When the Hangman Came to Galway: A Gruesome True Story of Murder in Victorian Ireland

by Dean Ruxton

Galway, the winter of 1885. The violent murders of John Moylan, killed in a dark boreen, and Alice Burns, shot dead in the dining room of the Royal Hotel, have shaken the county. Now, following painstaking investigations and charged courtroom drama, justice beckons for the guilty parties.

James Berry, the notorious executioner who ended the lives of over one hundred criminals in Victorian Britain and Ireland, has come to town. The paths of a secret paramour, a jilted lover and a reluctant hangman are about to cross.

When the Hangman Came to Galway is a chilling true story that delivers a meticulously researched, eye-opening portrait of Victorian Ireland and a spine-tingling tale of love, revenge, murder and retribution.

Genres: Nonfiction, Audiobook, Ireland, History, Crime

304 pages, Kindle Edition

First published October 19, 2018

Reviews

[Alice-Elizabeth (Prolific Reader Alice)]

DNF @ 2 hrs in

I normally love my historical true crime reads. However, even though the narrator was good and I understood their speaking fine, the content was slow and often a little too repetitive. It is gruesome from the get-go so do bear that in mind if you would like to give this one a try. Two murder trials in Galway, Ireland during the 1880s full of rage and deception.

[Clare Snow · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not for the faint hearted.

[Helen Carolan · Rating 3 out of 5]

This started well. Ruxton first gives us a complete description of a hangman and all the requirements of his job. But by the time I got half way my mind was a raging cauldron of confusion. There were way to many statistics in here and not enough on the crime.

[Neil Fox · Rating 4 out of 5]

This rather unusual book is the recounting of 2 murders and their sensational trials that gripped Galway in the mid-1880's - one a crime of jealous passionate rage where the motive and guilt of the perpetrator was beyond doubt, his sanity being the only question mark; the other a crime of greed where the motive of the accused was more opaque and the circumstances less convincing for the conviction. Described in parallel is the career of James Berry, Victorian England's most notorious hangman at the time, as his path and those of the 2 murderers inexorably converge on the gallows at Galway Gaol.

More factual than gripping, more descriptive than compelling, Ruxton's work is a curious mix of documentary and novel that offers a fascinating peak into 1880's Victorian Ireland, it's Penal system and the nature of crime & punishment at the time. For those from County Galway or with more than a passing interest in the West of Ireland, this is a tantalizing snippet of forgotten local history set against the more familiar background of agrarian agitation, class divisions in society, the lingering memory of the famine in that part of the World and greed over land a la John B Keane's The Field. I bought my copy of this on a cold December morning whilst looking for some local historical fiction from a Galway bookshop not a stone's thrown From Galway Cathedral, which stands on the site of the former Victorian Gaol.

For those with a beyond-average morbid interest in capital punishment this is like pornography with its no-holds barred descriptions of hanging in all its gruesome, grisly and gory detail. Certainly the most unusual and original read for a while !

[Elaine · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very interesting topic that kept me engaged and the author does an excellent job of humanising all the people involved, but there was so much repetition. That, plus often switching from a journalistic/academic research writing style to a narrative, and the casual conversational Irish phrases, made it difficult to read. At the same time, however, the book provides a great deal of information about the workings of the Victorian penal system. Definitely worth reading for that alone.

[Lisa M. · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was marketed very well. The cover art, in addition to the blurb, made this seem like it was going to be a thrilling work of non-fiction. Unfortunately, the text didn't quite live up to that. I think the narrative (following a hangman through two cases) was an intelligent choice on Ruxton's part. Neither crime is particularly unique or gruesome, yet it was these passages that were the most thrilling. The majority of the text about the hangman himself was rather dry. I didn't need this portion of the book to be salacious, but the writer's style, plus the antiquity of the topic, left something to be desired. There just wasn't much tension/grip for a book that was about a hangman.

The book isn't bad--the marketing just increased my expectations, and I wanted more.

I would like to note I am lucky enough to own a signed edition, purchased on my first trip to Galway.

[Paul Greaney · Rating 4 out of 5]

Delighted to see a book focussing on a piece of Annaghdown history. A comprehensive and well-written narrative around the two murders and consequent executions. The treatment of local placenames is a minor disappointment.

[Jay · Rating 3 out of 5]

While the story was fascinating, the style left it difficult to read at times, with some repetition and odd phrasing. The glimpse into the penal system in Victorian England and Ireland this books offers more than makes up for it, though!

[Rine · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really good story about two hangings in Galway but more so about the last true hangman of James Berry. It also had a great discussion around capital punishment and the history and methods in Britain and Ireland

[Eileen · Rating 3 out of 5]

I kinda wanted more story than facts. I feel the author got bogged down with very detailed research, and suddenly, everything was important. When really, I don't think I needed to know about the petty politics of policemen vs. hangman in the Victorian era.

[Beatrijs · Rating 3 out of 5]

I suppose I was expecting a historical novel, but this is not a novel, it's more like a description of historical events. I wasn't really blown away or moved by it, but the subject was interesting.

[Hana - booksonthebedside on tiktok · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.75 - I really enjoyed this, narration on audible was good. I enjoyed the parts about the cases more than the hangman’s origin story. Would recommend for people who enjoy true crime but ✨historical✨

[Ella · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not a bad read.a lot of detail,hanging was not a pleasant end unless done by a professional.

[Callie · Rating 4 out of 5]

i know james berry would haaaaate me

[Alice · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting.

[Damien · Rating 4 out of 5]

very interesting book about 2 otherwise forgotten murders in Galway and the time James Berry had of it.