Maggie Murphy’s Lane

I want to tell you a story of a place I grew up around in the late 1980’s and early 1990’s. Not exactly near our house but definitely near Granny Jeans house.  This place was called Maggie Murphy’s Lane.

The lane has changed its looks over many years and even today its part of a place called Kilfennan Park.  To me it’s still Maggie Murphy’s Lane.

The short cut from Ross Downey road to Nelson Drive was steep downhill tarmac footpath. The trees down the lane over-arched the foot path from each side with only one orange bulb lit street lamp half way down the lane.

For many, many, many years people have believed that an old woman by the name of Maggie Murphy lives down the lane and likes to hang people from the tress above the lane. However some people believe that a spirit haunts the lane and will chase anyone passing down her lane.

A young Maggie Murphy lived in the early 1880’s Maggie was the daughter of a successful land owner and farmer. Maggie’s father kept a dairy farm. The Doherty family owned land next to the Murphy’s and they farmed pigs for meat. Maggie ran about with a son from the Doherty farm called Conor. They were from different backgrounds at the time which made their love forbidden.

Maggie and Conor would sometimes meet at the lane which separated the two family farms. Sometimes daily, sometimes at the end of the week after the farmers market.
At seventeen Maggie fell pregnant. Her father found out about of her love for Conor and was filled with anger. Maggie’s father was an old fashioned man and set in his ways.

Conor asked Mr Murphy for Maggie’s hand in marriage. Maggie over heard the conversation and grabbed a small case of clothes knowing how her father would react. With the case in her hand she had to flee in fear.

Mr Murphy raged in anger and chased Conor with his hunting gun.
Maggie Murphy and Conor Doherty met at the top of the lane where the two farms met; they grabbed hands and ran for their lives.

As Maggie and Conor ran down the lane they got to the bend and a gun shot was heard. Conor Doherty turned to see Maggie fall face down on the ground with a dark, crimson, life blood stain, soaking her brown linen drape.

Realising he had killed his daughter Mr Murphy shot himself through the head and died instantly.

Conor Doherty was hunted down by locals and captured that very same evening.

Conor stood charged with Maggie and Mr Murphy’s deaths and hanged in the same old oaks above the lane to this day.

Local people believe that Maggie and her Father are protective of the lane while Conor hangs in the trees above “Maggie Murphy’s Lane”.