An exchange of letters in the 1950s exercised the minds of the then Taoiseach, Mr John A. Costello, and the Catholic Bishop of Killaloe, Dr Joseph Rodgers, on the subject of pugnacious clerics and blasphemy.
On returning home from a sitting of Limerick District Court in the case of The Attorney General v Rev Patrick Ryan, on July 27th, 1956, the bishop put pen to paper.
The case, he reminded the Taoiseach, had arisen "out of a complaint lodged by the 'Jehovah Witnesses' in the persons of a Mr Miller and a Mr Bond (a lapsed Catholic) for alleged assault, and seizure and destruction of Jehovah Witnesses' 'literature' at Clonlara, Co Clare" on May 13th.
Dr Rodgers found it hard to credit that, had the Attorney General been "fully aware of the pernicious and blasphemous literature distributed and sold in my diocese" by the self-styled Jehovah Witnesses, he "would have proceeded against one of my priests for upholding and defending the fundamental truths of our treasured Catholic Faith".
The Taoiseach replied on August 14th: It had been alleged - and not denied - that Mr Miller was assaulted by one of the laymen who accompanied Father Ryan, and that the priest and others had seized certain books and papers in Mr Miller's possession, which were subsequently destroyed, Mr Costello noted.
He fully appreciated the "just indignation aroused among the clergy and the people by the activities of the Jehovah Witnesses, and by the character of the matter which, I understand, they disseminate orally and in writing". It was essential to bear in mind, however, that the law provided means of dealing with persons whose conduct was calculated to lead to a breach of the peace or who uttered blasphemy. It would be incompatible with the duty of those responsible for the maintenance of peace and order "to acquiesce in the adoption of other methods".
A further serious incident involving Jehovah Witnesses and zealous clerical defenders of the faith was brought to the Attorney General's notice on April 29th, 1960. This concerned an assault on Mr Alexander McHardy Turner, who had "suffered appreciable injuries", the Chief State Solicitor reported. "Mr Turner and his three companions are positive in their statements that some at least of the injuries were inflicted by Father Doyle, of The Presbytery, Wexford."
Father Doyle and his colleague, Father Sinnott, had not made written statements, but had denied that either of them had struck Mr Turner. A Mr James Delaney, "who was in conversation with Turner at the time Fathers Doyle and Sinnott appeared on the scene", admitted striking the Jehovah Witness because he believed Turner was about to strike one of the priests.
It was a very delicate matter, said the Chief State Solicitor, "in which it will be difficult, as I see it, for the police to discriminate in favour of Father Doyle and, to a lesser extent, [in favour\] of Father Sinnott, on evidence on which they would normally institute proceedings".
A hand-written note in the Attorney General's file, dated May 10th, 1960, says: "Prosecute Father Doyle, Father Sinnott and Jas. Delaney for assault". Beside it is another note of the same date: "I spoke to the Taoiseach and he agreed to the course being adopted."
The final entry in the file, however, is a short letter to the Chief State Solicitor from the New Ross-based State solicitor, Mr James Coghlan, stamped July 29th. "My opinion is that it would be better to leave the matter rest, in the hope that these people will leave the town peacefully on the direction of their Principals. But should there by any further trouble by them in the town, then I think proceedings should be brought for the purpose of having them bound to be of good behaviour."