In the Autumn of 1819, the body of a 15-year old girl was found floating along the estuary of the River Shannon. Through a police investigation, it was discovered that her death was orchestrated by her recently eloped husband John Scanlan, who was a few years her senior. Ellen Hanley was orphaned at an early age and was being raised by her uncle John Connery. She was known by the nickname “Collen Brawn,” because of her innocence and beauty. This attracted the eye of Scanlan, who convinced the lower dispositioned maiden to…
