How common for a priest to be native to his parish?

[kclinch]

My next search will be Irish College at Paris where greatest percentage of Irish priests studied. As written earlier, if Furlong couldn't dig up more material on Fr. Murphy, I do not hold out great hope of finding material on Thomas Clinch. That the Diocese of Ferns did not maintain even minimal records is disappointing. Penal Laws, Rebellions, Famine, oppressive governance.... did not foster orderly records for family history hunters two centuries later. I get it.

[Wexflyer]

... That the Diocese of Ferns did not maintain even minimal records is disappointing....

It is a bit unfair to blame the Diocese of Ferns for this situation. It seems to be forgotten that the British burnt/destroyed 33 churches in the Diocese in the years from 1798-1801. Many parish registers and records were lost. Ad Limina reports to Rome before 1798 attest that records were well kept.

[kclinch]

Absolutely, Wexflyer. The Diocese of Ferns cannot be blamed, the people of that area faced life-threatening forces, I face only a little inconvenience.