Clare Past Forum

While doing research on the Oct 1860 murder of Limerick City Alderman William SHEEHY came across a very interesting death notice published for Biddy EARLY aka Wise Woman of Clare.

What's interesting is the DATE of her death: 1 Jun 1872

This flies in the face of most all the information put out on the internet about her which for the most part gives her death date as April 1874.

Would be interested to correspond w/ anyone who can point me toward the source records for everyone saying she died April 1874 if such a record exists.

Also if anyone can put me in contact with Meda Ryan who wrote "The Wise Woman of Clare" I'd appreciate it.

Thanks!
Kathy

This may or may not be of interest, but I came across the following:

• Bay of Plenty Times (New Zealand) – 27th January 1897
(From PAPERSPAST website)
IRISH WITCHES
The present century has been signalised in Ireland by the misdeeds of two famous witches, of these was Biddy Early, who departed this life as recently as 1885. She was a native of Clare, and professed to charm away certain diseases from her clients, to foretell future events, and to know what her visitors sought of her without being told. Her landlord, a Mr Sheehy, was a religiously-inclined gentleman, and consequently objected to these malpractices. The result was that Biddy got notice to quit.
On receiving this she solemnly took a piece of burning turf, and in the presence of many witnesses, described an imaginary circle on the ground. Then kneeling with clasped hands, she invoked the devil for vengeance on her landlord’s head. By a strange coincidence, Mr Sheehy’s house was burned to the ground on the following night, and the unfortunate gentleman perished in the flames. This tragedy spread Biddy Early’s fame far and wide, and made her an object of terror to the superstitious peasantry.

• Feakle by Kieran Sheedy (Pub. 1990 by Feakle GAA Hurling Club)
Page 443 states that Biddy died in 1874.

It's said that Biddy Early was buried in an unmarked grave int the Feakle Cemetery. We always keep a blue bottle w/a white candle with us when we visit Clare in honor of Biddy.