Murder of Moll McCarthy
Mary McCarthy, known as Moll Carthy (1902[2]–20/21 November 1940[3]), was a woman, mother, smallholder, possible sex worker, and murder victim from Marlhill, near New Inn, County Tipperary in Ireland.Henry "Harry" Gleeson (1903–23 April 1941[4]) from Holycross, County Tipperary,[4] was convicted of her murder and executed, but granted a posthumous pardon in 2015.[4] On 21 November 1940, Gleeson reported finding McCarthy's body, with two gunshot wounds to the face, in the "Dug-Out Field" of his uncle's farm.[4] The Garda Síochána arrested Gleeson on 30 November, claiming he was the father of McCarthy's youngest child, who had recently died in infancy, and that he feared his uncle would disinherit him if he found this out.The book spurred historian and lawyer Marcus Bourke to write Murder at Marlhill, published in 1993, which offered evidence of Gleeson's innocence.[11] Deficiencies in the case were noted:[11] Murphy reported that the conviction was based on "unconvincing circumstantial evidence" and recommended a pardon.