NORTHAMPTON, MA (FRANKLIN COUNTY NOW) — The Northwestern District Attorney’s Office, in coordination with the Northampton St. Patrick’s Association, will host a commemoration marking the 221st anniversary of the case of Dominic Daley and James Halligan, two Irish immigrants who were wrongfully executed in Northampton in 1806. The event will take place on Tuesday, March 17, at 10:30 a.m. on Hospital Hill in Northampton, near the site where Daley and Halligan were executed.

From the Northwestern District Attorney’s Office:

Commemoration to Mark 221st Anniversary of Daley and Halligan Case
NORTHAMPTON — The Northwestern District Attorney’s Office, in coordination with the Northampton St.
Patrick’s Association, will host a commemoration marking the 221st anniversary of the case of Dominic Daley
and James Halligan, two Irish immigrants who were wrongfully executed in Northampton in 1806.
The event will take place on Tuesday, March 17, at 10:30 a.m. on Hospital Hill in Northampton, near the site
where Daley and Halligan were executed.

Daley and Halligan were arrested in 1805 after the body of Marcus Lyon, a young farmer from Connecticut,
was discovered near Wilbraham. Their trial in Northampton was swift, and they were convicted and sentenced
to death.

Over time, historians and legal scholars have pointed to significant concerns about the fairness of the trial,
including limited time for the defense to prepare and testimony that was later widely questioned. Many
believe the men faced prejudice as Irish immigrants during a period when anti-Irish sentiment was common.

Daley and Halligan were executed on June 5, 1806, on what is now known as Hospital Hill. In 1984,
Massachusetts Governor Michael Dukakis issued a proclamation formally exonerating the two men,
acknowledging the injustice surrounding their convictions.

The ceremony will include remarks from Northwestern District Attorney David Sullivan, Retired Judge W.
Michael Ryan, and former Hampshire County Chief Probation Officer Bill O’Riorden, who will reflect on the
historical significance of the case and its enduring lessons about fairness, justice, and the importance of due
process.

Members of the public are welcome to attend