WEEKEND BIG READ: Surviving Ireland's death row

Peter Pringle was condemned to death for the murder of two gardaí, but was freed on appeal. In his book he claimed a miscarriage of justice. Not everyone agrees, writes Michael Clifford

TOM Connolly was getting through his Christmas reading with a growing sense of unease. His book of choice was entitled, About Time, Surviving Ireland’s Death Row, a first person account by Peter Pringle, who had been condemned to death for the murder of two gardaí in 1980.

Pringle’s case had become something of a cause célèbre before his release on appeal 15 years after his conviction. Campaigners on his behalf bracketed him with the Guildford Four, the Birmingham Six, and Nicky Kelly. In 1995, the appeal court set aside the original verdict, and the State chose not to prosecute him again.