Background

Bodkin was a descendant of The Tribes of Galway and a lawyer on the Connacht

Connacht

Connacht , formerly anglicised as Connaught, is one of the Provinces of Ireland situated in the west of Ireland. In Ancient Ireland, it was one of the fifths ruled by a "king of over-kings" . Following the Norman invasion of Ireland, the ancient kingdoms were shired into a number of counties for...

 circuit. His ancestor was Tomás Bobhdacing

Tomás Bobhdacing

-Biography:Bobhdacing was a descendant of Maurice FitzGerald, Lord of Lanstephan , who's immediate ancestors took part in the Anglo-Irish invasion and settlement of Connacht in the late 1230s under Richard Mor de Burgh...

, (fl.

Floruit

Floruit , abbreviated fl. , is a Latin verb meaning "flourished", denoting the period of time during which something was active...

 1300).

He was a member of the committee who met annually at either Galway

Galway

Galway or City of Galway is a city in County Galway, Republic of Ireland. It is the sixth largest and the fastest-growing city in Ireland. It is also the third largest city within the Republic and the only city in the Province of Connacht. Located on the west coast of Ireland, it sits on the...

 or Clonmel

Clonmel

Clonmel is the county town of South Tipperary in Ireland. It is the largest town in the county. While the borough had a population of 15,482 in 2006, another 17,008 people were in the rural hinterland. The town is noted in Irish history for its resistance to the Cromwellian army which sacked both...

 to look into the code of dueling. Bodkin was one of the signatories of the Irish Code Duello which met at the Clonmel

Clonmel

Clonmel is the county town of South Tipperary in Ireland. It is the largest town in the county. While the borough had a population of 15,482 in 2006, another 17,008 people were in the rural hinterland. The town is noted in Irish history for its resistance to the Cromwellian army which sacked both...

 summer assizes

Assizes

Assize or Assizes may refer to:Assize or Assizes may refer to:Assize or Assizes may refer to::;in common law countries :::*assizes , an obsolete judicial inquest...

 in the summer of 1777.

The Duel

At one stage of his career he was counsel for the plaintiff in a case against Sir Ulick Burke of Glinsk

Glinsk

Glinsk is a small village in County Galway, in the west of Ireland, between Creggs and Ballymoe. Glinsk is located approximately 68 km from Galway city and approximately 30 km from Roscommon. It is located in valley of the River Suck, which has a 60 mile hiking trail. Nearby is the...

, County Galway

County Galway

County Galway is a county in Ireland. It is located in the West Region and is also part of the province of Connacht. It is named after the city of Galway. Galway County Council is the local authority for the county. There are several strongly Irish-speaking areas in the west of the county...

. Burke and his attorney sent Bodkin and his attorney challenges to a duel.

In this duel, shots were exchanged on horseback. If this proved ineffective they continued firing; if that too was ineffective swords and daggers were used, either mounted or on foot.

The encounter proved bloody, and Bodkin was wounded. However, no fatalities are believed to have occurred.

Large crowds attended, as such events were also a popular spectator sport.