Death of Michael Leahy
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Michael Leahy | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1822 |
| Died | 1826 (aged 3–4) County Kerry, Ireland |
| Cause of death | Drowning |
| Known for | Being drowned for supposedly being a changeling |
Michael Leahy was a child who died by drowning in 1826 in County Kerry, Ireland.[1] Leahy was four years old at the time of his death.[1] He was believed by some in his community to have been a changeling and the drowning was the result of an attempt to cure him.[1]
Ann Roche was indicted for Leahy's murder and tried in Tralee.[1] Roche was described by the London Morning Post as being "an old woman of very advanced age".[1] She claimed to have supernatural abilities and healing skills.[2] She ordered two people to bathe the boy in the river Flesk every morning.[3] The two bathed him for three mornings.[3] On the third morning he was held under the water for longer than usual and died.[3]
A changeling was a child left by fairies after they had stolen a healthy human child.[4] The suspicion in Leahy's case resulted from his illness.[1] He could neither speak nor stand.[1] Under cross-examination a witness said that the drowning was not done with the intent of killing the child but to cure him – "to put the fairy out of it".[3]
Legal verdict
The court, at the direction of the judge, found Roche not guilty of murder.[3] The judge said that the jury "would not be safe in convicting the prisoner of murder, however strong their suspicion might be".[3] Author Robert Curran says that the verdict is suggestive of the depth of belief in changelings in the community.[5] There were several similar cases in rural Ireland in the 19th century.[5][4]
