Dublin Hanged: Crime, Law Enforcement and Punishment in Late 18-Century Dublin

by Brian Henry

Behind the glorious facade of Georgian Dublin lurked a massive crime problem. In the late eighteenth century as the wealth of the city increased, so too did burglary and violent crime. The Hibernian Journal reported in 1780 that "murder in this city has become so common, that it has lost all its horrors; every day teems with new instances of the most horrid barbarity." The city was faced with a stark either eliminate the armed footpads and highway robbers or be crushed by them. The authorities embarked on a crusade to sentence hundreds of convicted felons to death. Hundreds more were transported abroad. Dublin Hanged traces the source of the problem to the first wave of crimes and it follows up on the solution to the last wave of hangings. The author examines the horrific and violent industrial conflicts as well as the catastrophic policy of sending convicts to the Americas long after England had stopped this practice.

Hardcover

First published May 1, 1994