Bridget Cleary: Inside The Ritual Killing That Stunned Victorian Society

Mystery, folklore, urban legend and crime seldom meld into a compelling story as much as the case of Bridget Cleary. Actually the more folks go into it, the darker it seems to get. Read on for more about this rabbit hole from history.

Control, Fear & Legends

What fascinates a lot of people, is that it’s a sort of twisted fairytale, and it has all the interesting elements of things like control, fear, and folk belief: not to mention gender, illness, rural isolation, and a community rationalizing violence through myth.

History tells us that in Ballyvadlea in County Tipperary, Ireland, Bridget Cleary, a woman in her late 20s fell ill. But that’s not all, because her unfortunate demise has more modern cousin.

A Similar Modern Crime

If you dont know, 90 Day Fiance star Olga Koshimbetova, endured a horrifying family loss when her parents faced trial on charges related to the death of Olga’s 26-year-old sister. 

Per Soap Dirt and Screenrant, after her sister complained of hearing voices, they became convinced she was possessed by the devil. The exorcism was so violently awful that she passed away.

And there are some similarities because the husband of Bridget Cleary, Michael believed that Bridget was unwell after being influenced by supernatural beings.

Only in her case, he and others suspected she had become a “changeling” after abduction by fairies.

A Brutal Ritual Death

After a brutal ritual, Bridget died. Apart from her face, she was terribly burned in her home before being dumped in a bog. Per Hidden History, Michael kept watch fully expecting resurrected Bridget to ride out in the moonlight on a “white horse” accompanied by a bunch of fairies.

That was despite a doctor diagnosing her as being unwell from a combination of “nervous excitement” and slight “bronchitis.” But, Michael couldn’t keep his own secret and confessed to a priest, who informed the police. 

That all went down in 1895 and a fromal trial was held. Records from the day, show that instead of murder, Michael Cleary and associates were found guilty of homicide, or unintentional death. In some countries it’s described as manslaughter.

The others also implicated didn’t take long to find, because so few people lived there.

An Intriguing Court Case

From a modern perspective, the trial had everything that intrigues the true crime fanatic. After all, the story brought a number of different elements. For a start the victim was described as charismatic and attractive.

It included a population struggling after the infamous famine and growing fears and suspicion. The statements by witnesses in court seemed incredible because they included evidence about fairies and folklore given under oath.

Combine that with a fascinated audience mixed with moral panic and you have a court case that landed squarely between legal systems and ancient belief systems.

Anyway, Michael ended up imprisoned for 20 years. Later, he got out of the penal system and relocated to Montreal.

Newspapers Documented The Case

Back in the day, much like in modern times, true crime enthusiasts were totally engaged in newspaper reports. Look, Ireland of course, is recognised for superstition, and even more so back then. So, naturally, some folks believed in traditional folklore about fairies.

While that’s true, the trial also showed a lot of people questioned class, religious beliefs and the patriarchal system of the day.

One particular statement became the anchor story because of the question, “Are you a witch or are you a fairy?” To this day, it finds a place in the cultural history of the Irish.

A Witch Burning?

Sometimes, Bridget Cleary is referred to as witch. Nevertheless, it wasn’t really treated as a witch burning, but as a potential murder. But clearly, folklore, superstition, and the definitions of crime overlapped.

It might be argued that Victorian times were brutal. But really, modern crime also seems just as brutal, if not worse on occasion. However, it’s more likely that mental capacity might be argued by defense teams in modern courts.

Even in recent times, the trial of Bridget Cleary’s husband haunts people. Back in 2017, a series called ‘Lore’ on Amazon Prime covered the story of Bridget in an episode titled Black Stockings.

What are your thoughts? Let us know in the comments below, and come back here often for all our urban legend and other strange stories.