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Death on Ireland's Eye

The Victorian Murder Trial That Scandalised a Nation

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Death on Ireland's Eye

By: Dean Ruxton
Narrated by: Aidan Kelly
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About this listen

A tragic death, a murder trial and a 170-year-old mystery - but what really happened?

Shortly after Maria Kirwan died in a lonely inlet on Ireland’s Eye, it was decided that she had drowned accidentally during a day spent with her husband on the picturesque island. This inquest verdict appeared to conclude the melancholy events that consumed the fishing village of Howth, Co Dublin, in September 1852.

But not long afterwards, suspicion fell upon Maria’s husband, William Burke Kirwan, as whispers of unspeakable cruelty, an evil character and a secret life rattled through the streets of Dublin. Investigations led to William's arrest and trial for murder.

The story swelled into one of the most bitterly divisive chapters in the dark annals of Irish criminal history. Yet questions remain: Does the evidence stand up? What role did the heavy hand of Victorian moral outrage play? Was William really guilty of murder, or did the ever-present ‘moral facts’ fill in gaps where hard proof was absent?

Now, this compelling modern analysis revisits the key evidence, asking sober questions about the facts, half-facts and fantasies buried within the yellowed pages of the Ireland’s Eye case files.

©2022 Dean Ruxton (P)2022 Bolinda Publishing Crime Law Social Sciences True Crime Murder Marriage Forensics Scary Fiction Morality Victorian True Crime

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All stars
Most relevant
Brilliant story. Fully captivating. Recently did a boat trip around Howth and was briefly told of the murder. Didn’t realise there was a book about it. Glad I got to hear the story. Brilliantly read. Highly recommend.

Compulsive listening

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