Historic Northampton


Daley and Halligan 1806-2006

Daley & Halligan Bicentennial Schedule of Events & Community Read Calendar

March 17, 2006  Professor Michael White, author of The Garden of Martyrs   Keynote Speaker to kick-off "On the Same Page" Community Read Program: 

  • Northampton St. Patrick's Association Breakfast @ 7:30 @ Clarion Hotel, Rte 5, Northampton.    For tickets contact Chamber @  413-584-1900

  • Memorial Ceremony with Reading of Exoneration Proclamation and Laying of Wreath  @ 10:30 @ Daley & Halligan Monument Site, West Street, Northampton

  • Greater Easthampton Chamber of Commerce Luncheon @ 12:00 noon @ Clarion Hotel,  Rte. 5, Northampton.    For tickets contact  Chamber @ 413-527- 9414

March 19, 2006   Holyoke St. Patrick's Parade Daley & Halligan Bicentennial  Float    Presented by the Northampton St. Patrick's Association.

March 31, 2006    Waking Daley & Halligan.  A night to honor Daley and Halligan with readings, Irish storytelling, along with a traditional Irish seisiun   @  The Harp Restaurant, Sunderland Road, North Amherst  @ 8:00 p.m.  Sponsored by The Harp

April 2, 2006  Daley & Halligan Dramatic Reading  @ 2:00 p.m. at Smith College, Wright Hall, Northampton.  Reading and reception, with traditional Irish seisiun.  Sponsored by Smith College. Tickets available with State Street Fruit/Cooper's Corner, Smith College or Evelyn McCoy (413) 586-6564

April 9, 2006  Daley & Halligan Dramatic Reading @ 2:00 p.m. at the Worcester Hibernian Cultural Center, 19 Temple Street, Worcester. Co-sponsored with the Elms College Social Justice Theatre.   Followed by traditional Irish seisiun. Sponsored by the Hibernian Cultural Center and Elms College   Tickets available with Evelyn McCoy (413) 586-6564  or Rosemary Foley  (508) 853-2452

April 10, 2006   Death Penalty in Hampshire County: Daley & Halligan to the Present Federal Courts   First Churches, Main Street, Northampton @ 7:00 p.m.  Panel discussion with  Honorable W. Michael Ryan, William Newman, Esq. and David Hoose, Esq. Co-sponsored with the Northampton Human Rights Committee, Greensboro Justice Fund, Mass. Citizens Against the Death Penalty

April 23, 2006   Professor  Michael White  Book Readings & Discussion

  • Easthampton :   Williston Northampton School,  Dodge Room, Reed Camus Center  @  6:30 p.m.

  • Amherst: Munson Library-South Amherst   @  2:00 p.m.                 

May 1, 2006 Law Day  Daley & Halligan: Teaching Tolerance-Lessons from the Past   An educational program focusing on our justice system and contemporary issues raised by the Daley & Halligan case. Speakers include U.S. District Court Judge Michael A. Ponsor, Honorable W. Michael Ryan, and Rev. Dr. Andrea Avayzian.  Old Hampshire Courthouse, Gothic & Main Streets, Northampton  @  9 a.m.-12:00 noon. Co-sponsored with the Hampshire County Bar Association. Remarks by Chief Justice Charles R. Johnson

June 2, 2006  Daley & Halligan Family Picnic   @  5:00 p.m.  Sponsored by Hampshire Sheriff Robert Garvey and Hampshire Register of Probate David Sullivan  @  Hadley Young Men's Club, East Street, Hadley  Tickets: $15  Children Free

June 4, 2006,   200th Anniversary  Mass   @ 3:00 p.m. @ St. Mary's Catholic Church, 3 Elm Street, Northampton                      

Daley & Halligan Tribute Reception  @  4:30 @ Historic Northampton

46 Bridge Street, Northampton   Tickets available at State Street Fruit/Cooper's Corner or through Bicentennial Committee members Tickets: $25

June 5, 2006   Inter-Faith Service to For Justice and Reconciliation   @ 5:30 at  First Churches of Northampton, 129 Main Street, Northampton, followed by Parade to Memorial Site, West  Street.  Co-Sponsors: Churches and Synagogues of Pioneer Valley, Daley & Halligan Bicentennial Committee, Northampton Human Rights Commission

September 23, 2006  Western Massachusetts CeltFest, Pines Theatre, Look Park, Northampton 12 noon -8:00p.m.  This Celtic Music Festival  promises to attract the premier Celtic musicians and bands from around New England.  All proceeds to benefit the Daley & Halligan Memorial Fund.

More Community Read and Bicentennial Events

April 19th @ Noon-4:00  Celebrate Irish Culture with Irish Folktales, Crafts, Music and Stepdancing   Children's program    Forbes Library, Northampton  

March 21 @ 10:30  Irish  Children Tales    Storyteller Diana Norman will shre stories from Ireland along with crafts and snack   Emily Williston Memorial Library 

March 28 @ 6:30  The Flavors of Ireland- Cooking Class and Dinner  Chef Jennifer Winick, For The Health of It,  @ 111 Pleasant St, Southampton  A delicious cooking class celebrating Irish culinary heritage.  Explore traditional ingredients from land and sea as you prepare delicious dishes such as: Roasted Potato-Dulse Soup, Beef & Vegetable Stew with Guinness, Irish Soda bread, Spring greens Salad with cider Dressing, and Kerry Apple Cake

April 3 @ 6:30   Speaker Judith Kappenman, SSJ   Learn about The Elms College Irish Cultural Center @ Easthampton Council on Aging, 19 Union Street, Easthampton. The Elms ICC offers an incredible array of cultural and educational programs, including trips. Learn more about their offerings with a slide show presentation from their Executive Director, Sister Judy.

