Michael Manning - the last execution to take place in the Republic of Ireland.







Michael Manning - the last execution to take place in the Republic of Ireland. 

Manning was a 25 year old carter who lived in Clare Street, Limerick.  There was some evidence of insanity in his family and he was said to be of low IQ.  On the day of the murder he had been drinking heavily.

His victim was 65 year old Catherine Cooper, a staff nurse at Barrington's Hospital in Co. Limerick, who had been to visit a former matron on the evening of Wednesday, the 18th of November 1953 and decided to walk the two miles home, instead of taking the bus.  

She was attacked in Castletroy that night and her battered body discovered on the main Limerick to Dublin Road.  A man’s hat was found at the scene which looked like the one Manning normally wore.  It was described as a “Mountie’s hat” and was thus very distinctive.  The Gardaí (Irish police) visited him at 2.30 a.m. the following day and he immediately confessed. 

Manning described the attack to the Gardaí as follows: “I saw a lady walking in front of me towards Limerick, on the left-hand side of the road. I walked behind her for a few minutes. I suddenly lost control of myself and jumped on her because I saw she was alone. She let out a few screams, I knocked her down on the grass. I pulled her into the grass margin and stuffed grass in her mouth to stop her from roaring. 

She got quiet after five minutes, but she began to struggle again, and asked me to stop. She just said “Stop, stop.” The next thing a motor car with lights stopped beside me. I got up and jumped over the ditch.”  Blood stains were found on his clothing.  Catherine had been suffocated and also raped.

He was tried at Limerick before Mr. Justice Murnaghan on the 15th to the 17th of February 1954.  The judge advised the jury that they could not reduce the conviction to one of manslaughter on the basis of Manning being drunk.  It took them three hours to reach their guilty verdict.

In a statement Manning said: “I am not afraid to die as I am fully prepared to go before my God, but it is on behalf of my wife as she is so near the birth of our baby. Instead of one life being taken there could be three as it would be a big shock to my wife if the execution will be carried out on the date mentioned. 

So, I would be grateful to you if you showed your mercy toward my wife and me.” Members of Catherine Cooper’s family were among those who signed petitions for a reprieve. His appeal was dismissed and on the 3rd of March the government decided against recommending a reprieve to the Irish president.  At a second meeting on the 13th of April they came to the same conclusion.

Manning was hanged by Albert Pierrepoint, who was flown over from Manchester to Dublin. He was assisted by Robert Leslie Stewart in the “hanghouse” at Mountjoy Prison at 8.00 a.m. on Tuesday, the 20th of April 1954.

Thirty three people, including one woman, Annie Walsh, were hanged at Mountjoy between 1901 and 1954.

The photo is an actor from a play/film about the case and the other photos are correct.


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