IN THE spring of 1766, Dublin found itself captivated by one of the most sensational criminal cases of the 18th century. Four sailors, Peter McKinley, an Irish boatswain; George Gidley, a Yorkshire-born cook; Richard St Quentin, an Englishman; and Andreas Zekerman, a Dutch seaman, stood accused of murder and mutiny on the high seas, crimes that struck at the heart of maritime law. Their trial and execution would echo through Irish folklore, but the events that placed them the