Youghal's Dark Past - Witch Trial at the Clockgate

The Trial …… Now witchtrials were a bit of a joke – although it wasn’t funny for the poor woman accused of being a witch. There were various ways to prove a woman was a witch. Like ducking her in water. One positive proof was to ask the woman to say the Our Father. Witches, they reckoned, could not pray. The trial was a bit of a joke – a witch was not allowed to have a defence lawyer. In court she could question witnesses but that was all. Anyway our poor Florence had a disastrous trial. First of all- do you remember the maid Mary Langdon – the girl who refused to give her some meat? Well when Mary was giving her evidence in court – Florence Newton looked at her and said “ you should have given me the MEAT!” And with that Mary fell down and began to vomit. The lawyer heard what Florence said and he guessed immediately that this was not witchcraft – it was just an old woman doing some form of hypnotism. So he bent down on his knees and spoke quietly to Mary “Mary, look at me, look at my hands, look carefully and listen to my voice….” And a few minutes later Mary sat up smiling. Florence was amazed – “Meat ! “ she shouted “You should have given me the MEAT” and Mary just smiled at her and Florence sat down smiling herself because she knew the lawyer had spotted what she was doing. In those days it was worse than a crime !The Judge stood up – there was no more to be said – she could not say her prayers. He didn’t even bother to write down the verdict.