boyle roche was born, the youngest of three sons, to jordan roche and ellen white in county galway in 1736. his was an old and respectable protestant family, said to be a junior branch of the ancient baronial house of roche, viscount fermoy from which diana, princess of wales, descended. the family were also no strangers to politics: roche's great-grandfather had been elected mayor of limerick four times. roche's older brother was tiger roche, a celebrated duellist and adventurer.