Last Irish witch trial revisited
Eight Presbyterian women were jailed for a year and put in public stocks four times on market day.
In his upcoming book, Witchcraft and Magic in Ireland, 1586-1946, Andrew Sneddon — history lecturer at the University of Ulster — contends their alleged victim, 18-year-old Mary Dunbar, made the whole thing up: "My research is based on a wide variety of contemporary documentation, including witness statements, letters and eye-witness accounts.
"It suggests that Mary Dunbar’s symptoms of bewitchment were that of demonic possession: fits, swearing, throwing bibles, vomiting household objects, and trances."
The academic claims she faked these episodes to break free from the tight social restraints: "Being possessed allowed her to misbehave without consequence.
"The local male authorities believed Dunbar’s version of events because she was beautiful, educated and from a respected family."
While Dr Sneddon’s book will not be published until early 2013, his research will be featured at the annual conference of the 18th Century Ireland Society in Trim, Co Meath, this July.
By David Young
Thursday, March 31, 2011
THE intriguing tale of Ireland’s last witch trial has been re-investigated ahead of the 300th anniversary of a case that saw eight Co Antrim women found guilty of possessing a teenage girl.
Eight Presbyterian women were jailed for a year and put in public stocks four times on market day.
In his upcoming book, Witchcraft and Magic in Ireland, 1586-1946, Andrew Sneddon — history lecturer at the University of Ulster — contends their alleged victim, 18-year-old Mary Dunbar, made the whole thing up: "My research is based on a wide variety of contemporary documentation, including witness statements, letters and eye-witness accounts.
"It suggests that Mary Dunbar’s symptoms of bewitchment were that of demonic possession: fits, swearing, throwing bibles, vomiting household objects, and trances."
The academic claims she faked these episodes to break free from the tight social restraints: "Being possessed allowed her to misbehave without consequence.
"The local male authorities believed Dunbar’s version of events because she was beautiful, educated and from a respected family."
While Dr Sneddon’s book will not be published until early 2013, his research will be featured at the annual conference of the 18th Century Ireland Society in Trim, Co Meath, this July.
This appeared in the printed version of the Irish Examiner Thursday, March 31, 2011
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