Looking through an old Connaught Telegraph (Nov 1892), I came across a story about a rabid dog in the town. At noon, the Police Barracks got word that a large terrier the property of Patrick Quinn was suffering from rabies and was attacking other dogs in the town. So a Sergeant O’Callaghan & two Constables Malauiffy and Daughton, armed themselves with loaded rifles and headed for Main Street. One shot the dog but he managed to scramble to his feet and rush down Castle Street. He fell again after been hit outside Thorntons premises but survived and headed across the Mall where he made his way into the Courthouse. There was screaming and pandemonium but they managed to get him outside where he headed towards Ellison Street. At this stage he was dripping large amounts of blood and was been chased by the policemen. During the chase, because numerous shots rang out, a large number of townsfolk converged onto the street making it very difficult for the police to hit the animal (never mind the crazed dog had rabies). At one stage, a child ran in front of a raised rifle and was nearly shot and the dog then turned back and snapped at the muzzle of the policeman’s rifle.
He was finally killed at the corner of Shamble Street but not by gunfire. Workers engaged in Heverin’s buildings (Irish House) threw a shower of stones which finally killed him.
The police had to destroy a no of other bitten dogs and an order went out for all dogs to be tied up and checked in the morning for any sickness.
This incident was described in a headline by the Connaught as an “Exciting Chase after a Mad Dog”.