The Cooper's Wife Is Missing: The Trials of Bridget Cleary

The authors have set within a macrocosmic perspective of Irish history and politics; a microcosmic insight into the lives, beliefs and actions of a small community in late 19th century rural Ireland. Occasionally, but not often, the "blame the Protestant British" mentality beloved of some writers on Ireland brushed against the bias of this Protestant Irish Australian reader. Generally though, the authors are even handed in their assessment of events and do not push any one of the idiological elements that impinged on these troubling events in County Tipperary.

In 1895 a relatively unimportant incident occurred in a rural part of Ireland that literally was used by the British to overstate the superstitions and backwardness of the the Irish nation thus depriving the Irish of any possibility of Home Rule at that time. Bridgit Cleary, the wife of a barrel maker was suspected by her friends and relatives of "conversing" with the fairies. Many of the rural people somewhat believed in spirits and thought that the fairies convened in a wood near the Cleary "residence". When Bridgit returns one night and does not look herself, they suspect she has been possessed by the fairies and is a changeling. Various herbs are tried in an attempt to "exorcise" Bridgit. When these fail the last resort is fire and Bridgit is held into the fireplace. She expires and all those present at the "exorcism" are put on trial. Indirectly, the Catholic Church is also "on trial" being held responsible for the superstitious nature of the Irish population. The whole experience becomes somewhat of an international news item propagated by the British for the aforementioned purpose. The group is found guilty and given various sentences. The most severe, ten years in prision, is placed on her husbandThis book is a wonderful review of the Irish struggle for independence. Irish patriots and sympathetic British statesman are depicted. The harshness of the British during famines is also underlined. On the lighter site, several fanciful tales regarding the faries are related. At the back of the book there is a very complete set of notes for anyone wishing to pursue topics in greater detail

The essential story is the one about the cooper's wife, one Bridget Cleary to give the woman her due, and her murder at the hands of her husband and relatives. Her death occurred at a "fairy trial" when she was suspected of being a changeling and no longer the woman Bridget Cleary. It ended in her death by burning and charges being brought against all the (Catholic) peasants present.The bigger story presented throughout this book is the story of Ireland at this point in time. The reader will learn much about Celtic folklore, the power of religion in people's lives, and, most importantly, the struggle for Irish nationalism that effected everyone's lives. Sometimes the side stories may seem forced onto Bridget Cleary's own narrative but it all still provides for an interesting hodgepodge of Irish history. A winding and long road of a read but always interesting.

well written account of a murder ain the tun of the century ireland. tells not only of the murder but also of the history of the period. really interesting insight into rural ireland and the belief in fairies. a very good read.