An 18th Century Incident in College
 
As far as the internal history of Trinity College
is concerned, the eighteenth century may well
be termed the “Times of the Troubles”. In the
constant riots and disturbances which took
place in College during that period, at least two
fatal incidents occurred – the shooting of a
Fellow in 1734 and the death of a Provost at an
earlier period from a blow by a brickbat.

In whatever light these occurrences were
regarded at the time, they seem peculiar
enough to merit some attention at the present
day. Edward Forde, a Junior Fellow, occupied
rooms in number 25 over one of the two
passages through the red-brick building which
then formed the only means of access to what
is now the New Square. He appears to have
acquired a considerable amount of
unpopularity in College, and accordingly, on 6
March, between 12 and 1 o’clock at night, a
body of students collected for the purpose of
breaking his windows. Forde, however, in
anticipation of such a proceeding, had provided
himself with a pistol, loaded with large shot,
and the window-breakers were received with a
discharge from this, which wounded one of
their number, though the greater part of the
shot lodged in a tree. The students promptly
retired to their rooms, and having provided
themselves with firearms, which seem to have
formed a necessary part of one’s College
equipment in those days, returned to the scene
of action. The affair had, by this time, attracted
attention, and some Scholars living in the
house, had entered Forde’s rooms and
endeavoured to persuade him not to go to the
window again; but he, not daunted, was
opening the sash to fire a second time at his
assailants, when he received two shots in the
head and body, and fell, mortally wounded.

Four students were arrested on the next
day and the Board engaged counsel to
prosecute them for murder. The feeling in
Dublin, where the affair naturally caused a
considerable amount of sensation, was all in
favour of the accused students and against the
authorities of College.

We read in contemporary letters that the
prosecution was very unpopular, “especially
amongst the ladies, who were astonished at the
barbarity of undertaking so cruel a persecution
against the Sons of Gentlemen, suspected only
of a frolic!” “In many companies where I was
present”, writes a contemporary, “while the
warmth of this debate lasted I could not but
fancy the question was not whether the killing
of Mr Forde was a fault, but rather if it were not
advisable the young gentlemen should proceed
and put half-a-dozen more of the Fellows out
of the way; at least, whether it would not be
proper that every twelvemonth the College
should be refreshed with some new discipline
of this kind”. No doubt a great deal of this
feeling was due to some of the accused
belonging, as we learn they did, to important
families in Ireland, a fact which told for a great
deal in those days. Nevertheless, for some
months a proclamation of Council appeared
regularly in the Dublin Gazette, offering a
reward of £300 for information which would
lead to the conviction of any of the culprits and
another £300 for the arrest of Mr James Dee,
who had apparently decamped from College
on the night of the outrage. In addition to this,
the Board offered rewards of £150. But no
information was forthcoming, and Mr James
Dee remained safely “on his keeping” in his
native wilds of Limerick, so that eventually the
accused were put on their trial, and the last we
hear of the whole affair is a brief notice on 12
July in the scanty Dublin press of those days, to
the effect that “four young gentlemen, Scholars
of our University, who were on trial for murder,
were yesterday acquitted.”

HL Murphy in TCD: A College Miscellany,
March 17, 1906.