Garrenbeg Murder, Co. Tipperary, 1845

Murder – Tipperary


On Tuesday evening, the 30th, ult., between the hours of eight and nine o’clock, four fellows, all of whom were armed with bludgeons, entered the house of a man named Sheedy, of Garrenbeg, about seven miles from Nenagh.  Michael Hill, the victim in this case and others were sitting around the fire at this time. On the party entering, they threw something on the fire which immediately darkened the house; they then commenced belabouring unfortunate Hill till they left him as they conceived dead.  On the first blow being given, the persons who were sitting round the fire ran way. The deceased afterwards, removed to his own house, which is next door to the one in which he had been beaten, and where he expired the following morning. The cause assigned for this daring act is, that the deceased refused to allow his brother marry a young woman with whom an intimacy existed.

On Thursday, an inquest was held on the body by James Carroll, Esq., coroner. Joseph Tabuteau, Esq., S.M., ; Captain Pollock, R.M., ; and John Lewis, Esq., S.L., were present. There was but one witness examined, who deposed to nothing more than what is narrated in the preceding paragraph. Edward Kittison, of Nenagh, Esq., M.D., made a post-mortem examination on the body of the deceased, and found the left side of the head completely smashed in, and the left arm very much contused ; and which must have caused almost instantaneous death. The jury returned a verdict of willful murder against some persons at present unknown. Four fellows were taken up on suspicion, and were under examination the greater portion of the day, at the police Barrack of Killoscully, before Mr. Tabuteau and Captain Pollock. On the following day, they were committed and lodged in Nenagh Gaol – ‘Nenagh Guardian
published in The King’s Co. Chronicle
Vol. 1 No. 3
Wednesday, Oct 6th, 1845