President Higgins expressed hope that the pardons would “lift the shadow” from those still affected by the men’s unjust fate.

Poff and Barrett, cousins, were sentenced to death for the 1882 murder of Thomas Browne in County Kerry and were executed at Tralee Gaol in January 1883. However, a recent expert report concluded that their convictions were unsafe, leading Justice Minister Helen McEntee to secure government support to recommend them for pardons, which the President signed on Wednesday at Áras an Uachtaráin.


In his remarks, President Higgins acknowledged the inability to undo the past but emphasized the importance of recognizing the injustice, stating, “I am pleased to grant a Presidential Pardon to each of these men today, to at least set the record straight.” He expressed hope that the pardons would bring closure to the families of Poff and Barrett, who were 38 and 24 at the time of their deaths.

Descendants of the men attended the ceremony, along with Minister for Social Protection Heather Humphreys and members of the Castleisland District Heritage Group, who played a key role in advocating for the case. Tomo Burke, Poff’s great-grandson, shared the family’s relief, saying, “We thought we would be dead and buried before this would happen, but today has arrived, and we’re over the moon.”

In the turbulent Ireland of the 1880s, agitation for land reform often led to violent incidents, including the murders of Chief Secretary Lord Frederick Cavendish and his under-secretary Thomas Henry Burke in Phoenix Park in May 1882. In response, coercive laws were introduced that July to combat crimes like treason and murder. The area around Castleisland, County Kerry, was particularly affected by this unrest.

Thomas Browne was killed on October 3, 1882, while working in his field near Scartaglin, County Kerry. Witnesses described seeing two men in dark coats, who shot him multiple times, though Poff and Barrett did not match the assailants’ descriptions. The men were arrested based on a neighbour’s account, which later changed, and they were ultimately convicted by special juries in Cork after a first trial failed to reach a verdict.

Dr. Niamh Howlin, a 19th-century trial law expert at University College Dublin, conducted an independent review, finding the convictions unsound due to factors such as a biased jury, contradictory witness testimony, lack of motive, and overlooked lines of inquiry. The report highlighted the lack of direct evidence against Poff and Barrett, whose convictions rested solely on one witness’s circumstantial and conflicting testimony.