The shooting dead of nineteen-year-old Alice Burns in the Royal Hotel, Eyre Square on 29 July 1884 caused a sensation throughout Galway. The young man who shot her was Thomas Parry of County Offaly. It seems that they were engaged, but she had ended the relationship some weeks earlier. He was extremely upset by her decision and arrived in Galway hoping to renew the relationship. They met a number of times, but despite his appeals, she would not continue the relationship. Parry was totally aggrieved and hurt as the woman whom he loved had rejected him. To make matters worse, she returned all his love letters. He spent a week in absolute turmoil and went home on the Friday prior to the shooting. Parry could not come to terms with the situation and returned to Galway on Monday, 28 July, and stayed in the Imperial Hotel, Eyre Square.
Alice Burns and her sister Bessie lived in the Royal Hotel nearby (Supermacs site today) with their stepfather George Mack, who was the proprietor. On the morning of the shooting, Parry rose early and made his way to the hotel at about 8.00 a.m. He made inquiries about George Mack and was told the man was not on the premises. Parry then made his way to the dining room, where Alice was having breakfast with her sister and a little girl, Fanny Rukaby, a niece of George Mack. Parry walked over to the table and reached out his hand as if to greet Alice. She accepted his hand, but as she stood up, Parry drew a revolver from his pocket and shot her. There was an initial struggle as the bullet struck her in the side. She ran towards the door, and he fired again. Alice managed to reach the hallway, but Parry followed and shot her twice more, killing the young woman. Parry then turned the gun on himself and fired, but the bullet merely grazed his head. He then left the hotel, leaving the staff and guests shocked and terrified. One of the guests was a doctor, but he was unable to
help Alice. Parry walked towards Eyre Square with the revolver still clutched in his hand. Minutes later, people began to realise the gravity of what had happened. They gathered, frightened, some in panic, at the door of the hotel. A young man named James Halloran, who worked in the Saddlery next door to the hotel, came out to see what had happened. Upon hearing about the shooting, Halloran followed Parry and took the revolver from him. Another young man came to his assistance, and they held Parry until the police arrived. Parry was taken into custody and immediately admitted to the murder and expressed a wish to suffer the full rigours of the law for what he had done.
As news of the murder spread, people were shocked and outraged. Parry was brought before an inquiry and expressed his guilt to the magistrate. He didn’t expect any mercy and looked for none. Parry simply wanted the trial to be expedited without a defence counsel. He was then taken to Galway Jail on an open sidecar, accompanied by the police, followed by a large crowd. The jail became his home over the following months while awaiting trial. During this time, Parry gained some public sympathy because of the circumstances surrounding the murder; many believed that he was insane when he committed the crime. They felt that Parry truly loved Alice in a distorted way; if he couldn’t marry her, then no one else would either. The funeral of Alice Burns took place two days after the shooting, and hundreds of people followed the cortège to the New Cemetery in Bohermore. It was described as one of the saddest events to take place in the city.
Thomas Parry was tried for the murder during the 1884 Winter Assizes at Carrick-on-Shannon. A plea of insanity was entered because of the unusual circumstances surrounding the case. Nevertheless, Parry was found guilty and sentenced to death, but mercy was recommended for one week to establish his mental state at the time of the murder. Two doctors were sent from Dublin to interview Parry and make a judgment. Their report, stating he was of sound mental health, was sent to the Lord Lieutenant, who had to make the final decision. The Lord Lieutenant stated that the law should take its course, and thus Thomas Parry’s fate was sealed; he would face the hangman. There were other factors that may have influenced his decision to allow the execution to go ahead. In January 1885, the Freeman’s Journal published an article stating that great efforts were being made by Protestants and Freemasons to have Parry reprieved. It also mentioned that people in Galway believed Parry would be reprieved because he was Protestant. Parry was now claiming insanity when he killed Alice, saying he had been deeply troubled for weeks before the crime. The night before his execution, Thomas Parry wrote the following statement:
I consider it my duty, now that my time in this world is coming to a close, to express my gratitude and thankfulness to my friends and the general public for the great kindness and sympathy shown to me by them. In the first place, I wish to show thankfulness for the great respect, kindness and attention shown to me since my committal to the Galway Prison by the governor and the prison officials; and I can only add that there was nothing left undone by those in authority over me to make my imprisonment as comfortable as the prison rules would allow. I think it is only right for me, and my bounden duty, to do all in my power to remove from the public mind any doubt which they may retain as regards the state of my mind at the time I committed the dreadful deed which I am now about to suffer for, and my last declaration, is that my mind was not right at the time, nor for a week previous, nor for some time afterwards. Therefore, my family and my friends may rest assured that the testimony of the learned and skilful gentleman, Dr Kinkead (Prison Medical Officer), as to the state of my mind on the 29th of July, 1884, was correct and right, and I should be very sorry to leave this life without doing this justice to a kind and Christian gentleman. I will now bring my last statement to a close by saying that I feel only too happy to suffer for the great crime I have committed in the sight of Almighty God, and also in the sight of man. I am heartily sorry for what I have done, and I feel satisfied that the Lord God Almighty will pardon and forgive me, as I truly forgive, and I trust that all those I have done an injury so will likewise forgive me, and I feel happy to say I have no ill-will against anyone more than the child unborn. Therefore, I leave this world with full confidence that I will have eternal happiness in the world to which I am fast approaching. Weep not for me, my parents’ dear. Here I was not yours, but Christ’s alone. He loves me best and is taking me home. Amen. Signed – Thomas Parry.
The condemned man awoke at frequent intervals the night before his execution, but remained perfectly quiet. He rose shortly after 6.00 a.m. and dressed without assistance. The medical officer attended to him and gave Parry wine to drink as a stimulant. The Protestant chaplain, Canon O’Sullivan, arrived an hour later and prayed with Parry. This continued until a quarter to eight, when he was formally handed over to the executioners, James Berry and his assistant.
Once the preliminary arrangement of pinioning the prisoner’s arms was completed, the ‘mournful procession’ to the scaffold began. The governor and sub-sheriff were in front, followed by Canon O’Sullivan, reading aloud a psalm especially chosen for the occasion. The prisoner was assisted by the warden and followed by a number of prison officials. Parry walked resolutely, looking at times vaguely and wistfully around him. He ascended the steps of the scaffold with firm footing and was placed on the trap-door, which was directly under
the noose. In response to the prayers, he said three times in a loud, unshaken voice, ‘Lord Jesus, receive my spirit’. He then stood erect, awaiting further preparations by the executioners. Berry produced a white cap and pulled it down over Parry’s face, while at the same moment, his assistant strapped the legs of the prisoner. Berry stepped aside, cast a hurried glance at the preparations and drew the lever. Thomas Parry disappeared silently through the trapdoor. The fall was nine feet, and death was instantaneous. There was no
crowd gathered outside to witness the hoisting of the black flag, which was unusual after a hanging. The only exception was a few labourers going to work, who stood for a moment or two and then went on their way.