At Cavan Quarter-sessions, a Catholic priest, named Eugene She- ridan,
was the defendant in an action brought against him by a respect.. able farmer, named Reilly, for expenses which he had been put to in consequence of Sheridan having falsely and maliciously charged bins with a heinous crime. It appeared that Reilly and Sheridan lived in adjoining houses, and that Reilly had prevented the priest from cutting wood on the estate of which he was the agent. In consequence of this, Sheridan became enraged ; and when he got drunk, which fre- quently happened, he went to Reilly's house and abused him, and os one occasion horsewhipped his wife. For this assault, Reilly, after consulting the Catholic Bishop, summoned Sheridan before the Ma- gistrates; and he was tined. The priest, in revenge, then accused Reilly of an infamous crime ; but the Grand Jury ignored the bill; and it was evident that there was not the least particle of truth in the charge. For the expenses to which Reilly was put, be brought his action, and the Jury gave him a verdict for the full amount. The Dublin Evening Post observes on this case—" Eugene Sheridan op- pears to be a most abandoned and profligate person ; and we confess our astonishment at finding that be had not long before this been super- seded or suspended—that his character, being well known in the diocese,. the Bishop did not exercise his functions by relieving him from clerical duties."--1 The exposure of one Catholic priest after another, is begin- ning to create a very bad impressions in this country with respect to the " order."]
Previous page
