Marriage between 13 year old and 19 year old????

[Sassenach73]

Good morning,

I've been working for quite some time, on and off, on my partner's great great grandfather, one Patrick Quigley who married Ellen Shea in Kilmacow, Kilkenny.  They married on 9th November 1886 and had their first child on 23 November 1886. This is sound information with sources to back things up.  Patrick was of full age and Ellen 21. (I thought that was full age in any case).  Ellens actual birth certificate does state she was born in 1867 so she lied on the marriage certificate/didn't actually know her true age etc.

The issue now is, while I've known his father's name is James Quigley, (taken from his marriage certificate) - his Mother's name was down in the tree as Mary Shee/Shea - and I'm not quite sure why it is down as Mary Shee - (possibly from way back when I copied other's information) - I've since found the marriage between James Quigley and Mary Shea and also a baptism and birth for their son Patrick Quigley - 30th May 1873!! - Birth was in New Ross and the baptism in Templeludigan - which would mean, if true, that young Patrick at just 13 and a half years married Ellen Shea who was 19....what is the true likelihood of this actually happening? 

On census returns, Patrick has his place of birth as Wexford on both and in 1901 his age suggests a birth year of 1869, while in 1911 a birth year of 1867 - his death, in 1935, has his birth year as 1872!! His marriage from 1865 or earlier....any help would be most appreciated.  I have since deleted Mary Shee as I just can't see why she appeared in the first place.   

[Wexflyer]

This sort of question comes up periodically - take a look in the main Ireland section for some examples.
Almost invariably a case of mistaken identity - wrong Patrick Quigley in this case.
It would be obvious that a 13 year old was not "full age". It was not a legal age for a boy to marry at 13 in either canon or civil law - would have been completely null and void. The "marriage" would not have been performed.

[Sassenach73]

This sort of question comes up periodically - take a look in the main Ireland section for some examples.
Almost invariably a case of mistaken identity - wrong Patrick Quigley in this case.
It would be obvious that a 13 year old was not "full age. It was not a legal age for a boy to marry at 13 - would have been completely null and void. Would not have been performed.

Thank you - I did gather as much in all honesty - hence why I removed the Mary Shee/Shea from my tree as there is no documented sources attached to her at all  and she couldn't possibly be the mother of the Patrick who married Ellen - I did think, that even the most developed thirteen year old couldn't pass as a grown man lol.  Its back to the drawing board with regards to his parents.  Thanks for your reply.