A Life in Pieces: William Twiss of Castleisland

John Twiss of Castleisland, wrongfully convicted of the murder of James Donovan in 1894 and hanged in Cork Gaol the following year, was Posthumously Pardoned on 16 December 2021 by President Michael D Higgins following a campaign by Castleisland District Heritage.   In the wake of the Pardon, Castleisland District Heritage entered into a correspondence […]

John Twiss of Castleisland: Family Links to the ‘New World’

Castleisland District Heritage awaits the outcome of its application for the Presidential Pardon of John Twiss of Castleisland, wrongfully hanged in 1895 for a murder he did not commit.[1]  In the meantime, research into the family of John Twiss is ongoing.  Research shows that many in his extended family left Ireland for the ‘New World,’ […]

The Poff Family of County Kerry

Sylvester Poff of Mountnicholas was hanged in Tralee prison, alongside his cousin, James Barrett of Dromultan, on 23 January 1883.  They had been convicted of the murder of Thomas Browne of Dromultan.   James Barrett was unmarried.  Sylvester Poff had been married for eight years to Anne Sugrue, and was a father to Mary, Hannah, […]