Los Angeles daily herald., 1888-01-22
FATHER M'GETTIGAN.
An Account of the Late Pri-
mate of All Ireland.
HIS LABOR IN A LARGE FIELD.
He Suffered Imprisonment for
Horse Stealing Rather Than
Disclose Secrets.

The death of the Most Rev. DAME
McGettigan, Archbishop of Armagh
will recall to the public the curiou
fact that his late Grace was "Primat
of all Ireland" while the Archbishop
of Dublin is titularly "Primate OF Ire
land"
The dead Archbishop suffered i'm
wrisonment for refusing to disclos
the secrets of the confessional. 1t i
rather peculiar fact that his popu
larity and his rise to power datet
from his conviction as a horsethief.
Archbishop McGettigan was borl
in Cloughaneely, County Donegal
the son of well-to-do farmer, wit
gave him good preliminary educa
ton. He went to the famous Catho
lie College of Maynooth, and after or
dination was sent as curate to Glens
willy. in the Diocese of Raphoe
which embraces the greater portion
of the County Donegal.
The Glen of Glenswilly was then
famous for the distillation of Illicit
whisky, and the sale of the products
of the mountain stills originated what
was known all over the country as the
"Glenwilly Decree" AT christenings
wakes and weddings "potheen" was
necessity, and therefore was
never wanting. Payments for the
"native" were always made in
the autumn, when the harvest
had been gathered in. Ii there was
any dispute about payment, q secret
court was held and the case was tried
before jury OF the neighbors. This
was, in fact, a general practice with
the people OF Glenswilly, who could
not be induced to recognize the gen.
eral law of the land as made at West
minister. If the verdict was in favor
of the plaintiff, the "Judge" issued
his "decree" authorizing the seizure
Of any property the defendant might
possess which could be easily carried
off and disposed of. This decree was
more binding and more respected
than any decree of regular court.
A SECRET REVEALED.
The desd Primate, then the curate
OF Glenswilly, joined with the others
to put an end to tins state of affairs,
as great abuses and injustices had be-
gun to grow out of it, In the comics
sional man told him how he had
seized neighbors horse on one of
these "decrees," and sold it at fair
in a distant town. The priest insisted
that before he could give the penitent
absolution he must recover the horse
and restore it to the owner. The PEN
itent finally promised to do so, and
said he would leave the horse in the
priests stable. On the third morn
ing the priest found the horse in his
stable and notified the owner to come
for it.
This reached the ears of magis-
trate who regarded priests as the big
gest kind of criminals. This magis-
trate, who was also a land agent,
sent for the man whose horse had
been stolen, and told him that if he
would not prosecute the priest or
make him.tell who had actually stolen
the horse he would eject him. The
priest refused to disclose the secret of
the confessional and was arrested as
the thief. He was taken a prisoner
to Clifford, the county town OF Done
gal, and put on trial. In reply to the
counsel for the crown the farmer said
he found his horse in the priests
stable. The horse had been stolen
from him a week previous.
The Assize Judge and all others
connected with the case knew
we'll that the priest had not
connection with the matter had been
guided purely by a spirit OF right and
Justice. The offer was made to him
that if he would give the name OF the
real thief he could 60 free. To this
the priest replied that were his life at
stake he could not betray the secrecy
and sanctity of the confessional.
"Then," said the Judge, "the horse
was found in your possession, and be-
fore the law you are the guilty party,
and l sentence you to throe months
imprisonment in the county Jail on
bread and water"
HE SERVED HIS TERM.
Father McGettigan served his term,
and on his liberation every hilltop
and mountain in Donegal was ablaze
with bonfres, and the rejoicing OF the
people resounded through the valleys.
The then Bishop of Raphoe, who, by
the way, was also named McGetti-
gan, was then growing old and ill
able to attend to the episcopal duties
of his large, mountainous diocese,
where, in those days, locomotion
meant "shank's mare" the jaunting-
car or horseback. The people agita-
ted the question of the appointment of
a coadjutor, and Father McGetligan,
the man who had been convicted for
horse.stealing, was chosen with the
. right to succeed the old Bishop on
his death.
The Roman authorities, who had
heard of the young priests sacrifice
for the faith, promptly indorsed the
choice of the priests and people, and
the ex-convict was made a bishop.
His administration of the Diocese of
) Raphoe was very successful, and he
did much to put down faction fighting
and all kinds of disorder.
When the primal See of Armagh
the See of st. Patrick-became vacant
some fifteen years ago, DIR. McGetti-
gan was chosen to fill it by the Bish-
ops Of Ireland, the bishops having the
appointment to that See.
A GOOD. STORY.
DIR. McGettigan was large man
standing about six feet two inches
He was of very amiable disposition
and led a very simple life. Many
good stories are told about his sim
plicity and the ease with which sharE
people would "take him in" One ii
that once while living at Ballyshannor
baud of travelling tinkers visited thu
town. A virago of woman in the
band wanted to get married to
diminutive dealer in dcnkeys. Tit
priest refused toperform the ceremon.
and sent her to the Bishop. Known,