John Toler, Ireland's 'Hanging Judge'

Limerick Historical Society's next lecture is on Monday February 10th next at 8 p.m.  The lecture will be on John Toler, 1st Earl of Norbury, nicknamed the ‘Hanging Judge’. It will be given by John Flannery, past President of Ormond Historical Society. 
Lecture in Room T16, Tara Building, (near Lime Tree Theatre), Mary Immaculate College. Everybody is welcome.

John Toler, 1st Earl of Norbury was nicknamed the ‘Hanging Judge’.  He was born at Beechwood, Nenagh in 1745, the son of a Cromwellian soldier. He trained as a barrister and quickly rose to become Lord Chief in Justice of Ireland. It was as a judge that Toler became infamous, for falling asleep during trials and then dished out death sentences to several defendants without even hearing all the evidence. In 1803, Toler presided over Robert Emmet’s court case when he found him guilty of treason before finally sentencing him to be hanged, drawn and quartered.
Daniel O’Connell was among those who campaigned for the Earl of Norbury’s removal; he was finally discharged in 1821 – too late for the dozens of poor men he had condemned to the gallows.

For additional information Tom Donovan's article about Con Collins can be found here: 

;