Margaret Gunning, née Lyons, became the last woman executed in County Tipperary when she was hanged outside Clonmel Gaol on 1 June 1832.Her case followed the murder of James Short, a young man from Templemore, whose body was found on the Borrisoleigh road with head injuries on 11 January 1832.Suspicion quickly fell on Gunning and James Cormack, reportedly due to a bitter dispute with Short. Evidence suggested Gunning had ordered a stick to be loaded with lead, allegedly used as the murder weapon, though it was never recovered.
The trial at Clonmel Assizes in March 1832 drew attention for its circumstantial evidence. Witnesses claimed Gunning was seen near the scene and had urged caution about hiding the stick. Despite her persistent declarations of innocence, both she and Cormack were convicted of murder and conspiracy to murder. Cormack was executed on 14 April, but Gunning’s hanging was delayed after she pleaded pregnancy. Parish records confirm she had recently given birth to her seventh child, James, who stayed with her in prison until shortly before her death.
On the scaffold, Gunning remained composed, protesting her innocence and praying for her family—her husband Edward, four surviving children, sisters, and aged mother. Reports described her as “rather handsome” and “firm and edifying” in her final moments. After hanging, her body was returned to relatives, and her funeral passed through Clonmel en route to Templemore, though no gravestone survives.
Margaret Gunning’s execution marked the end of female hangings in Tipperary, a grim reminder of early 19th-century justice. Her story intertwines local tragedy, family hardship, and the harsh realities of public punishment in rural Ireland.
Sources:
Daniel Grace, 'The Last Woman to be Hanged in County Tipperary', published in Tipperary Historical Journal 2010
HMS Tipperary, launched on 5 March 1915, was a Faulknor-class destroyer leader. It was sunk under German fire on this day in 1916 at the Battle of Jutland.
Originally ordered by Chilean Navy from the Royal Navy prior to the outbreak of World War One, the Tipperary was bought by the Royal Navy once war broke out. It was originally named Almirante Riveros by the Chileans but was renamed Tipperary by the Navy. It is unclear from available sources why it was called Tipperary. If you have any information on this, please let us know in the comments.
Tipperary led the 4th Flotilla at the Battle of Jutland under Captain C. J. Wintour. Tipperary and her squadron pressed home determined torpedo attacks on the German main battle line as it escaped across the rear of the British fleet during the night action, starting at approximately 23:20 on 31 May 1916.
The 4th Flotilla sank the German light cruiser SMS Frauenlob, but Tipperary and many of the other British destroyers were sunk or badly damaged.
HMS Tipperary was sunk on 1 June 1916 by fire from the secondary battery of the German dreadnought SMS Westfalen with the loss of 185 hands from her crew of 197. The wrecksite is designated as a protected place under the Protection of Military Remains Act 1986.
Sources:
https://livesofthefirstworldwar.iwm.org.uk/community/2581
https://military-history.fandom.com/.../HMS_Tipperary_(1915)
