Murder under Gaslight

Send us Fan MailIn the summer of 1853, a pleasure trip to Ireland’s Eye ended in horror. Maria Kirwan—young, elegant, and by all accounts in good spirits—was found dead on the rocks beneath the island’s jagged cliffs. What followed was a storm of suspicion, scandal, and courtroom drama that gripped Dublin society.Was her death a tragic accident, a desperate struggle, or a calculated act carried out in one of the loneliest corners of the Irish coast? And why did the story told by her husband unravel the moment it was spoken aloud?

Send us Fan MailIn the summer of 1879, the quiet respectability of Richmond was shattered by a crime so brutal it stunned Victorian Britain. When the remains of wealthy widow Julia Martha Thomas were discovered scattered and burned, suspicion fell on her seemingly unremarkable Irish servant, Kate Webster — a woman with a past as dark as the Thames itself. What followed was a tale of deception, audacity, and cold‑blooded violence, culminating in one of the most sensational trials of the age.How did a servant with nothing to her name manage to outwit neighbours, pawnbrokers, and even the police — if only for a moment? And what drove her to commit one of the most gruesome murders of the Victorian era?Step back into the gaslit streets of Richmond as we unravel the chilling story of Kate Webster, the woman who shocked an empire.

Send us Fan Mail In the summer of 1877, the quiet Cork village of Castletownroche was shattered by a crime so brutal it echoed far beyond its fields and farmsteads. What began as a dispute over land—an ordinary tension in a country shaped by ownership and survival—spiralled into a double murder that gripped Ireland and exposed the darker currents running beneath rural life. A Land to Die For revisits the Castletownroche murders, tracing the events, the people, and the legacy of a tragedy that still unsettles more than a century later. 

Send us Fan MailIn the spring of 1882, the quiet Westmeath estate of Barbavilla was shattered by a killing that sent shockwaves far beyond its gates. What began as a seemingly straightforward murder soon twisted into a tale of land disputes, secret loyalties, and a community caught between fear and suspicion. In the shadow of the Land War, nothing was simple—and nothing was as it first appeared.In this episode, we step back into that charged moment in Irish history, tracing the events that led to the Barbavilla murder and the forces that shaped its aftermath.

Send us Fan MailIn the summer of 1846, the town of Mullingar became the stage for a tragedy that should never have happened. A young man named Brian Seery was accused, condemned, and executed—swiftly, publicly, and, as many would later argue, wrongfully. His death was meant to bring closure to a frightened community. Instead, it left behind a legacy of doubt, injustice, and unanswered questions.In this episode, we return to that moment in Irish history—examining the evidence, the panic, and the power structures that shaped Seery’s fate, and asking how an innocent man could be led to the gallows in the heart of Westmeath.

Send us Fan MailSnow was already falling when the Donner–Reed Party reached the Sierra Nevada in the winter of 1846. What began as a hopeful journey westward—families, wagons, and the promise of California—slowly twisted into one of the most haunting survival stories in American history. Trapped by relentless storms, cut off from escape, and pushed beyond the limits of human endurance, the group faced choices no one should ever have to make.In this episode, we step into that frozen pass, tracing the decisions, the desperation, and the legacy of a tragedy that still echoes through the mountains today.

Send us Fan MailIn March of 1895, in a quiet corner of rural Tipperary, a young woman named Bridget Cleary vanished from the world of the living and stepped—at least in the minds of her neighbours—into something far stranger. Her death would become one of Ireland’s most haunting and contested stories, a collision of folklore, fear, and a society caught between old beliefs and a modernising world.This episode unravels the final days of Bridget Cleary, the so‑called “last witch burned in Ireland,” and asks what really happened in that small cottage near Ballyvadlea. It’s a story of superstition and control, of a community under pressure, and of a woman whose life—and death—still echoes through Irish history.

Send us Fan MailIn the summer of 1861, the quiet Sligo market town of Ballymote was shaken by a series of strange and unsettling attacks that left locals gripped by fear. This episode unravels the rumours, the newspaper reports, and the social tensions of the time, tracing how a rural community confronted a threat it barely understood. Was it the work of a lone assailant, a case of mass panic, or something more complex beneath the surface of Victorian Ireland? Step back into the shadows of 19th‑century Ballymote as we examine a mystery that has lingered for more than 160 years.

Send us Fan MailIn the spring of 1848, as Ireland staggered under the weight of famine and fear, a young woman named Margaret Maher was found brutally murdered on the outskirts of Mullingar. Her death shocked a community already pushed to the edge, and the investigation that followed exposed simmering tensions, whispered scandals, and the fragile line between justice and survival in a desperate time.This episode unravels the known facts, the rumours that refused to die, and the legacy of a crime that still lingers in Westmeath’s collective memory.

Send us Fan MailIn the early hours of a spring morning in 1869, Mullingar Station was almost silent. Almost.Because somewhere between the shadows of the platform and the dim glow of the signal lamps, a man lay dying.His name was Thomas Anketell— on duty the night he was struck down. The violence was swift, the motive unclear, and the killer vanished into the darkness before anyone could raise an alarm.What followed was a tangle of suspicion, fear, and one of the most unsettling investigations in the history of the Midland Great Western Railway.

Send us Fan MailOn this haunting episode of Murder Under Gaslight, we travel back to the early 19th century and to the quiet Westmeath town of Castlepollard — a place soon to be scarred by unimaginable tragedy. Under the flickering glow of gaslight, we uncover the chilling events of the Castlepollard Massacre — a tale of rage, despair, and injustice that shook Irish society to its core. Through eyewitness accounts, court records, and the echoes of the past, we bring to life the people and passions behind one of Ireland’s most shocking crimes.Join us as we step once more into the shadows of Victorian Ireland — where truth and horror walk hand in hand.

Send us Fan MailUnder the quiet facade of an Edwardian market town, a single act of violence could leave a scar that lasted for generations.In 1909, the peaceful streets of Mullingar were shattered by the brutal murder of Mary Walker, a young post-office worker whose lifeless body was found along the banks of the Royal Canal.Her throat had been cut and the crime sent shockwaves through the town and the wider province, laying bare the fragile line between respectability and savagery. 

Send us Fan MailDublin, May 1882.The warm, spring evening carried the scent of lilacs that fringed Phoenix Park, where lovers strolled and civilservants took the air.But beneath the soft glow of gaslights, two men waited- their purpose cold, deliberate and deadly.

Send us Fan MailIn this episode, we travel to the remote hills of Connemara- to the year 1882, when darkness fell not only over the village of Maamtrasna, but over the soul of a nation.In a small thatched cottage near the border of Mayo and Galway, 5 members of a single family were brutally murdered- a crime that sent shockwaves throughout Ireland and beyond.  

Send us Fan MailWelcome to Murder Under Gaslight- The podcast where history meets the macabre. Step back into the dimly lit streets and parlours of 19th century Ireland, where the flicker of gaslight illuminates secrets, scandals and cold-blooded crimes.Here, we uncover the true stories behind some of Victorian era Irelands infamous murder cases- tales of betrayal, envy and obsession- drawn from the pages of history and brought vividly to life.