In 19th century Ireland, the small county of Kilkenny was a turbulent place. It suffered from Whiteboy outrages, tithe wars and faction fighting. There were many ways and opportunities to kill and to be killed for a cause. And yet people found time to harbour personal grudges.

Time to kill their family, friends and neighbours. Husbands killed wives. Wives killed husbands. Brothers kill brothers.

Kilkenny's Deadly Years gathers a selection of 34 true crimes from a century of Kilkenny's history from 1823 until 1923, the beginning of a new era, the beginning of a new state. Some of these killings were caused by the great public problems of the age but most show that human nature then was just as deadly as it is today.

In the one hundred years covered in this book, Kilkenny produced:

Edmund Hart, who murdered his mother and then proceeded to dine on her flesh.

Mary Maher, Ireland's youngest recorded serial killer.

Michael Walsh, a convicted murderer who walked free from Kilkenny Gaol on the date he was due to be executed.

Pat Kearns, killed by the help of his loving parents to rid him of the fairy that was taking him over.

Matthew Ryan, crushed to death by order of a court, without receiving a trial.

These and many more such stories make up part of Kilkenny's Deadly Years.

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