Padraig Nally in 2008
Twenty years ago this week marked the beginning of Padraig Nally’s trial for murder in Castlebar Courthouse. It was a case that inspired a media frenzy, owing in no small part to the fact that the farmer had become the first person to be tried for murder in Mayo in over a century.
The deceased, John ‘Frog’ Ward, was a member of the Travelling community and so the case would also be a divisive one, sparking conversation and debate in homes, workplaces and pubs around the country.
Tabitha Monahan is joined by Cróna Esler, author of ‘Unless By Invitation: Crimes That Shocked Ireland’ to reflect on a murder trial that divided a nation and had significant legal implications for the Irish State.
The Indo Daily: Padraig Nally –Â The historic and divisive murder trial 20 years on
