In May 1920 agrarian trouble in county Mayo resulted in the brutal murder of herd. The victim, Michael Toole was in the employment of J. Fitzgerald Kenny a justice of the peace and owner of Ballyglass House.

  Prior to this Toole had been warned not to work outside the Kenny demesne but when he failed to heed the notice and began sowing seeds in a field across the road from the demesne he fate was sealed. Returning home at 11pm, accompanied by two men, he was set upon by a masked party. One of the men against whom there was no grudge was ordered to go away, while the other received a beating. Toole was instantly knocked down and battered to death. His skull ‘was opened through the violence of the blows’ and from the nature of the injuries was almost unrecognisable. Alarmed by the failure of her husband Mrs Toole went in search of him and found his body lying on the road. Aged forty-three Toole left behind him a family of thirteen children. He was regarded as an honest and hardworking man but fell foul of the agrarian agitators. The murder was denounced locally and including in the Catholic church at Carnacon. While the implements used in the murder were recovered by the police, little evidence could be obtained as to who had carried out the murder.  

Download Source: Freemans Journal 1763-1924, 30.05.1920, page 5

  Freemans_Journal_page5