John Finlay (Dean of Leighlin)

John Finlay (27 June 1842 – 12 June 1921) was Dean of Leighlin from 1895 until [1] 1912.

Finlay was educated at Trinity College, Dublin and ordained in 1867. He began his ecclesiastical career as a curate in Clonenagh. He was the incumbent at Lorum from 1873 to 1890 when he moved to Carlow.[2] Upon his retirement he moved to Brackley House near Bawnboy, Co. Cavan.[3]

He was murdered[4] by the IRA[5] on 12 June 1921[6] for apparently objecting to his home being burned, to deny it being used to shelter security forces.[7] Eleven members of the IRAs Cavan Brigade were arrested in connection with Finlays murder.[8]

There is a memorial to him at St Peter, Templeport.[9]

Further reading

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Bury, Robin (2017). Buried Lives - The Protestants of Southern Ireland. Dublin: The History Press Ireland. p. 57. ISBN 978-184588-880-0.

References

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  1. ^ "The Clergy List, Clerical Guide and Ecclesiastical Directory" London, John Phillips, 1900
  2. ^ ‘FINLAY, Very Rev. John’, Who Was Who, A & C Black, an imprint of Bloomsbury Publishing plc, 1920–2008; online edn, Oxford University Press, Dec 2007 accessed 31 Oct 2013
  3. ^ O'Halpin, Eunan & Ó Corráin, Daithí (2020), The Dead of the Irish Revolution. Yale University Press, pg. 473-474
  4. ^ "Murder of Dean Finlay". Hansard. 25 May 1922. Retrieved 10 February 2020.
  5. ^ History Ireland web-site
  6. ^ Rootsweb
  7. ^ Rootsweb
  8. ^ O'Halpin, pg. 473
  9. ^ Photo