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March 15, 1895


It was on March 15, 1895, that Bridget Cleary died. Angela Bourke is the writer who traces her last days, in The Burning of Bridget Cleary. Normally I steer clear of any detailed accounts that involve painful to read stuff, but this book is a rare and wonderful history that succeeds by an accumulation of detail in answering the question of motive in this famous murder. Bourke's account also is a glimpse into the interplay of folklore and modern society that is unsurpassed to my knowledge. But back to cats---there was a cat in the household, and Mr. Cleary asked a neighbor to feed the dog and cat in his absence (he was in jail.)

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