Immediately the bishops and priests of Ireland were ranked in all their fury against Parnell and his supporters. During the whole of the years 1891, 1892 and 1893, almost on every Sunday the priests from the altars were denouncing the Parnellites. Young priests out of college were allowed to go to the utmost extremities. The whole country was very much divided, even members of the same family differed—the father argued against the son and the son did the same against the father. One party was called Parnellites and the other Anti-Parnellites. It was very plain that the Irish people were very unwilling to throw aside their fallen chief, especially at the bidding of one of Parnell's former political foes.
Parnell was a Protestant and divorces were pretty numerous in England, therefore many considered the question outside of the jurisdiction of the Catholic clergy, while English church and statesmen could not consistently make such a demand upon Irishmen. For the first time, here the clergy met serious opposition from the people. At meetings priests were hooted. Fights with fists and sticks became frequent.
In the West Kerry Parliamentary Division every parish priest, with the exception of Canon Daniel O'Sullivan, did the utmost in his power to force the electors to vote for Sir Thomas G. Esmond, Anti-Parnellite, and against Edward Harrington, M. P. In this split a very fine brass band belonging to the Dingle Temperance Society was broken up and destroyed because it was to play at an Anti-Parnellite meeting, contrary to the wishes of the Parnellite members who were refused permission to take the band to one of Parnell's meetings. The Cattle Fair, re-established in Goat Street by the National League, was carried back to the old Brewery on the Spa Road. Lord Ventry was back again as Chairman of the Dingle Poor Law Board. It was a bad split for Ireland. Sir Thomas G. Esmond was declared elected, but as clerical intimidation was too fierce the result was more an unnecessary display of priestly power than a true representation of the choice of a free people.
Peelers.—This was the name given by the common people, in the Irish language, to the police force, because they were appointed in pursuance of the Peace Preservation Act of 1814, of which Sir Robert Peel was the proposer. In after years a like law was applied to England, and the English, to be different from the Irish, nicknamed their police "Bobbies," for Robert.
Penal Laws.—These were laws passed both by the English and Irish Protestant Parliaments, prohibiting a Catholic to live in England or Ireland, if he practiced any part of the Catholic religion. Priests were banished. However, they performed the Catholic services in caves, mountains and other hiding places.
By Catholic emancipation the Penal Laws were nearly abolished.
Phoenix Park Murders.—On the evening of the 6th of May, 1882, Lord Frederick Cavendish, a new and friendly Chief Secretary to Ireland, and Thomas H. Burke, a prominent Under-Secretary, were surrounded by the Invincibles while walking in the Phoenix Park, Dublin, and silently stabbed to death with amputating knives imported for the purpose.
While Foster was Chief Secretary, many attempts were made to murder him, but they all failed. His escapes were miraculous.
Burke was blamed for poisoning the mind of every Chief Secretary or Minister sent into the country, and also for the Coercion Act. Lord Cavendish was offered permission to escape, but he refused, and therefore met the fate of Burke. On the evidence of James Carey, the informer, the Invincibles were hanged. The Government tried to smuggle Carey to South Africa. He was followed by Pat O'Donnell, an Invincible, and shot on board the "Milrose" in or near Port Elizabeth, South Africa.