The family of the late Harry Gleeson have been informed that his remains have been found and identified in the burial ground at Mountjoy Prison – forensic experts had been seeking to identify the remains of 29 prisoners executed between 1923 and 1954 since January of this year.
It is now expected that in due course a funeral and burial service will take place in Holycross – the family had requested the return of Harry Gleeson’s remains. Mr Gleeson was executed in 1941 after being found guilty of the murder of mother of seven Moll Carthy in New Inn in 1940. He protested his innocence at all times. In 2015 President Michael D Higgins pardoned Mr Gleeson for the crime as new evidence revealed that he had been framed for the killing. This was the first ever posthumous pardon ever granted in Ireland. The jury had made an appeal for mercy and a petition of 7,000 signatures were submitted at the time of the trial to no avail. His siblings and their descendants have campaigned for his case to be re-examined and also for his remains to be released from State custody.
