Killing of Lizzie O'Neill

The shooting of Lizzie O'Neill, (also known by the alias Honour Bright) happened in Ticknock in June 1925. Before her death: Lizzie O'Neill had lived in the Liberties area of Dublin and worked as a prostitute near St Stephen's Green. She had worked in Pyms, a clothing shop, but lost her job when she became a single mother. Frank Duff had visited a house she was staying in while doing charitable work for the Legion of Mary. Witness statements: One of Lizzies' fellow prostitutes had said that a man had paid her and told her that he had been robbed of eleven pounds and a silver cigarette case earlier that evening. He was angry, said he was armed and asked her help in finding this woman. He asked the womans' help in finding the thief and indicated that a man in a nearby car was a friend who was a superintendent in the Garda Síochána and would round up prostitutes if the thief wasn't found. Another prostitute saw Lizzie and another prostitute with two men in a grey sports car outside the Shelbourne Hotel. The last sighting of Lizzie that evening was of her getting into a car with two men at Leonards' Corner on the South Circular Road. She was found dead the next morning from a gunshot wound. The car was traced to a Doctor Patrick Purcell of Blessington and he admitted being in Dublin city the evening in question with Garda Superintendent Leo Dillon. Trial: The trial began on 30 January 1926. There was great interest in it in part due to the status of the accused. The defence argued that two witnesses, a taxi driver and Garda constable were lying. The jury acquitted the accused on the grounds that there was sufficient doubt. Doctor Purcell emigrated to England due to difficulties with people in Blessington after the acquittal.