Above: The bottom(fifth) death certificate on the above page is that of Mary Mockler Meehan. I will never forget the feeling I got as I read the cause of death back in 2006 when I downloaded the certificate..."verdict of coroner's Jury wilfully murdered by Patrick Meehan". I was initially thrilled and excited that the promise of an exciting tale was looming, but the story that did emerge through newspaper reports was so very sad and disturbing that for the first time in my life I actually felt ashamed of one of my ancestors. I have a golden rule never to judge events that happened in the past, but reading of poor little Mary Meehan nursing her baby daughter with a bruised face and eyes so blackened and swollen that she could barely open them just broke my heart.And I was so angered by the response of local Kilmore citizens to the report of a stranger to town of the sounds of blows and screaming coming from the Meehan house on the night of Mary's death...he was told " It was only Paddy Meehan beating his wife." As if it was such a common place occurrence that it didn't even warrant investigation.
The death certificate has no details of Mary Meehan's burial, but I assume that it was in the Catholic section of the old Kilmore Cemetery.
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