Various writers tell of an event that took place at Scarawalsh Bridge near the time of the Boolavogue incident. Some writers say that the innocent/idiot/retarded (depending of the sensitvities of writer's era) boy murdered by the Yeos was the nephew of a local priest. Later writers suggest the priest to be Fr. Thomas Clinch, and that this murder precipitated Fr. Clinch's entry into the rebelliion.Perhaps it was the case that pursuit of this subject did not fit within the scope of these writer's histories, or perhaps even as early as 1803 this was a faint memory. I am wondering if any members of this group have local knowledge of the event. As a descendant of the Clinch line, I would like to learn the names of family members of the boy and any details that might yet circulate in Wexford. I do not know whether said Bridge is even within the parish of Ferns, but thought i would start the thread here.
kclinch
Thursday 13th Jul 2017, 02:10AMMessage Board Replies
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Edward Hay's writings, published in 1802/3, are closest in time to the event. He states that the idiot boy was nephew to a local priest, and that this event was avenged while Enniscorthy was occuppied by the rebel forces and so the murder may have occured after Enniscorthy was occuppied. It is later writers who place the event a week before the Boolavogue incident and tie the boy to the family of Fr. Thomas Clinch. Whelan makes the case for this scenario.
kevin
kclinch
Thursday 20th Jul 2017, 02:15PM