The curious case of the Stradbally Postman

Pocoyo

https://www.google.ie/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=1&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0CCEQFjAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.independent.ie%2Firish-news%2Fthe-missing-postman-26713401.html&ei=mYZbVb7cLsinsAHvtICwCw&usg=AFQjCNEzJrf0VuhW1hhbx1yDWnRZesIB5Q&bvm=bv.93564037,d.bGg


A dark chapter in Stradbally’s history re-entered public discourse this week following the release of secret Garda files which formed part of the investigation into the disappearance of postman Laurence Griffin.

Mr Griffin, who had served as the area’s postman for a decade” set off on his round from Kilmacthomas Post Office on Christmas Day

Little did he know, as he set off on that raw Christmas morning, that he was never to see his home” wife and three children again.

Its all very wickerman and would in its own right make a great movie,A murder that involved Garda collusion,the silence of a whole village and a body that was never found. The idea that this happened in Ireland even back then shocks and intrigues me.

The most disturbing thing about the case is someone in the public sector working Christmas Day.

Arsemageddon

Pocoyo wrote: »

A dark chapter in Stradbally’s history...

Surely that should read 'the only chapter in Stradbally's history...'

Eugene Norman

[Deleted User] wrote: »

The most disturbing thing about the case is someone in the public sector working Christmas Day.

It was 1929.

Pocoyo

Arsemageddon wrote: »

Surely that should read 'the only chapter in Stradbally's history...'

http://www.stradbally.com/

dirtyden

Deleted User wrote: »

The most disturbing thing about the case is someone in the public sector working Christmas Day.

You do realise that a higher percentage of public sector workers will more likely work that day than the private sector?

Eugene Norman

Pocoyo wrote: »

https://www.google.ie/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=1&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0CCEQFjAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.independent.ie%2Firish-news%2Fthe-missing-postman-26713401.html&ei=mYZbVb7cLsinsAHvtICwCw&usg=AFQjCNEzJrf0VuhW1hhbx1yDWnRZesIB5Q&bvm=bv.93564037,d.bGg


A dark chapter in Stradbally’s history re-entered public discourse this week following the release of secret Garda files which formed part of the investigation into the disappearance of postman Laurence Griffin.

Mr Griffin, who had served as the area’s postman for a decade” set off on his round from Kilmacthomas Post Office on Christmas Day

Little did he know, as he set off on that raw Christmas morning, that he was never to see his home” wife and three children again.

Its all very wickerman and would in its own right make a great movie,A murder that involved Garda collusion,the silence of a whole village and a body that was never found. The idea that this happened in Ireland even back then shocks and intrigues me.

Excellent link. A real live murder on the orient express. Fairly impressed by the higher up gardai, they went after their own.

Yellowblackbird

I think that the pugilist did it.
The liverpool divers might have been at the back of it all though.

Aongus Von Bismarck

[Deleted User] wrote: »

The most disturbing thing about the case is someone in the public sector working Christmas Day.

The postman traditionally worked on both Christmas and Stephen's Day. This was before there was the telephone.

Boxing Day in the UK is so called because it was the day when households would leave a box outside the door for the postman. It would contain a present or some money for his service all year.

There you go now.

Pocoyo

Yellowblackbird wrote: »

I think that the pugilist did it.
The liverpool divers might have been at the back of it all though.

'The even more curious case of the Liverpool divers'

Lousy freeloaders!!
http://www.ringofgullion.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/Irish-men-in-Forkill.jpg

Eugene Norman

Eugene Norman wrote: »

Excellent link. A real live murder on the orient express. Fairly impressed by the higher up gardai, they went after their own.

They had a dubious success around the same time here in Kerry, catching murderer/necrophile David O'Shea after a Garda hid under his bed and heard him allegedly discussing the crime with his sister...

http://www.irishexaminer.com/lifestyle/features/when-the-state-regularly-made-a-killing-248470.html

Pocoyo

Deleted User wrote: »

They had a dubious success around the same time here in Kerry, catching murderer/necrophile David O'Shea after a Garda hid under his bed and heard him allegedly discussing the crime with his sister...

http://www.irishexaminer.com/lifestyle/features/when-the-state-regularly-made-a-killing-248470.html

'The curious case of the garda that hid under the bed' I know it well.

jungleman

What a weird story. Stradbally in the 1920's = Royston Vasey.

Pocoyo

Pocoyo wrote: »

'The curious case of the garda that hid under the bed' I know it well.

Afaik even the trial judge was sceptical about that evidence.

Ruu

Who would play the part of the postman?

