300 years ago eight Irish women were convicted of possessing a teenage girl. A reappraisal of Europe's last witch trial has given rise to a reinvestigation. In his book Witchcraft and Magic in Ireland 1586-1946, history lecturer Dr. Andrew Sneddon insists the accuser, 18 year old Mary Dunbar imagined her bewitchment.
Pretending to have symptoms similar to a demonic possession allowed Mary to move freely in her village attacking others, misbehaving while freed of existing burdens of social restraint.
Beautiful, educated and from a respectable family she acused Presbyterian women who failed the criteria of beauty and femininity - some were disabled or swore, drank alcohol and all were poor. The trial furthered political machinations between the Whigs and Tories.
This all sounds eerily familiar ... doesn't it?
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