As he was an utter ne'er-do-weel, the parish priest justly considered him unfit for the situation, and brought from a neighbouring county a schoolmaster highly recommended by the National Convention.
They had a quiet way of expressing their feelings in Kerry in those days, and the moonlighters fired by night through the windows of every one who sent their children to the nominee of the parish priest.
The District Inspector thought he had better look into the matter himself, for it was stated they had always fired high with the sole purpose of intimidating the occupants of the various cabins.
However, when this inspecting authority found a bullet-hole in a window-sill only three feet from the ground, he observed:—
'Well, that shot was meant to kill.'
One farmer standing by remarked:—
'It was not right to fire into a house where there were a lot of little children.'
'Begorra,' cried another, in a tone of virtuous indignation, 'the careless fellows might have killed the poor pig!'
That was sworn before me.
Here is another incident, also sworn to in my presence.