On 31 May 1701, the former Jacobite functionary, and notorious cheat, Patrick Hurly of Moughna, Co. Clare, was convicted of perjury for swearing a false affidavit in respect of a ' sham robbery' of gold and jewellery worth £ 1,300. This study, based on the printed trial transcript, an extensive archive created by Sir Donat O' Brien as he worked to ward off Hurly' s attempted prosecution, and the state papers, rehearses the complex evidence produced in the trial, the legal manoeuvres undertaken by both sides, and the local rivalry that underpinned the case.