Historical True Crime

Bridget Cleary: The Changeling Murder

A young woman in rural Tipperary falls suddenly ill in 1895—and within days, fear, folklore, and family pressure spiral into one of Ireland’s most disturbing murder cases. This episode unravels the death of Bridget Cleary, the beliefs that shaped it, and the legacy she never asked for.Source Materials Bourke, Angela. The Burning of Bridget Cleary: A True Story. Penguin, 2000.The Tipperary Witch Case (1895 court and newspaper reporting).McGrath, Thomas. “Fairy Faith and Changelings: The Burning of Bridget Cleary in 1895.” Ruxton, Dean. “The Story of the Last ‘Witch’ Burned Alive in Ireland.” The Irish Times, 2016.“The Charred Remains of Bridget Cleary Were Found in a Bog…” History Collection.“The Murder of Bridget Cleary: Ireland’s Last Witch and the Fire of Superstition.” Secret Ireland.National Archives of Ireland images and records related to the Cleary case.