2) You state, " Actually, it does state the name of the church, or more accurately parish - Wexford. i.e. Wexford town. [Remember, these are parish records, not "church" records - many parishes in latter years had more than one church]. I just confirmed that by pulling up the 1771 baptism records for Wexford on the NLI site, and within two pages saw the baptism for Michael Furlong, on 16/2/1771. Is this the relevant record?"
The baptism record that you have sighted on the NLI database is of my relative Michael Furlong (1771-1845). But I am somewhat confused, for I cannot see the difference between 'parish records' and 'church records' of a particular baptism. Surely the hand written pages that you and I see of this particular baptism record, are those entries made in a particular church baptism register by the officiating priest/vicar, and surely that church has a name, eg, St Marys, St Josephs etc. I realised that in earlier times there may have been more than one Catholic or Anglican church in Wexford Town, and my initial inquiry was to establish the name of the church where my relative was baptised.
3) You say, " But can I ask the following: What makes you say that this particular Michael Furlong is "yours"? You mention Ancestry says so, but that can't really be so - Ancestry does not on its own confirm these connections, it just lists possibilities." I have been researching my family roots since 1978 here in Liverpool throughout the many Catholic churches and have been able to construct quite an extensive family tree. For ten years I was the Administrator of the Liverpool Catholic Cemeteries Board and had access to all Catholic burials between 1859-1985. Like many earlier researchers I spent years of my life at the Liverpool records Office tracking back my Liverpool various Furlong families through the Census Returns, and purchasing many birth and marriage certificates. One or more of these findings pointed me towards Oylegate. In 2001 I visited St Davids RC Church and was able to peruse all the church baptism, marriage, and death records. From this visit I was able to go away and construct various Furlong families in the Oylegate area, one of which I was satisfied confirmed my findings that I was on the right track. However, I have no way of connecting the other Oylegate Furlong families with my own. I then visited Garrynisk Cemetery to come across various Furlong burials mentioned in the St Davids RC Registers. Please remember this is years before the advent of Computers, and Ancestry.com and so I have subsequently only really relied upon Ancestry purely for corroboration of my initial findings. If you refer back to my initial inquiry, I mentioned that I wish to engage the services of a competent, or professional Wexford Genealogical researcher. My reasons for this is to check my very many findings to date, and see if it is possible to connect with any other Furlong families, with a view to finalising my research and close the book on this project, and trust no "looking under the lamppost effect" has been applied, hopefully. At sometime in 2017 I hope to visit Wexford again when I hope to visit with any researcher engaged.
4) You say, " what triggers my alarm bells is that Wexford is an urban parish..." I hear what you say and this is a reasonable conclusion. One of my forebears James Furlong (1807-1869) followed the trade of a 'Joiner' and his son Michael Furlong (1838-1900) followed the trade of a 'Joiner' and I would agree that these are professions that would have been followed more in an Urban area, rather than a rural area! But then parents could well have been tenant farmers in Jamestown, Oylegate, while their siblings followed their trades in Wexford or Enniscorthy!!
I'm sorry if this is becoming too 'long winded' but I feel it is essential to elaborate on the facts; please feel free to ask further questions.. Once again thank you for any ongoing guidance and help.