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.