An escaped Irish prisoner was caught in the loft of the Camp Hill Governor’s residence – Holly Grange Mansion – on 17th March 1955.
23-year-old Patrick Joesph Callaghan, from Dublin, was said to have escaped the prison for a wager that he would be free on St Patrick’s Day.
Callaghan was caught when the governor, Commander S.W. Lushington, had noticed signs of disturbance in his residence.
A police dog named Quaker had led the search party to the loft where Callaghan was found. He had been hiding under the roof for 2 days.
Callaghan had been sentenced to 4 years imprisonment for office breaking and larceny.
Holly Grange Mansion was originally built in 1820 for residential and farm use before becoming the home of the Governors of Camp Hill Prison. It was last used as a training centre for the staff at the (now closed) Camp Hill Prison but now stands sadly derelict.
Another excellent story.
Happy St Patrick’s day
The luck of the Irish run out that day,but great story