1 Why was Sunday Ronan's favourite day of the week?
2 Who was Father Murphy? Why did he tell the Catholics to vote for Daniel O'Connell?
3 Why did Father Murphy ask the people to take the pledge that they would not drink while they were in Ennis?
Chap. 3 4 How many priests in County Clare were for Catholic Emancipation?
5 Who was Father Coffey?
Fact File
The Catholic priests played a very important part in Catholic Emancipation, particular in the collecting of the Catholic Rent. Most of the collections took place at Church gates and so virtually every Catholic in the country had the opportunity to contribute on a weekly or monthly basis. The Catholic rent was set at a penny a month, though poorer people tended to pay a farthing each week that they could afford it. The rent was important in the fight for Catholic Emancipation: 1. It built a fund for fighting elections and for the printing of information. 2. It united Catholics from all over the country.
Draw...!
A picture of a procession going in to Ennis with the priest and the band.
Explore...!
Taking the pledge in Ireland started with Father Matthew in Cork. Find out about him and the work that he did. When was he born and when was the pledge first started?
Imagine......!
Imagine that you are Father Murphy, write down your account of that last Sunday in July when you preached the sermon. Don't forget to write down what Father Murphy might be thinking about Thady Dooley and about Daniel O'Connell sitting in his little church at Corofin.
Imagine that you have been asked to persuade people not to drink on voting day in Ennis. Write down a list of good reasons against alcoholic drink on that day.
