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Carlow County - Ireland Genealogical Projects (IGP TM)


Shay Kinsella
Historian


From: Michael Purcell <carlowmike@gmail.com>

Shay Kinsella, Historian.

Readers may be aware that I have spoken highly of Shay Kinsella and his disciplined, meticulous approach to history research and publication of same.

Articles published by Shay recently in the Carloviana are a pleasure to read and the footnotes informative and helpful.

The following was published in the news section of the Nationalist in April 2014.

Carlow story makes the cover of prestigious history magazine.

By Charlie Keegan.

Since it was founded more than 20 years ago, "History Ireland", the bi-monthly Irish history journal, has rarely featured articles relating to Carlow.

But in the Jan. / Feb. 2014 issue, not only does the prestigious publication contain an article on Carlow history, but it features the subject matter on the front cover -- a first.

The article is entitled "The Slashing Parson of 1798" and was written by 33-year-old Shay Kinsella, a native of Cloughna, Milford and one of an emerging group of young historians and archaeologists.

Shay is son of Jim and Peggy Kinsella (nee O'Reilly) and has three older brothers -- Michael, Tony and Brian-- and a younger sister, Suzanne.

Shay graduated from Trinity College in English and history in 2001 and then attended St Patrick's teacher training centre in Drumcondra, from where he graduated in 2006.

Married to N’ir’n Deeney from Co. Donegal the couple have just welcomed their first child, daughter Aoibh’n.

Shay is currently researching his PhD on Milford and the Alexander family in the 19th century at St Patrick's College, Drumcondra. He has contributed regularly to Carloviana and also writes a diary column for the online history magazine Scol’ire Staire.

His article in History  Ireland is an abridged version of the piece that was published in the 2012 edition of Carloviana.

The Rev Rochford earned his chilling sobriquet in the summer months of 1798 when, as a captain in his brother's Cloydagh and Killeshin Yeomanry he terrorised the village of Leighlinbridge and surrounding areas by his provocative and distinctly unclerical behaviour.

Shay say's this work evolved from a huge interest he has in Carlow's local history. He states: "having grown up around the ruins of Milford mills and Clogrennane House, I was always curious to find out the human stories behind the bricks and mortar".

"This has led to my current PhD study on the Alexander family of Milford, the success of the mills and the new community that settled in the area from 1800 to 1870".


Source: Michael Purcell

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