Anthony Perry

A sculpted image of Anthony Perry of Perrymount, Inch, Co. Wexford, upon the Fr. Michael Murphy memorial in Arklow, Co. Wicklow. Interestingly, the image of Perry is emplaced in the position of Wolfe Tone’s name and vice versa.

Anthony Perry (c. 1760– 21 July 1798), known as the "screeching general", was one of the leaders of the United Irish Wexford rebels during the 1798 rebellion.

Background Perry was born in County Down, Ireland to a Protestant family and lived a prosperous life at Inch, near the Wexford/Wicklow border as a gentleman farmer.

Arrest and torture The arrival of the counter-insurgency campaign in Wexford, embodied by the dispatch of the North Cork Militia, ensured that high-profile radicals like Perry would be the first to be subjected to arrest and interrogation. On 23 May Perry was arrested and taken by the North Cork Militia to Gorey for interrogation. After enduring 48 hours of torture including being pitchcapped, Perry broke and revealed some names of leaders in south Wexford. These leaders were quickly arrested, and Perry was released on 26 May.

The rebellion erupts While the authorities concentrated on extracting intelligence about the rebel organisation from southern leaders such as Bagenal Harvey, Edward Fitzgerald, and John Henry Colclough, the rebellion erupted rapidly after being sparked off by a clash at The Harrow where rebels under Fr. John Murphy attacked and defeated a small yeoman cavalry force. A bloody series of raids for arms and attacks on loyalist forces ensued across the northern half of the county countered by roaming bands of yeomen burning and killing indiscriminately. Victories at battle of Oulart Hill and Enniscorthy followed, leaving the rebels in total control of the area between Enniscorthy and Gorey by 29 May.

Despite his horrific wounds, Perry reported to the rebel camp at Vinegar Hill, Enniscorthy on 29 May and was appointed as second in command to the northern army. They reached Edenderry in County Offaly before being captured by the local yeomanry and were both summarily hanged on 21 July. He and Kearns were buried together in the cemetery of Monasteroris, where a large Celtic cross now marks their grave.