After the wedding, Bridget returned to her townland of Ballyvadlea to live with her parents, while Michael continued to work as a cooper in Clonmel.

More than a week into her illness, on 13 March 1895, a physician visited her at her home; her condition was considered sufficiently grave that a priest soon followed, to administer last rites.

Witness statements were gathered over the ensuing week, and by the time Bridget's burnt corpse was found in a shallow grave on 22 March, nine people had been charged in her disappearance, including her husband.

He was released from Maryborough (now Portlaoise) prison on 28 April 1910 and moved to the English city of Liverpool, from which he emigrated to Canada in July of the same year.

Press coverage of the Cleary case occurred in an atmosphere of debate over the Irish people's ability to govern themselves, and worries were expressed about the credulity and superstition of rural Catholics.

"[6] The writer E. F. Benson took a considerable interest in the case, publishing a scholarly commentary on it, "The Recent 'Witch-Burning at Clonmel'", in the influential periodical The Nineteenth Century in June 1895, before the trial itself began.

It accepts the defence argument that those involved with Bridget's death acted out of a genuine belief that she had been possessed by a spirit, had no intention of murder, and were attempting to restore her to her rightful self.

He points out that the door of the Cleary house was left open and no attempts were made to keep the assaults on Bridget secret.

"It is inconceivable that, if they had wished to kill her, they would have left the door open, that they should have allowed their shouts to attract the neighbours, or that ten persons should have been admitted to witness the deed.

H. O'Connell and P. G. Doyle (2006) speculated that the murder may have been the result of Michael developing a brief psychotic disorder, which manifested as Capgras delusion, owing to the stress of managing Bridget's illness.

"[11] The Burning of Bridget Cleary by Angela Bourke and The Cooper's Wife is Missing by Joan Hoff & Marian Yeates, both released independently of each other in 2000, are historical accounts of the case that attempt to contextualize the murder with the belief in fairies in Ireland during the period.

[11] The podcast Lore devoted one of its episodes ("Black Stockings", broadcast 25 July 2015) to the story of Bridget Cleary's murder.

[12] The Hidden People (2016) is a historical fantasy and horror novel by English writer Alison Littlewood that is based on the story of Cleary.

[13] The events surrounding Bridget Cleary's death are the subject of the song "Changeling" by Irish rock band The Riptide Movement on their 2016 album Ghosts.

[16] In 2019, Irish singer-songwriter Maija Sofia released a song, "The Wife of Michael Cleary", as part of an album about wronged women.