Banjo String

My family own a second home in stradbally, it has one of the most tragically beautiful ghost estates in Ireland.

A small estate of (roughly) a dozen houses, each with Thatched roofs, every house unique in its own way, marble floors, stunning oak staircases etc, and all lying vacant.

It might be viewable from google maps, but it's really, really sad to look at.


Edit, Stradbally More

http://goo.gl/maps/gEqvo try that link.

Eugene Norman

Aongus Von Bismarck wrote: »

The postman traditionally worked on both Christmas and Stephen's Day. This was before there was the telephone.

Boxing Day in the UK is so called because it was the day when households would leave a box outside the door for the postman. It would contain a present or some money for his service all year.

There you go now.

There are so many stories about Boxing Day. I go with the servants getting the day off day.

harry Bailey esq

Ruu wrote: »

Who would play the part of the postman?

Wesley Snipes.

Yellowblackbird

Yellowblackbird wrote: »

I think that the pugilist did it.
The liverpool divers might have been at the back of it all though.

Pocoyo wrote: »

'The even more curious case of the Liverpool divers'

Lousy freeloaders!!
http://www.ringofgullion.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/Irish-men-in-Forkill.jpg

Curiouser and curiouser

http://www.thetimes.co.uk/tto/multimedia/archive/00360/116434602_football_360188c.jpg

raze_them_all_

Deleted User wrote: »

The most disturbing thing about the case is someone in the public sector working Christmas Day.

My father has had it off 3 times in ten years....but hey lets not bring fact into ps hate

Aongus Von Bismarck

Eugene Norman wrote: »

There are so many stories about Boxing Day. I go with the servants getting the day off day.

There are.

As an aside, this story about the Stradbally postman is often seen as being an influence on Flann O'Brien when he was writing The Third Policeman. I'd suggest it was more to do with porter than it was this story, but the academics tend to disagree.

Pocoyo

raze_them_all_ wrote: »

My father has had it off 3 times in ten years....but hey lets not bring fact into ps hate

No one cares about your father,This thread is about 'The curious case of the Stradbally postman' but 'The curious case of the garda that hid under the bed' would also be acceptable to discuss. So either talk about the 'The curious case of the Stradbally postman' or 'The curious case of the garda that hid under the bed' or dont talk at all.

raze_them_all_

raze_them_all_ wrote: »

My father has had it off 3 times in ten years...

My father never spoke of his sex life.

LDN_Irish

Pocoyo wrote: »

No one cares about your father,This thread is about 'The curious case of the Stradbally postman' but 'The curious case of the garda that hid under the bed' would also be acceptable to discuss. So either talk about the 'The curious case of the Stradbally postman' or 'The curious case of the garda that hid under the bed' or dont talk at all.

"The unusual case of the public sector worker who's only had 3 Christmas days off in 10 years but everyone still hates anyway because pensions and job security" is a great tale, you're missing out. Hoor of a title though.

Pocoyo

Deleted User wrote: »

My father never spoke of his sex life.

That actually was funny.

byhookorbycrook

Banjo String wrote: »

My family own a second home in stradbally, it has one of the most tragically beautiful ghost estates in Ireland.

A small estate of (roughly) a dozen houses, each with Thatched roofs, every house unique in its own way, marble floors, stunning oak staircases etc, and all lying vacant.

It might be viewable from google maps, but it's really, really sad to look at.


Edit, Stradbally More

http://goo.gl/maps/gEqvo try that link.

Not remotely in keeping with the rest of the village, they are like hobbit houses with eye-brow thatch. They are also in a bad location.
Cove Cottage on Nunnery Lane is what thatched houses local to the area look like.
http://www.buildingsofireland.ie/niah/search.jsp?type=record&county=WA&regno=22811009

ETA link showing what houses look like (Daily Mail- sorry) http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2004295/Quaint-700k-thatched-cottages-sit-afford-them.html#ixzz1PSQbdSge

byhookorbycrook

At one stage, early in the case of Larry Griffin, the entire village was threatened with excommunication (a huge deal at th time)yet no-one ever came forward. The disappearance isn't really talked about still.

Pocoyo

byhookorbycrook wrote: »

Not remotely in keeping with the rest of the village, they are like hobbit houses with eye-brow thatch. They are also in a bad location.
Cove Cottage on Nunnery Lane is what thatched houses local to the area look like.
http://www.buildingsofireland.ie/niah/search.jsp?type=record&county=WA&regno=22811009

'The curious case of the hobbit like houses with eye-brow thatch. That were built in a bad location thus destroying their chances of being sold and resulting in the loss of financial reward for the properties developers.'

