Irish highwayman James McLaine.British Museum
On October 3, 1750, one of the most famous Irish highwaymen of all time was executed at Tyburn outside London in front of a crowd of thousands. In this ten-minute podcast, the first in the series “This Week in Irish History, from the Irish History Podcast, you will hear the story of the fascinating life of James McLaine.
Even though his crime spree only lasted two short years James MacLaine was famous as a gentleman highwayman in his own lifetime. Born in County Monaghan, in 1724, his life was at times stranger than fiction.
Indeed, it should come as no surprise that he and his partner in crime, fellow Irishman, William Plunkett have inspired numerous movies and books. The most recent was the 1999 Hollywood blockbuster “Plunkett & McCleane” starring Robert Carlisle, Jonny Lee Miller, and Liv Tyler. While the movie changes much about his life, not least his nationality and the spelling…