April 20 @ 3:00 Traditional Irish Gaelic Children's Songs with Caera Aislingeach

@ Emily Williston Memorial Library    Easy traditional Irish Gaelic children's songs can be taught to adults as well as children. Some songs involve extra fun, such as accompanying movements or nonsense words in the chorus.

April 20 @ 6:30  Celtic Concert by Caera Aislingeach  @  Emily Williston Memorial Library     Caera plays a clairseach, a brass-strung harp modeled after historical harps of Ireland from the Middle Ages, and sings all three Gaelic languages as well as other languages.  Caera performs a variety of songs from different time periods and places. She has collected such comments from her audiences as "Now I know the Angels sing in Gaelic"

Northampton Book Discussions

Robertos  Date: Thurs. April  6  @ 7:00 p.m. Bill O'Riorda. Pizza and Refreshments: Sponsored by Roberto's and Sylvester's Restaurants

Forbes Library -Lisa Downing:Date:     Wednesday, March 29 @ 7:00 p.m. Lisa Downing and Blaise Bisaillon. Refreshments: Sponsored by Friends of Forbes Library

Florence Civic Center  Date:      Friday, April  21 @ 7:00 p.m. Honorable W. Michael Ryan, Chris Kennedy. Refreshments: Sponsored by Czelusniak Funeral Home

Lathrop Communities     Date:      Friday,  April 28  @ 2:00 p.m. Bridge Street, Northampton. Frank Heston and David Sullivan. Refreshments: Sponsored by Register David Sullivan

Northampton Council on Aging Date:       Tuesday, April 11 @  1:00 p.m.. Linda Desmond & Kay Sheehan. Refreshments: Sponsored by Linda Desmond

Easthampton Discussion locations

Emily Williston Library  Date: April 13 @ 6:00 p.m. 9 Park Street. Becky Plimpton-Marconi. Refreshments: Sponsored by Kevin's Vintage Electronics-eBay Sellers

Immaculate Conception Hall  Date: April 4   @ 7:00 p.m. 33 Adams Street. Maureen Sheehan.  Refreshments:  Sponsored by Greater Easthampton St. Patrick's Association

Amy's Place   Date:  April 25 @ 7:00 p.m. Cottage Street Lynn Eaton, Hon. Michael Ryan. Free Appetizers: Sponsored by Emily's Friends of the Library

Williston-Northampton School   Date:  April 23    @ 6:30 with Professor Reed Camus Center. Michael White Book Reading and Discussion. Dodge Room

Lathrop Community    Date: April 21 @ 2:00 p.m. Bassett Brook Drive. Emily Williston Librarian and David Sullivan. Refreshments: Sponsored by Lathrop Community

Amherst  Book Discussions

Jones Library        Date: April 27   @   7:00 p.m U.S. District Court Judge Michael A. Ponsor. Refreshments: Sponsored by Friends of Jones Library

Newman Center            Date:April  18 @ 7:30 N. Pleasant St. Father Doug McGonagle. Refreshments: Sponsored by Bresnahan Insurance

The Harp  Date: March 31  @  8:00 p.m.  Waking Daley & Halligan    Sunderland Road, North Amherst Mark Power, Representative Ellen Story  and special guests

South Hadley Discussions

South Hadley Public Library      Date: Monday April 24@  6:30- 8:00 Margaret Howe-Soper

Odyssey Book Store Fiction Club   Date:   Monday  March 20  @ 7:00 p.m. Joan Grenier

Williamsburg Discussion

Meekins Library Discussion      Date:  Wed  March  29  @ 7 p.m. Bill O'Riordan and James Cahillane Refreshments: Sponsored by Meekins Library

Southampton Discussion

Edwards Public Library  Date: Tuesday, April 18 @ 6:00  p.m. Sara Woodbury and Brigid O'Riordan. Refreshments: Sponsored by

Contact Persons

Historic Dates to Daley & Halligan Tragedy

On June 3, 1806 The Hampshire Federalist, a Springfield  newspaper, published an article, prior to the execution, reporting that "on Thursday last about a half mile West of the place where the unfortunate Marcus Lyon was murdered, his pocket book was found containing several promissory notes of hand to him, some for small sums, dated at Cazenovia, others dated Connecticut. The book was discovered in some bushes in a field near the road"

This Hampshire Federalist article was only recently unearthed from historical research, completely undermining the Commonwealth's theory of the case, that being the robbery by Daley and Halligan of Marcus Lyon's person. Despite this highly exculpatory evidence being public knowledge the two young men were sent to the gallows, their requests for pardons having been summararily denied.

On June 4, 1806 Prior to Daley and Halligan's exection, Father Jean Cheverus traveled from Boston to comfort the two young men in their final days. Father Cheverus celebrated the first Catholic Mass in Northampton history. This liturgy was shared with Daley and Halligan in their jail cell the night before their execution.

On June 5, 1806 at 3:00 p.m. Dominic Daley and James Halligan were executed in Northampton, Massachusetts before a crowd of spectators estimated to be almost 15,000 persons.