Farmer Padraig Nally laid to rest in Cross

A Mayo farmer who was acquitted of the killing of an intruder at his home was laid to rest yesterday.

Padraig Nally, aged 81, of Funshona, Cross in South Mayo died after a long illness.

His funeral mass took place at the Church of the Sacred Heart in his native Cross on Monday with burial in Cross East Cemetery.

Mr Nally shot John ‘Frog’ Ward on his Mayo farm in 2004. In November 2005, he was sentenced to six years’ imprisonment for the manslaughter of Ward, a Traveller and father of 11 who had been trespassing on his farm near Lough Corrib on the Mayo-Galway border.

However, his conviction was quashed in October 2006 and, in a retrial two months later, he was found not guilty of manslaughter.

“I think of what happened all the time. It is always on my mind,” Mr Nally told the Western People following his acquittal. He said he regularly prayed for the man he shot.

Ward was a 43-year-old Traveller with approximately 80 convictions for burglary, larceny and assault.

The case divided the nation. Mr Nally always maintained he shot Mr Ward in order to protect his home.

During the first trial, Mr Nally said he had sleepless nights after a number of farms in his locality were burgled. His own home had previously been targeted in 2003.

The jury was told the Cong man was “at the end of his tether, agitated and fearful, even paranoid about his safety”.

Following his release from prison, Mr Nally returned to farming and was a regular at marts in South Mayo and North Galway. He was well-liked and regarded as a very good neighbour. 

“It was a big shock and a big relief knowing I was getting my freedom back,” the farmer told the Western People upon his release.

He received thousands of messages of support during his time in prison. A quiet, private man, he was uncomfortable with the publicity the case attracted.

“I don’t describe myself as a hero even though that’s how I might be seen,” Mr Nally told the Western People.

“It was a tragic event in my life. I think about it every day. My mind takes me through the events as they unfolded. It’s like a picture in my mind all the time. I think about John Ward often and say a prayer for him,” he added.

Mr Nally is deeply regretted by his sister Maureen, relatives, neighbours and a large circle of friends.