Sorry lads
Broadides are far from reliable as historical documents - assuming the songs have made it to the prsses anyway - in the case of Leitrim, few if any did
All "historical accuracy" depends on access to the original information - oif that is not available, the most reliable sources we have are the local testimonies in whatever form they reach us - and a touch of logic, of course.
There is no reason in the world not to believe Lord Leitrim behaved as hr did - they were all at it
Access to local women ws a perk of the job, but it was also a display of power over your sujects - a way of reminding them who they were
Surely the clerical abuse revelations have shown that (the first reference to clerical abuse was made at the time The Book of Kells was being written)
Jim Carroll