You can't make retrospective value judgements about Irish, or any other, history. "Pathetic priest ridden" is accuate enough to the MODERN mind but takes no account of the historical circumstances which produced it, i.e. the Reformation, the Ulster Plantation, the 1641 Rebellion (and the anti-Catholic black propaganda arising thereof), the Williamite Wars and the Penal Laws, not totally repealed until 1829. I'm glad tho that this interesting and valuable discussion is being conducted civilly.