Newry News and Irish Fun
Robert (Bobby) McGladdery was on a pub crawl with his friend William Copeland that fateful evening of Pearl Gamble’s death. In fact they had spent most of the day together drinking, after first meeting in Hollywood‘s Bar in Hill Street.
McGladdery’s home was searched and there the police, among other suspicious items found a copy of Mickey Spillane’s The Long Wait …
The Last Hanging In Ireland The trial captured the attention of the general public and Lord Justice Curran presided throughout. Pearl Gamble was found strangled and stabbed in a field near her home in Upper Damolly, Newry on Jan 28th after attending a dance at her local Orange Hall. Her dead body had been dragged or …
Woman Constable Elizabeth Ann McCance testified that she was on duty in plain clothes in Newry Town early on the day of Pearl Gamble’s murder when she saw McGladdery and a friend shopping at the hardware counter at Wollworths.
In an attempt to establish his alibi Robert McGladdery as suspect agreed to walk his alleged route home in the company of a policeman Head Constable Farrelly.
Police evidence concerning the tailing (and frequent interviewing) of McGladdery over the days and weeks following Pearl Gamble’s death continued to be given.
I was speaking to my friend Tommy Donaghy last evening about the Pearl Gamble murder and he too – like everyone of that era – has a strong memory of those few weeks after when McGladdery strutted the streets of the town basking in his new infamy.
Dickie Rodgers was adjudged overall winner of our recent Reminiscence Competition for a series of short stories and anecdotes. He also recounted powerful incidents from his own life.
Pearl Gamble’s murder had caused outrage, not just in Newry but throughout these islands. When McGladdery appeared at Newry Courthouse in April the building was besieged by a huge crowd, most of whom were unable to gain access to the proceedings.