Freney the Robber

Freney, The Robber, was something of an Irish Robin Hood and in this new book, Michael Holden has sifted through the evidence, the legend and the heroic tales to bring to life one of Kilkenny's most interesting folk heroes. His name has lived on in folklore over the centuries and the highest mark of Kilkenny's esteem has often been the plaudit, 'As bold as Freney the Robber'.He was Kilkenny's most famous highwayman and is often referred to as the noblest of all Irish highwaymen owing to his tact and polished politeness in dealing with the many victims that he accosted on the roads of Ireland. His striking at the very heart of Ireland's oppressors, plundering their secure and guarded homes wielding a sledgehammer, and sharing his spoils with the poor, catapulted him into the limelight as a local hero. He risked life and limb in order to frustrate and defy the dreaded Redcoats at eviction scenes as they administered rough justice to the downtrodden locals.
This Jekyll and Hyde-style character's escapades included escaping detection by exchanging places with a corpse, disarming and robbing a commanding officer in the presence of his troops and reversing the shoes on his horse in order to confuse his pursuers.