Ireland – Eddie Lenihan & Carolyn Eve Green
Historical Newspaper Archives
- Irish Times historical archives (1895 coverage of the trial)
- Freeman’s Journal trial reporting
- The New York Times international coverage of the case
- British Newspaper Archive
- newspapers.com
Online Historical Resources
- Smithsonian Magazine – Article on the Bridget Cleary case
- Irish Central – Historical features on the Cleary murder
- History Ireland – Research articles on Irish folklore and the case
- National Folklore Collection – Documentation of Irish fairy and changeling traditions
- https://philcleary.com.au/bridgetcleary/
- https://grokipedia.com/page/Death_of_Michael_Leahy
- https://www.digitalmedievalist.com/people/bridget-cleary-sex-death-fairies-and-other/
- https://brehonacademy.org/changelings-fairies-and-witchcraft-the-full-unsparing-account-of-bridget-clearys-murder-in-march-1895/
- wikipedia.com
Music:
“The Parting Glass – Royalty Free Vocal Version” by Alexander Nakarada (CreatorChords)
Licensed under Creative Commons Attribution 4.0.
“Long Road Ahead B” by Kevin MacLeod
Licensed under Creative Commons Attribution 4.0
Source: Incompetech.com
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