The Arran Quay Ghost, 1837

From the Tuam Herald, 9 December 1837, and the Dublin Morning Register, 8 December 1837:

“DUBLIN POLICE

HENRY STREET.- EXTRAORDINARY STORY OF A GHOST

An elderly little man, apparently in his perfect senses, came before the bench and stated that the ghost of his former master appeared to him nine times altogether.  The first appearance was in June, when he came to him at nine or ten o’clock in the evening.  He was greatly frightened, and was sick for three weeks after the ghost appeared read more

Wife Sued for Libel by Estranged Husband After Circulating Hand-Bills Seeking Name of her Predecessor, 1862

Portrait silhouettes by Monsieur Edgar Adolphe, via Alamy.

From the Dublin Daily Express, 6 October 1862:

“A STRANGE CASE.- Madame Margaret Phibbs, otherwise Adolphe, appeared to answer the complaint of Monsieur Edgar Adolphe, a photographic artist, 75 Grafton-street, to show cause why informations should not be taken against her for having published, at Mrs Dempsey’s, Grafton-street, on Wednesday, the 1st of October, and various other occasions a certain wilful and malicious read more

‘Briefless Junior’ Secures Life-Changing Career Success by Standing in for Senior Detained on Field of Honour, 1815

Patrick MacDowell’s statue of the former ‘briefless junior,’ Sir Michael O’Loghlen, Master of the Rolls, after the Battle of the Four Courts, 1922, via South Dublin Digital Archive.

From the Freeman’s Journal, 12 July 1922:-

“Artistic Dublin is more than anxious to learn the full fate of the superb seated statue of Sir Michael O’Loghlen, Master of the Rolls, which the Bar of Ireland erected in the Round Hall of the Four Courts. Concern for the masterpiece recalls the fact that O’Loghlen owed his first success at the bar to the duel fought between Dan O’Connell read more

Witchcraft in Waterford, 1886

From the Weekly Irish Times, 6 March 1886:

“At the Waterford Police Court on Monday, before J Slattery, Esq., a woman named Mary Murphy was charged by Constable Williams with having by false pretence obtained from a number of persons in the city various sums of money.

Constable Williams deposed that for some time past the prisoner, who gave the name of Mary Murphy, had followed the occupation of fortune-teller in the city. She passed as a deaf mute, and represented herself as being able read more

The Great Dublin Lodging House Theft, 1847

From the Freeman’s Journal, 29 May 1847:

“MOST EXTRAORDINARY CASE OF ROBBING HOUSES IN DUBLIN

The following very curious case came to light yesterday and perhaps in the annals of clever rogues, the hero of the present story has been the most successful during his career, which is estimated at about 12 calendar months from the date hereof, and what makes the case more remarkable is, the fact that these very ‘knowing gentry,’ the ‘detective police,’ have been read more