The Maamtrasna Murders: Language, Life, and Death in Nineteenth-Century Ireland

by Margaret Kelleher

The Maamtrasna Murders of 1882—in which three men who spoke only Irish were wrongfully sentenced to death after a trial conducted fully in English—stand as one of the gravest miscarriages of justice in Irish history. In this book, Margaret Kelleher uses the Maamtransa case, notorious for its failure to interpretive and translation services to monoglot Irish speakers, as a starting point for an investigation into broader sociolinguistic issues. Uncovering archival materials not previously consulted, this book illuminates a story that has proven to be a much messier social narrative than previously recognized. Kelleher show that, although the wrongful execution of monolingual Irishmen have historically been the best-known feature of the case, the complex significance of language use in an isolated region mirrors the dynamics that continue to influence the fates of monolingual and bilingual people today.  

Genres: Nonfiction, Crime, Ireland, History

352 pages, Paperback

Published March 27, 2020

Reviews

[Aoife ✨️ · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a good study of colonialist attitudes towards language and how linguistic imperialism can be the ruin of someone who does not subscribe to the language of the oppressor.
I had knowledge of the execution prior to reading but this book gave more context and information in order to be able to fully understand the injustice faced by Myles Joyce.

[Grant · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great read from Margaret Kelleher who is truly a renowned scholar when it comes to a topic like this. Again, this was a text that I was required to read for one of my university courses but it was still a thoroughly enjoyable experience and sheds light on an important piece of Irish history. As Kelleher points out in this book, the Ireland that existed during the Maamtrasna case was one of great discrimination and injustice. By using reputable sources and her own personal connection to the language spoken by the defendants in this case, Kelleher analyzes how the Maamtrasna case became a great miscarriage of justice in Ireland. Certainly for the Irish history learner this is a must read as it gives invaluable insight into the time period that Kelleher discusses in this book. For the casual reader, maybe read some more general Irish history first but certainly return to this once you are no longer a novice in such faculties.

[John · Rating 5 out of 5]

An extraordinary work of historical and literary scholarship. A brilliant telling of a dark chapter in Irish history.

[Kate Costello-Sullivan · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a sad and fascinating story— also a truly brilliant piece of scholarship with exhaustive archival research.

[Seán · Rating 4 out of 5]

While it does drag a little at some points due to the subject it is still very well written and meticulously researched.

[B Mur · Rating 5 out of 5]

A powerful, well-researched and moving exploration by Kelleher of the failure of the British state apparatus to ensure that justice was dispensed to monoglot Irish speakers from Maam Trasna in Connemara in 1882.

Coupled with this is an insightful analysis of language change in Ireland in the 1800s, as well as the meaning of the idea of being bilingual in a time of great linguistic change.

The book ends with an exploration of the references to Irish language, and specifically the Maam Trasna case, in the writings of James Joyce. Whilst this analysis is interesting and insightful, I won’t deny that a fair amount of it went over my head.

The prejudice of the state apparatus of the time, as well as the press attitudes towards Irish monoglot culture, and Gaelic Irish culture more generally, evoke real anger in me, as well as sympathy for the accused.

It gives me great pride to see how much Ireland has prospered in recent times, especially when those effectively referring to us as no better than mongrel half-wits at the time have languished with many societal issues in recent years.

The book has also massively reinforced my own passion for Gaeilge, and my desire to incorporate it into my daily vernacular with my family and whoever else will speak it with me.

An apt way to finish, as is referenced in the book, “God save old Ireland”.

[Zoë · Rating 5 out of 5]

An in-depth but gripping sociological insight into the complex political, legal and linguistic dimensions of Irish society in the mid to late nineteenth-century, framed through the various narratives of the infamous Maamtrasna Murders in mid 19C Ireland (where five Irish speakers were tried and found guilty for the murder of a family in Joyce Country, Co. Galway/Mayo). A must read for anyone with an interest in legal, linguistic and colonial history.

[Cian Moran · Rating 3 out of 5]

Excellent insights (the sections on the Irish language's status in the 19th century were absolutely outstanding) but it was a heavy read. The parts on James Joyce felt out of kilter with the rest of the text.

[Lughán · Rating 4 out of 5]

While it does drag a little at some points due to the subject it is still very well written and meticulously researched.