How do I find out if/when a prisoner was released or whether they died in Prison

[BMLay]

My ancestor Michael Kelly was sentenced with Penal Servitude for Life in 1915 for Murder and was sent to Mountjoy Prison, Dublin. I have these records. What I can't find was if he was ever released or if he died in Prison. How would I find this info?

[ShaunJ]

Is he the soldier who was originally sentenced to be hanged for the murder of Mary Anne Kelly? The Mountjoy register says that he was removed to Maryborough. The Maryborough register says that he was released on licence in 1919.

[garstonite]

Michael Kelly is a common name so we need more info
1915 - Mountjoy Prison
Michael Kelly born 1889 in Blackhall St - residence at time of sentence is 34 Bridge St - looks like he was sentenced with something to do  with Mary Kelly
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Michael Kelly sentenced 1915 Mountjoy Prison - born 1880 in Maryboro
residence at time of sentence - No fixed abode - looks like he was sentenced with something to do with Denis Day
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Michael Kelly born 1881 Kilcock ,Co Kildare - sentenced 1915 Mountjoy Prison - no other details
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I can only find one death for a Michael Kelly in Mountjoy but he was born 1896-so it looks like your Michael may not have died in Mountjoy Prison
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is your Michael Kelly one of the above born 1889 / 1880 / 1881

Shaun - educate me ...if he was sentenced to life in 1915 - would he be released on licence 4 years later ?....
we need more info off BMLay

[ShaunJ]

Here's the link to that Maryborough register page on FindMyPast. This is Michael Kelly born circa 1881 at Klicock. His release was ordered by the government, originally on condition that he join the army but then it was decided that he could not join the army and he was released anyway.

http://search.findmypast.co.uk/record/browse?id=ire%2fprisr%2frs00018282%2f4492780%2f00572

[garstonite]

He may have been released to fight "on the front " during WW1 - basically suicide missions - I will have a look on CWGC site
 
silly me - WW1 ended in 1918 

there are 12 Michael Kelly b 1881 - deaths from 1925 to 1958 ....we will see if any of these towns are relevant to BMLays research
1925 Westport
1931 Inishowen
1942 Mount Bellew
1943 Roscommon
1948 Castlebar
1950 Enniston
1950 Kilrush
1951 Thomastown
1954 Eniscorthy
1957 Enis
1957 Dublin South
1958 Dublin South

[ShaunJ]

The process of releasing him to join the army started in early November 1918, just before the Armistice, and his release was ordered in January 1919. Then it was decided that "he cannot be accepted for the army" and he was released by Government decision of 25 February 1919.

Unfortunately the page image is cut off before the final column so we cannot see what is written there.

He was back in prison in Cork in December 1919 for stealing a quantity of old iron.

[BMLay]

Michael Kelly is the one born 1881, Kilcock.

He actually joined the forces in 1899 and was posted to South Africa, he was wounded in the same year. I think I read he was gassed.
 He was transferred to the reserves and then called back to active service for WW1.

He committed to Mountjoy in 1913, attempted suicide.
Sent to France in 1914, then murdered his wife while on leave in 1915 as he believed she had been unfaithful.
I would suspect that he is probably not of sound mind so it surprises me they let him go to fight again but then not so surprised they found him unfit for duty

[ShaunJ]

I'm not so sure about him being wounded in the Boer War. The military history sheet in his army file does not mention any wounds. The army file contains some correspondence about a Pte Patrick O'Rourke who claimed to have had the same army number, and it seems that O'Rourke was wounded at the battle of Colenso in 1899.

Michael Kelly's military history sheet does confirm that he fought in South Africa from 1900 to 1902.