This Stradbally is an investigators dream,I think i may move there and write a book.

byhookorbycrook

Pocoyo wrote: »

'The curious case of the hobbit like houses with eye-brow thatch. That were built in a bad location thus destroying their chances of being sold and resulting in the loss of financial reward for the properties developers.'

This Stradbally is an investigators dream,I think i may move there and write a book.

Beaten to it:
http://www.mercierpress.ie/irish-books/the_missing_postman/

Taghg Ó Dubhshláine , lecturer in Maynooth also did a lot if investigation on this topic.

JONJO THE MISER

jungleman wrote: »

What a weird story. Stradbally in the 1920's = Royston Vasey.

Are you local?

byhookorbycrook

This case has been discussed on boards before.
http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?p=84421277

Pocoyo

byhookorbycrook wrote: »

Beaten to it:
http://www.mercierpress.ie/irish-books/the_missing_postman/

Taghg Ó Dubhshláine , lecturer in Maynooth also did a lot if investigation on this topic.

My book is going to be based on the famous hobbit like houses actually!!,The guy that told me about this story today is going to give me the book,Im looking forward to it,If you had of asked me before today where stradbally was i would of said Laois!!

byhookorbycrook

It's a lovely village, like many of those built near estates (as in "Big Houses") Apparently my great-grandfather bought a line of houses in the village and lost them in a card game. This is the same guy who caught a mermaid off Ballyvooney.*Hic*

While you are down there talk to this guy and see if he will finance you.
http://www.irishtimes.com/life-and-style/homes-and-property/the-billionaire-who-fell-in-love-with-ireland-1.1939916
Techically, the estate owned the beach (cove) and the former owner used to close the gate on a few days each year to prevent the establishment of a right of way. In later years , a new owner put a gate on the lane to the cove and padlocked it. After the 3rd time the gate was found in the river Tay,he gave up.

Tigger

Pocoyo wrote: »

My book is going to be based on the famous hobbit like houses actually!!,The guy that told me about this story today is going to give me the book,Im looking forward to it,If you had of asked me before today where stradbally was i would of said Laois!!

it is in laois
and waterford

There's one in Kerry too, and afaik in Galway.

ziedth

My grandfather actually was from the area and later bacame the postman on the same route. He knew exactly what happened but till the day he died if somebody brought it up he'd make his excuses and leave the room. i'd say if you offered him one million euro he wouldn't have rolled on those involved.

It really is a great read to get all the info if only to see the comedy of errors when they were trying to gain a conviction.

Arsemageddon

Here's a half hour long documentary in Irish about the case...

byhookorbycrook

ziedth wrote: »

My grandfather actually was from the area and later bacame the postman on the same route. He knew exactly what happened but till the day he died if somebody brought it up he'd make his excuses and leave the room. i'd say if you offered him one million euro he wouldn't have rolled on those involved.

It really is a great read to get all the info if only to see the comedy of errors when they were trying to gain a conviction.

Many people in the village did, it seems. The Irish documentary was done by Tadhg Ó Dubhshláine.

renegademaster

byhookorbycrook wrote: »

At one stage, early in the case of Larry Griffin, the entire village was threatened with excommunication (a huge deal at th time)yet no-one ever came forward. The disappearance isn't really talked about still.

EXCOMMUNICATION!

OH NO, NOT EXCOMMUNICATION!

DUN DUN DUUUUUUUUNNNNNNN

ARRRRGGGHHHHH

kylith

ziedth wrote: »

My grandfather actually was from the area and later bacame the postman on the same route. He knew exactly what happened but till the day he died if somebody brought it up he'd make his excuses and leave the room. i'd say if you offered him one million euro he wouldn't have rolled on those involved.

It really is a great read to get all the info if only to see the comedy of errors when they were trying to gain a conviction.

Jesus, what are death beds for if not spilling the beans on stuff like this?

Unpossible

kylith wrote: »

Jesus, what are death beds for if not spilling the beans on stuff like this?

The curious case of the missing deathbed confessions

Pocoyo

Banjo String wrote: »

My family own a second home in stradbally, it has one of the most tragically beautiful ghost estates in Ireland.

A small estate of (roughly) a dozen houses, each with Thatched roofs, every house unique in its own way, marble floors, stunning oak staircases etc, and all lying vacant.

It might be viewable from google maps, but it's really, really sad to look at.


Edit, Stradbally More

http://goo.gl/maps/gEqvo try that link.

https://youtu.be/ReCQjW8-6_Y

Here it is.