Limerick, Friday – In a sombre turn of events, the lifeless body of Thomas Conway, a prosperous licensed trader residing on George Street, was discovered this morning around 7:30 in the Shannon River during low tide. The circumstances of his demise prompted an inquest held this afternoon by the City Coroner, Mr J.F. Barry, J.P., aiming to unravel the details surrounding the tragic incident.
During the inquest, Mrs. Delia Conway, the widow of the deceased, recounted the last moments with her husband. Describing their three years of marriage as harmonious, she conveyed that Thomas Conway was in good spirits and health the day before. They attended devotions together before he returned to the bar of their public house. The last time she saw him alive was at half-past ten the previous night, when he came upstairs, inviting her to share supper. When he didn’t return by half-past twelve, Mrs. Conway grew concerned and sent their assistant, Mr Horgan, to search for him. With no sign of his return by 4 a.m., she retired to bed. Thomas Conway, aged 43, had a customary practice of taking a short walk each night between half-past ten and eleven.
Mr Horgan, the assistant in Conway’s shop, testified to the deceased’s good business sense and regular attendance. He last saw Conway alive around a quarter to eleven, reminding them of a business letter to post, after which Conway left. Despite Mrs. Conway’s growing worry later at night, Mr Horgan’s search proved futile.
Michael McInerney, returning from fishing at half-past seven in the morning, made the grim discovery. He found Conway’s lifeless body in the leach, face downwards, on the eastern side of Cleeve’s bridge. The body was fully clothed but without a hat, and there was no protective barrier or chain along the bank where the body was found. The river had over 19 feet of water at high tide around midnight.
Thomas Sparling reported finding Conway’s hat around 6 o’clock in the morning on a metal pillar opposite Mr Leahy’s gate on the Strand. The hat did not show signs of being in the water, as the lining was dry, according to the District Inspector.
Dr Mulcahy, who examined the body, noted no signs of violence except for a dent on the forehead, which he believed occurred after death. He concluded that Thomas Conway likely drowned. When questioned by the foreman about the force needed for the forehead dent, Dr Mulcahy suggested it wouldn’t require much force.
The circumstances of Thomas Conway’s tragic demise cast a shadow over the community, leaving many to ponder the events leading to the untimely end of a well-to-do trader in Limerick.
Weekly Freeman’s Journal – Saturday 26 February 1910
