History & Heritage

Enniscorthy Remembers

Enniscorthy Historical Re-enactment Society came together at Market Square on Sunday 16th January to re-enact and commemorate the surrender of Dublin Castle to Michael Collins and the Provisional Government. Pic: Maria Nolan.

Enniscorthy Historical Re-enactment Society came together at Market Square on Sunday 16th January to reenact and commemorate the surrender of Dublin Castle to Michael Collins and the Provisional Government at 1.45pm on that date one hundred years before.

In a simple, dignified ceremony introduced by Graham Cadogan and narrated by Wexford County Council Historian-in-Residence, Barry Lacey, a Union Jack was lowered, folded, and presented to the last Viceroy of Ireland, Lord FitzAlan-Howard, as the Tricolour was hoisted to the strains of Amhrán na bhFiann, observing and celebrating the most significant date in our history for hundreds of years.

Michael Collins and a Dáil delegation arrived late to the Castle that day, a century ago, and made their way through the cheering crowds who had been gathering at the Castle gates since noon and now stretched in every direction along Dame Street, anxious to witness the historic occasion.

Arriving at the Castle, Collins was met by James McMahon, Under Secretary, who greeted him with, ‘We’re glad to see you Mr. Collins’, to which Collins is reputed to have replied in his best Cork accent, ‘Ye are like hell, boy.’

In the Council Chambers, Collins handed the Viceroy a copy of the London Treaty of 6th December 1921 and the Lord Lieutenant congratulated him and his colleagues and informed them that they were now duly installed as the Provisional Government. He went on to wish them every success, expressing the earnest hope that under their auspices the ideal of a happy, free, and prosperous Ireland would be attained. At 2.25pm, the handover complete, Collins bounded out through the doorway, jumped into the lead car and was on his way, ending the War of Independence with the brief, historic formality that Ireland had waited over seven hundred years for.

– Maria Nolan

The Rebels’ Priest

The author, Nicholas Furlong.

The Rebels’ Priest tells the story of Fr John Murphy of Boolavogue in the ‘98 Rebellion.

It was an appalling human massacre on a world scale that in the space of three months, April, May and June 1798, ultimately cost the lives of thirty thousand people, most of them in County Wexford. Few people here or abroad still comprehend that such tragedy happened here. The result of thirty or more battles in those three months became known across the world from the US to Australia as the 1798 Rebellion.

Thirty years ago, Nicky Furlong, FRSAI, author, journalist and historian of Drinagh Lodge, Wexford Town, wrote the story of Father John Murphy of Boolavogue, who led poorly armed native rebels in a defensive against the mightily armed English Crown forces. He spent ten years researching the priest’s life in Wexford and in Spain where Fr Murphy studied before coming home to Boolavogue. Nicky’s book of then, and his new book of now, provide a window on the background of the cause and the events and the outcome of the 1798 Rebellion for the passive reader, and the amateur and the professional historian. Two hundred and twenty three years after the 1798 Rebellion, Nicky Furlong, now aged 92, has updated, expanded his bestseller which sold out in 1991. He said the reason for the new updated book is so that we do not forget, so that we continue to honour those who died giving their lives for us and to inform and educate next generations and to avoid similar tragedy. Three Sisters Press has now republished the book under the title The Rebels’ Priest and sub-title, The Battles of Fr John Murphy of Boolavogue 1753-1798. The book in 280 pages has more than 100 photographs of battle sites, camp sites, execution sites and maps of the theatre of conflict spanning England, France and Ireland and counties Carlow, Wicklow, Kilkenny and Wexford. The maps include a map of the home ground of Fr John Murphy – his home at Tincurry, near Scarawalsh, between Ballycarney and Ferns, and his final journey with his comrade James Gallagher of Tomahurra to their final resting place at the Mullawn cemetery in Carlow. The photographs include those of King George of England, and General Lake and General Needham of the English Crown forces, and rebels’ leaders, Wolf Tone of Belfast, Edward Fitzgerald of Newpark, Miles Byrne of Monaseed and their commander in chief Bagenal Harvey of Bargy Castle. Celestine Murphy, historian and genealogist, retired senior librarian, who was a consultant to Nicky Furlong in the production of the new book, gave a background to the 1798 Rebellion in Wexford. She wrote: “In April 1798, the English government placed the formerly tranquil and prosperous county of Wexford under martial law. Local Yeomanry units, aided by Militia from Cork and Wales, then wrought terror on the Catholic population of the county. “They burned chapels and homes and looted property. Men were brutally tortured in front of their families. Anyone suspected of sympathising with the republican United Irishmen was summarily executed. “In late May, news reached Fr John Murphy, aged 45 and then the Catholic curate at Boolavogue village, that the local Yeomanry intended to attack his parishioners and burn his chapel. He gathered some local men and in defiance of his bishop led them in a rout of the Yeomanry.” The Battles of the Harrow, Oulart Hill, Enniscorthy town, Vinegar Hill, Bunclody, New Ross, Goffs Bridge, Foulksmills, Tubberneering, Ballyellis, Ballyminaun Hill, Gorey, Kilcumney, Kilthomas Hill, Camolin, Three Rocks, Arklow and Castlecomer are featured in the book. Sites of executions and massacres at Carnew, Kilcumney, Co. Carlow and at Wexford bridge, and venues of councils of strategy at Oulart village, Rudd’s Inn – now the Enniscorthy and District Chamber of Commerce, George Street Wexford – now Greenacres, and the then bishop of Ferns house at High Street Wexford, are given too. Nicky Furlong gives a context for the story of Fr John Murphy and the rebellion: “King George of England, fearful that France or Spain would conquer the strategic island of Ireland, sent his English Crown Forces – aided by Irish Yeomanry and Militias, the Welsh Ancient Britons fencible cavalry and Hessian mercenaries – on a campaign of persecution and oppression of the general Irish population.

“To England, France and Spain, Waterford Harbour was of strategic importance providing deep-water access to Waterford port and city and from there to the rest of Ireland. Duncannon Fort and Waterford Harbour were of tactical importance to England.” The production team members with author Nicholas Furlong for The Rebels’ Priest, were Helen Ashdown – proofreader; Celestine Murphy – consultant on history; John Gibney – design consultant; Emma Gibney – text and formatting; David Mahon – special maps; Brendan Cahill-Flynn – index; Pat O’Connor –general photography in Wexford, Carlow, Kilkenny, Waterford and Wicklow; Paddy Murphy and Bernard Browne – commemoration photographs, and Michael Freeman – editor. n