softened; he even went so far as to declare that politics were not
altogether consistent with sacerdotal duty; and resuming his exorcisms,
which he had for some time abandoned, he went to the Isle of Holiness,
and delivered a possessed woman of six demons in the shape of white mice.
He, however, again resumed the political mantle in the year 1848, during
the short period of the rebellion of the so-called Young Irelanders. The
priests, though they apparently sided with this party, did not approve of
it, as it was chiefly formed of ardent young men, fond of what they
termed liberty, and by no means admirers of priestly domination, being
mostly Protestants. Just before the outbreak of this rebellion, it was
determined between the priests and the . . ., that this party should be
rendered comparatively innocuous by being deprived of the sinews of
war--in other words, certain sums of money which they had raised for
their enterprise. Murtagh was deemed the best qualified person in
Ireland to be entrusted with the delicate office of getting their money
from them. Having received his instructions, he invited the leaders to
his parsonage amongst the mountains, under pretence of deliberating with
them about what was to be done. They arrived there just before
nightfall, dressed in red, yellow, and green, the colours so dear to
enthusiastic Irishmen; Murtagh received them with great apparent
cordiality, and entered into a long discourse with them, promising them
the assistance of himself and order, and received from them a profusion
of thanks. After a time Murtagh, observing in a jocular tone that
consulting was dull work, proposed a game of cards, and the leaders,
though somewhat surprised, assenting, he went to a closet, and taking out
a pack of cards, laid it upon the table; it was a strange dirty pack, and
exhibited every mark of having seen very long service. On one of his
guests making some remarks on the "ancientness" of its appearance,
Murtagh observed that there was a very wonderful history attached to that
pack; it had been presented to him, he said, by a young gentleman, a
disciple of his, to whom, in Dungarvon times of yore, he had taught the
Irish language, and of whom he related some very extraordinary things; he
added that he, Murtagh, had taken it to . . ., where it had once the
happiness of being in the hands of the Holy Father; by a great
misfortune, he did not say what, he had lost possession of it, and had
r