"As to the Union, it was bought with titles. Look at the Binghams and
the rest, they went to bed nothing, and rose up lords in the morning.
The day it was passed Lady Castlereagh was in the House of Parliament,
and she turned three colours, and she said to her husband, 'You have
passed your treaty, but you have sold your country.' He went and cut his
throat after that. And it is what I heard from the old people, there was
no priest in Ireland but voted for it, the way they would get better
rights, for it was only among poor persons they were going at that time.
And it was but at the time of the Parliament leaving College Green they
began to wear the Soutane that they wear now. Up to that it was a
bodycoat they wore and knee-breeches. It was their vote sent the
Parliament to England, and when there is a row between them or that the
people are vexed with the priest, you will hear them saying in the house
in Irish 'Bad luck on them, it was they brought misfortune to Ireland.'
They wore the Soutane ever since that time."