A hundred years ago
From the 'Spectator', 9 January 1869—A curious illustration of the violence of the Protestant-ascen- dancy feeling has occurred at Limerick. At a meet- ing in Limerick, a Roman Catholic priest, Mr. Shanahan, called upon the present Mayor of Limerick to exhibit his chain of office, which he did, whereupon Father Shanahan accused the late mayor, Sir Peter Tait, who was present, of having removed the links of the first two Roman Catholic mayors, his predecessors,—and having substituted his own medallion in their place. Sir Peter Tait's immediate predecessor in the mayoralty, Alderman Tinsley, confirmed the fact that his link had been removed from the chain since he yielded it up to Alderman Tait; and of course a resolution was at once passed condemning Alderman Tait severely, and calling upon the Town Council to have the links of the Roman Catholic mayors restored. This, we suppose, the Town Council did, and, moreover, sent back Sir Peter Tail's medallion, asking him to sub- stitute links for it, and not to mark them "Sir Peter Tait," as he had only been knighted since resigning his mayoralty. It all sounds very much like children quarrelling about their bricks, and one of them re- proaching the other because he had despised and rejected the bricks piled on by his playmates; but when races or religions quarrel about fancy matters, it is apt to be a sign of much deeper hostility than when they quarrel about politics or faith.
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