The intriguing story of the Maamtreasna Murders will be shown tonight (April 4th) on TG4 at 9.30.
This is one of 27 different stories in a book called ‘Saints off Connemara Coast & Other Stories’ by Daniel Sammon, published in 2014. Copies of this book are still available in Charlie Byrne’s, Kenny’s of Galway, other bookshops and directly from the author at mygreatwalk@gmail.com
Three men were hanged in 1882 by the British government in the present-day carpark at the cathedral in Galway for these horrendous crimes, but at least one of them was completely innocent. It is good to see Myles Joyce being posthumously pardoned and declared innocent by the Irish government, even after more than 135 years.
Daniel Sammon recently graduated with a Master’s degree in Writing from NUIG. It is less than ten years since he was bitten by the writing bug and in that time he has written five books including three non-fiction, one fiction and one poetry. Even so, writing is not his main pre-occupation at all, but rather management of a property portfolio and limousine-driving of tourists all over Ireland, from his base in Connemara, which keeps him well supplied with writing material for his pen or rather his writing keyboard. With so much spare time on his hands! he also managed to fit in courses in Legal Studies, Self-Employed Accounting & Taxation and Creative Writing, for which he received ‘Certificates of Distinction’ in all three. He is currently enrolled in a Genealogy Course in NUIG.
The Galway Review 