You're right there Martin.Anything in a thirty yard radius of one of them punt guns were toast!!.A friend of mine is one of the last punt gunners from the south sloblands of Wexford harbour(The opposite side of the harbour to Shelmalier). and I've seen his gun,no longer in use, I hasten to add, and it's a massive thing.Apparently the recoil of the gun was enough to send the punt flying backwards or astern as we would say, like a speedboat !.
Mayomick, I am not sure of the origins of the Shelmaliers, but I doubt the explanation you were given. The names prevalent in the area makes me doubt that.At a guess I would say that there are more Murphys living there than in any other part of the country with comparable population numbers.Murphy is hardly a name associated with settlers of English descent.But I will check with someone more knowledgeable on the subject than I am .